Graduate Admissions

A group of RIT graduates posing for a picture
 

Graduate Admissions

The master's degree programs offered at RIT Dubai are highly selective and all candidates must meet the admission standards for the program they wish to enter. Final admission decisions are made by the RIT Graduate Department in Rochester, NY.

RIT Dubai is currently accepting applications for Spring (January) and Fall (August) intake.
Students are encouraged to apply early to ensure they are considered for admission and to secure a spot in the program.

Applications and all supporting documentation should be submitted directly to RIT Dubai.

Only after all the supporting documents have been submitted, then complete applications will be forwarded to the Graduate Department Committee in Rochester, the U.S.A. for an admission decision.

Students will be notified of the admission decision in a timely manner after their application is complete.

Application Deadline

Fall Semester

Early Admission Phase:
Until January 15

Regular Admission Phase:
Until May 31

Application deadline:
August 22

Application received after the deadline will be reviewed based on space availability

Spring Semester

Early admission phase:
Until October 31

Regular admission phase:
Until December 31

Application deadline:
January 8

Application received after the deadline will be reviewed based on space availability

Admission Requirements

Bachelor's Degree 

Applicants should hold or currently be completing, a bachelor's degree, or the U.S. equivalent granted by an accredited college or university. Original transcripts must be submitted to RIT for evaluation with a certified English translation of transcripts where required.

Academic Performance

Applicants should satisfy the standard RIT requirements for the academic performance of approximately a 'B' grade average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate studies. Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 may get offered conditional admission to the graduate programs.

Undergraduate Pre-requisites

Applicants should meet all appropriate undergraduate pre-requisites:

  • Candidates for the Engineering master’s programs should have an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in the same discipline of engineering, or an area closely related to the discipline they wish to study.
  • Candidates for the MS Organizational Leadership and Innovation program should have a solid educational or employment record in any field upon admission evaluation.

Experience

Applicants must submit a resume (curriculum vitae) to demonstrate professional work experience in the desired area of study.

Visa Requirements

Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of UAE may need to apply for a visa to study at RIT Dubai. We will contact you with more information about visa requirements and procedures once you submit your application for admission.

English Language Proficiency

All applicants to the master's degree programs are required to meet the English language requirement for graduate study at RIT by completing one of the following:

  • Submit an official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of at least 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based, or 79 internet-based. Learn more about TOEFL on the ETS website.
  • Submit an official score from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam with a score of at least Band 6.5. A score of 6.0 in IELTS is acceptable for professional studies programs. Learn more about IELTS on the IELTS website.
  • Submit an official score of EMSAT with a minimum score of 1550. A score of 1400 is acceptable for professional studies programs.
  • Students who have completed undergraduate education in an English-medium institution might be allowed admission into a graduate program without demonstrating TOEFL score of 550 (or equivalent). This exemption can be applicable to those students who undertook all their schooling (K-12) plus a Bachelor’s degree in English in a reference English speaking country (e.g. UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand).
  • IELTS Indicator Test, Duolingo English Test, IELTS General Training, PTE Academic Test, and Home-Based TOEFL exams are not acceptable for PG Applications.
  • TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for 2 years, while EMSAT scores are valid for 18 months.
Please feel free to contact an Admissions Counselor at +971-4-3712000 or email dubaiadmission@rit.edu for further questions on the English requirements.

Application Process

To apply, submit the following to RIT Dubai:

  • An application for admission
  • Resume of your work experience (curriculum vitae)
  • Official, original academic transcripts in the native language
  • Official certified English translation (where necessary)
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Official TOEFL or IELTS score
  • Passport copy and Emirates ID (if in the UAE)
  • A Personal Statement describing your educational objectives. Your statement should be approximately 500 words in an essay format in a Word document

You may wish to address:

  • Why you are applying for the degree you have chosen;
  • How your degree program will relate to your long-term career objectives;
  • What personal or ‘non-academic’ qualities you will contribute to the learning environment in your program;
  • What prior experience you have with respect to your chosen program;
  • Specify why you want to attend the RIT Dubai program.

Please note that only after all your supporting documents have been submitted, your complete application will be forwarded to the Graduate Department Committee in Rochester, the U.S.A. for an admission decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

You need to sign the intent to enroll form and then reserve your seat by paying the enrollment deposit fee.

After you get accepted at RIT, you will be receiving the scholarship form via email along with the admission letter. Please fill the scholarship form and share it back with your admission counselor.

You need to submit or clear any admission requirements before class registration.

The equivalency certificate is not needed if you have graduated from a university located in UAE, just attest your documents from the Ministry of Education.

The equivalency certificate is an official document that gets issued by the UAE Ministry of Education. It’s required for international students only who completed their undergraduate degrees outside UAE. 

Yes, all students are required to attest their undergraduate documents except government university graduates (UAEU, HCT, Zayed University, and Khalifa University). If still need to show your original documents to the Admissions Office. 

All students are required to submit an attested university transcript and degree before the study starts. 

Please contact your academic advisor.

If you have submitted all visa requirements, it will take 2-4 working weeks depending on the Immigration Office processing time which RIT Dubai has no control over. You will receive another email once your Entry Visa is ready along with information on the next steps. Mr. Muhammad Tahir mxtcad1@rit.edu will be the relevant person to contact for updates.

We do have special needs students on campus. Please submit the SNA form online for review. Once it’s reviewed, we will inform you about the decision.

Please contact the IT department at dubaiservicedesk@rit.edu.

Website last updated: December 5, 2024