Overview

At Hamad Bin Khalifa University, our people are our greatest strength. When you enroll on an academic program at HBKU, you become part of a thriving community that is committed to excellence and innovation.

Admissions Process

Here’s an Overview of our Admissions Process:

  • 01
    Create Account

    Click on “Apply Now” to create a user account. Once the account is created, log in using your credentials.

  • 02
    Submit Application

    Start the application process by choosing your desired college and program. You can submit up to two applications per academic year.

  • 03
    Upload Documents & References

    After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions to log back into your account, submit supplementary documents, and provide contact details for your references.

  • 04
    Application Review

    In the preliminary application review, the HBKU admissions team checks the application for completion and eligibility before forwarding it to the relevant college for assessment.

  • 05
    Receive Offer of Admissions

    Applicants will be notified when the college makes a decision. Accepted applicants will receive an offer letter.

Admissions Policies

Graduate

Important Dates

  • Online graduate admission application opens to the public

    01

    Oct 2025
  • Admission application deadline for International applicants

    01

    Feb 2026
  • Admission application last day for Qatari and resident applicants who wish to apply for funding

    15

    Mar 2026
  • Late admission application deadline for Qatari and resident applicants

    03

    May 2026

Programs and Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Arts in Comparative Education should have a bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies, education, sociology, psychology, teacher training, or a related field, with a strong academic record (minimum 3.0 GPA out of 4.0) from a recognized institution.

Applicants with bachelor’s degrees in areas of study that are not related to the aforementioned fields must demonstrate that they have completed post-bachelor’s coursework in education (e.g., a diploma or certificate) to indicate their foundational knowledge.

Please refer to the following table for a summary of the admission criteria:

ProgramRequired Field of StudyLanguage Proficiency
Master of Arts in Comparative EducationEducation, Islamic studies, sociology, psychology, or related fields.IELTS: 6.5 or TOEFL: 79 Applicants may be exempt from this requirement if they provide an official letter confirming that they obtained their degree from a university where the medium of instruction is English.

Admissions Requirements

A completed online application form admissions.hbku.edu.qa

Official electronic copies of transcripts must be submitted as part of the online application. Final transcripts and graduation statements are required for all previous university studies. All transcripts submitted should include an explanation of the grading system. For those who have not completed their current studies, transcripts must include results from the last completed semester of coursework. Transcripts in languages other than English or Arabic must be accompanied with an official translation. Applicants who are admitted to the program based on copies of or incomplete transcripts will be required to provide original transcripts upon enrollment in order to register for courses.

Official copies (where required) must be sent directly to HBKU. Please refer to the institutional codes below:

  • GRE: 7551
  • GMAT: H6S
  • TOEFL: 4981
  • IELTS: No code required. Students should ask the IELTS center where they tested to send the IELTS TRF to HBKU.

Applicants should also submit copies of their test scores with the online application.

Applicants should submit two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an academic referee. Applicants should include their referees’ names and email addresses in the online application. Referees will receive an email requesting them to complete their references.

Applicants should submit a personal statement as part of the online application. The statement should explain why the candidate is applying to the program, and how their studies will contribute to the achievement of their personal objectives, including information about the applicant’s research interests and achievements (minimum of 300, maximum of 500 words).

Applicants should submit a copy of their current resume or curriculum vitae as part of the online application. This should include the following information:

  • Academic Qualifications
  • Professional Experience
  • Publications
  • Research Projects
  • Academic Awards or Honors
  • Conference Presentations

Applicants should submit an electronic copy of their passport as part of their online application. Nationals and residents of Qatar should also submit their valid Qatar ID.

Non-refundable application fee (QAR 250)

The School of Education provides opportunities for scholarships and funding on a competitive basis. Further information will be provided to applicants who are admitted to the program.

Notice

  • Please do not submit any additional application materials which are not on the list of required items. Any additional materials received will be automatically discarded.
  • HBKU cannot return documents to the applicant once they are submitted.
  • All documents submitted through the online application must be in PDF format. Any documents submitted in a different format will not be accepted

Fact and Figures

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Students

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Faculty

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Qatari Alumni

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HBKU Alumni