800 postgraduate students enrolled at ADU

The university has received 450 applications for Spring 09 Semester and 300 students were accepted for admission. The total number of enrolled postgraduate students has now reached 800.

Dr. Nabil Ibrahim, the ADU Chancellor, noted that the establishment of the College of Research and Graduate Studies at ADU, which was founded last September and represents an important step towards building a national base of researchers and specialized graduates in different fields of advanced studies that aim to serve the needs of the UAE community.

ADU University currently offers 5 active postgraduate programs that include a Masters of Business Administration, an MBA in International Business in collaboration with ENPC-Paris, a Masters of Human Resources Management, a Masters of Science in Finance, a Masters of Science in Computer Science, and a Masters of Educational Leadership.

The ADU Chancellor noted that the Masters of Business Administration aims to produce graduates who will be prepared to advance into top managerial positions in marketing, finance, accounting, human resources and other departments in both the private and public sectors of the economy.

The Masters of Human Resources Management will offer its students unique opportunities for advanced education in the field of Human Resources Management, as well as opportunities for leadership growth at personal and professional levels.

The Master of Science in Finance is set to produce financial leaders with advanced and applied financial research capabilities within the context of today's dynamic global financial world. It is an intense, immersive educational experience unrivaled for the breadth and depth of its course offerings. The program provides an innovative curriculum of sophisticated courses that builds a strong foundation in the principles and practices of finance and introduces emerging concepts, practices, and technology used in the finance industry.

The Masters of Science in Computer Science has been designed to specifically prepare smart, new, innovative, multi-skilled ICT knowledge professionals who will become the ICT leaders and executives of the future.

The Masters of Educational Leadership will help graduates demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for effective team and school leadership at elementary, secondary and post-secondary educational levels.

Dr. Yosser Gadhoum, Dean of the College of Research and Graduate Studies, noted that the number of registered students in the Fall of 2008 was 650 compared to 152 students in the Fall of 2007. He added that the enrollment number doubled in the Spring of 2008.

Dr. Gadhoum mentioned that the university is strategically focusing on quality and accessibility, adding that while the student body increases, the main concern of the university is to ensure the quality of the programs being offered, and that quality is the primary factor which the university considers to attract students. Dr. Gadhoum added that the university committed to continuously improving the quality of its postgraduate education through recruitment of highly qualified faculty members, improving the quality of the services being offered to students, and by being more selective in the admission standards, noting that ADU is an accessible university to all citizens in the UAE. Dr. Ghadoum noted that the first graduate program in ADU started in the Summer of 2006 with 17 students who enrolled for the pre-core courses in MBA.

Dr. Gadhoum noted that the current student body consists out of 61% male students and 39% female students. The average age of the enrolled students is 31, while 82% of the students are nationals and 18% are expatriates from 24 different countries. The students have an average of 8 years of working experience, and the average GPA is 3.1 with many students boasting a GPA of 4.0. 32% of the students are employed in high level management positions and 22% of the student body graduated from either the USA or the UK. In terms of employment, 36% of the students work in the governmental sector, 15% work for petroleum companies, 10% work in high tech and R&D firms, while the rest work in service and other private companies.

ADU attracts faculty members from Northern America, Europe, Australia and a number of Arab countries. They have excellent records of accomplishments, extensive postgraduate executive teaching and training experience and remarkable research achievements that will help students to advance in their careers.