Dhofar University

Introduction

Dhofar University (DU) is one of the leading Universities in the Sultanate of Oman. It is a not-for-profit private institution of higher education established by the Ministerial Decree No. 5/2004 issued in January 2004. The University formally commenced its operations in September 2004.

Location

The University is located in the city of Salalah in the Dhofar Governorate, which is k...

Introduction

Dhofar University (DU) is one of the leading Universities in the Sultanate of Oman. It is a not-for-profit private institution of higher education established by the Ministerial Decree No. 5/2004 issued in January 2004. The University formally commenced its operations in September 2004.

Location

The University is located in the city of Salalah in the Dhofar Governorate, which is known for its geographical beauty, blessed with lush green mountains, pristine beaches, and moderate weather throughout the year, particularly in the Summer, which is locally known as Khareef Season. *The University campus is spread over an area of 450,000 square meters encompassing a blend of both modern and traditional Omani architecture. It can accommodate up to 10,000 students.

Institutional Accreditation

Ever since its establishment, DU has pursued its aspirations of occupying a recognized position among the institutions of quality higher education sincerely and enthusiastically. This ongoing journey is driven by our determination and commitment to meet the expectations of stakeholders for quality higher education. This has produced tangible results and DU has **the honour and privilege of being the first University in Oman to be accredited nationally by Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) in December 2018 and also internationally by Accreditation Services for International Schools Colleges and Universities (ASIC) from UK in April 2019. DU is also honoured with “ASIC Chairman’s Award for the Development of Outstanding Student Centered Education”. ASIC is an independent government approved accreditation body in UK.

Colleges and Programs

DU is mission-driven University and pursues excellence in teaching and learning, research, and community outreach in an open learning environment conducive to creativity and innovation. The four colleges that constitute the University are - College of Arts & Applied Sciences (CAAS), College of Commerce & Business Administration (CCBA), College of Engineering (CE), and College of Law (CL). Currently (2019-20), DU offers 39 programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels through its four colleges. The medium of instruction is mostly English with some programs offered in Arabic.

Students

The number of students enrolled in DU during 2019-20 is around 3800. The University provides its students with cutting-edge learning experience which equips them to become competent professionals, able leaders, successful entrepreneurs, effective community servers and active nation builders. In addition, the students at DU have ample opportunities to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities and events organized throughout the year. DU also offers free in-house accommodation to its female students with the objective of supporting the cause of educational empowerment of women. As a result, the University has excellent reputation among its external stakeholders, be it industry & employers, government establishments, or community at large, and its graduates enjoy a favorable employability among local industries and business enterprises.

Faculty

The academic excellence of the University is led by a team of erudite faculty members consisting of 157 full-time and 17 part-time faculty drawn from 26 different nationalities, who continuously endeavor to deliver international standard education, with an emphasis on innovative pedagogical tools and student centered education, which stimulates the students to be critical, creative and innovative, both inside and outside the classrooms.

Research Profile

DU recognizes research as one of the main pillars of academic excellence as explicitly stated in its mission statement. Accordingly, it continuously encourages its faculty and students to engage in research activities, provides them with necessary facilities and financial support and also acknowledges their research excellence through various rewards and incentives.

DU has continuously facilitated impactful research benefiting the local community, the region, and the nation, which is evidenced by 733 Scopus indexed publications, more than 700 publications in Web of Science and around 50 research projects funded from external agencies including “The Research Council” (TRC) of Oman. DU also has a dedicated Research Center that focuses on few niche areas of regional importance, especially investigating and exploring the potential benefits from frankincense and other flora and fauna found exclusively in the Dhofar Region. As a result, DU is deservedly ranked 2nd in the field of Research among all private Universities in Oman by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) based on ResearchGate score.