Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University launches new Ph.D. programme commencing in fall 2013

The Ph.D. programme is being offered for the first time in the UAE and the Arab world in three key areas of learning (Total Quality Management, Educational Leadership and Healthcare Management) following a comprehensive study that aimed to identify the specific needs of the Arab job market.

HBMeU's new doctoral studies have been approved by the Commission for Academic Accreditation, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, given its strategic relevance in the context of the socioeconomic development of the UAE and Arab world at large. The programme will be offered starting in the fall semester of 2013.

In line with HBMeU's commitment to uphold quality and excellence in its Ph.D. programme, an international advisory board has also been formed that includes internationally acclaimed scholars and practitioners.

HBMeU has benchmarked the Ph.D. programme against some of the best in the world by forming a global consortium of eminent institutions of higher learning, which is another historic initiative and one of the unique strengths of HBMeU's Ph.D. programme.

The consortium ensures that HBMeU's Ph.D. scholars gain access to vast experiences and expertise available through the partners' of the consortium. Renowned professors from the consortium partners will teach courses as associate faculty and co-supervise projects and dissertations in the Ph.D. programme.

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, said, "The Ph.D. programme model crafted by HBMeU is based on best practices in Europe, Asia and North America. The launch of this programme, which is also part of HBMeU's 10th anniversary celebrations, has been especially developed in response to the research needs of the UAE and the Arab world at large. These programmes likewise take advantage of the specialized capabilities and experience of HBMeU in e-learning, which serves as one of the foundations of our teaching paradigm. The launch of HBMeU's new Ph.D. programme reaffirms our commitment to inculcate innovation and relevance in its academic and professional programmes. Moreover, we are confident that these programmes will reinforce the status of HBMeU as one of the region's premier institutions for academic excellence and the leading advocate of e-learning in the Arab world."

HBMeU has already established fruitful partnerships with several well-known institutions such as the University of Bradford, UK; University of South Africa, U21 Global, University of Maryland University College, USA; European Foundation for Total Quality Management (EFQM), Brussels; British Quality Foundation (BQF), International Academy for Quality (IAQ) and the European Universities Network for TQM (EUN-TQM), among others, to enrich its academic and professional programmes.

Consolidating these partnerships under the global consortium will ensure that HBMeU's Ph.D. programme will achieve great heights in terms of academic rigor and quality and effectively serve the research needs of the Arab World.

In their first two years, HBMeU's Ph.D. candidates will take coursework to acquire the knowledge and research skills they need to complete a dissertation in their area of choice.

Candidates must sit for a qualifying examination to test the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their coursework in order to move on to the dissertation stage.

After passing the qualifying examination, Ph.D. candidates will write a dissertation under the supervision of two eminent professors, including a co-supervisor from HBMeU's consortium partners.

This arrangement would ensure that the highest quality standards in research are observed by the doctoral scholars at HBMeU.

HBMeU further announced that applications for the Ph.D. programme will be accepted from January to July 2013. Candidates must have a Master's degree in any relevant discipline at a university recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE. HBMeU's full-time Ph.D. programme is for a minimum period of three years and a maximum period of five years. Its part-time Ph.D. programme is for a minimum period of four years and a maximum period of six years.