Doctor of Philosophy in

MBZUAI accepts applicants who hold a completed degree in a STEM field such as computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mathematics, physics, or other relevant science or engineering major that demonstrates academic distinction in a discipline appropriate for the doctoral degree – either: 

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum CGPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent, or 

• Master’s degree with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent.  

Applicants must provide their completed degree certificates and official transcripts when submitting their application. Senior-level students can apply initially with a copy of their official transcript and expected graduation letter and upon admission must submit the official completed degree certificate and transcript. A degree attestation from UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (for degrees from the UAE) or Certificate of Recognition (for degrees acquired outside the UAE) should also be furnished within students’ first semester at MBZUAI. 

All applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English through one of the following:

• IELTS Academic: Minimum overall score of 6.5
• TOEFL iBT: Minimum score of 90

*Exams must be valid and administered at an approved physical test center. Home Edition exams are not accepted.

English language proficiency waiver eligibility

Applicants may qualify for a waiver if they meet one of the following conditions:

• Full exemption: Completed a degree entirely taught and assessed in English at a University located in a country where English is both the national language and the dominant language of instruction in higher education. This includes: 
  • American Samoa, Australia, Botswana, Canada (excluding Quebec), Fiji, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

• Conditional exemption: If your degree was completed in another country, you may still request an exemption if you can provide official documentation (on University letterhead, signed by an academic official) confirming that your entire program of study was taught and assessed in English. 

English language requirement deadline: The English language requirement should be submitted within the application deadline. However, for those who require more time to satisfy this requirement, there is a final deadline of March 1. 

Within 10 days of submitting your application, you will receive an invitation to book and complete an online screening exam that assesses knowledge and skills relevant to your chosen field. While you may choose to opt out of the screening exam, this is only recommended for applicants whose profiles already demonstrate strong evidence of the skills assessed in the exam. 

Exam topics

Math: Calculus, probability theory, linear algebra, trigonometry and optimization.

Programming: Knowledge surrounding specific programming concepts and principles such as algorithms, data structures, logic, OOP, and recursion as well as language–specific knowledge of Python.

Artificial intelligence applications: Understanding of application opportunities for artificial intelligence across different industries and sectors.

Applicants are highly encouraged to complete the following online courses to further improve their qualifications:

• Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
• Python Data Structures
• Mathematics for Machine Learning: Linear Algebra
• An Intuitive Introduction to Probability

For more information regarding the screening exam (e.g. process, opting out criteria, and technical specifications), register on the application portal here, and view this knowledge article. 

In a 500- to 1000-word essay, explain why you would like to pursue a graduate degree at MBZUAI and include the following information:

• Motivation for applying to the university 
• Personal and academic background and how it makes you suitable for the program you are applying for 
• Experience in completing a diverse range of projects related to artificial intelligence 
• Stand-out achievements, e.g. awards, distinction, etc 
• Goals as a prospective student 
• Preferred career path and plans after graduation 
• Any other details that will support the application. 

The research statement is a document summarizing the potential research project an applicant is interested in working on and clearly justify the research gap which the applicant would like to fill in during the course of his/her study. It must be presented in the context of currently existing literature and provide an overview of how the applicant aims to investigate the underlying research project as well as predict the expected outcomes. It should mention the relevance and suitability of the applicant’s background and experience to the project and highlight the project’s scientific and commercial significance. The research statement should include the following details:

• Title
• Problem definition
• Literature review
• Proposed research/methods/solution (optional)
• Study timeline (a table, figure or a small paragraph presenting your plans for the four years in the Ph.D. program)
• List of references

Applicants are expected to write the research statement independently. MBZUAI faculty will NOT help write it for the purpose of the application. The MBZUAI Admission Committee will review the submitted document and use it as one of the measures to gauge and assess applicants’ skills.

Applicants will be required to nominate referees who can recommend their application. M.Sc. applicants should have a minimum of two (2) referees wherein one was a previous course instructor or faculty/research advisor and the other a current or previous work supervisor.

To avoid issues and delays in the provision of the recommendation, applicants have to inform their referees of their nomination beforehand and provide the latter’s accurate information in the online application portal. Automated notifications will be sent out to the referees upon application submission.

All applicants are invited to take the online screening exam which assesses foundational knowledge in areas relevant to your program of study including advanced mathematics, programming and in some cases core computer science topics. It is highly recommended that applicants sit the exam. While you may choose to opt out of the screening exam, this is only recommended for applicants whose profiles already demonstrate strong evidence of the skills assessed in the exam.

More information regarding the screening exam (e.g. process, opting out criteria, and technical specifications) will be provided once you start your application

A select number of applicants may be invited to an interview with faculty as part of the screening process. The time and instructions for this will be communicated to applicants on timely bases.

Only one application per admission cycle must be submitted; multiple submissions are discouraged.

*Applications submitted by the priority deadline will be reviewed first. While all applications submitted by the final deadline (December 15, 2025) will be considered, applying by the priority deadline is strongly encouraged. Admissions are highly competitive and space in the incoming cohort is limited.

Detailed information on the application process and scholarships is available here.