Top 5 Reasons to Apply to NYU Abu Dhabi

Experiential learning is a cornerstone of the education our students receive. That’s why our hands-on approach earns top marks on our list of reasons to apply to NYU Abu Dhabi. Whether it’s working with faculty in the robotics lab on drones to increase airport safety, interning over the summer with the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or exploring new concepts in the Microelectromechanical Systems course, there’s no shortage of opportunities to put theory into practice.

NYU Abu Dhabi offers 25 majors across the arts and humanities, engineering, science, and social sciences. In addition, students can take preprofessional courses that equip them with practical skills for the workplace.

NYU Abu Dhabi faculty are leaders in their fields and bring a wealth of knowledge and mentorship into the classroom. Our small class size and engaging faculty are just a few of the reasons why our students choose NYU Abu Dhabi. And no matter what your academic interests, our faculty will support and guide you through your capstone research.

NYU Abu Dhabi’s student body hails from 115 countries—each with varied history and familiarity with the United Arab Emirates. That means some of your classmates call the UAE home since birth, while others attribute Candidate Weekend as their first experience in the Emirates.

You’ll have the opportunity to share your own culture with classmates from around the world while also learning about theirs. And who knows? Your classmates’ curiosity and excitement may even bring you to parts of the Emirates you’ve never visited before.

At every university in the world, some students are local experts while others are on a four-year adventure. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you’ll find a perfect complement on the other side.

Everything the UAE has to offer is at your fingertips and, through NYU, you’ll experience an unparalleled global network. You may find yourself at a political science conference in Singapore or a film festival in India. Your winter break might even include a January Term course in London or Accra. We bake global opportunities into the curriculum at NYU Abu Dhabi, and many of our students find additional ways to see the world. With a student body from so many countries, you’ll always have a friend no matter where your travels take you. 

NYU Abu Dhabi alumni are prepared to take on the world’s challenges—and top research institutions take notice. That’s part of the reason why NYU Abu Dhabi has produced 14 Rhodes Scholars in seven years—more per capita than any other UAE campus. Minister of State for Youth Shamma Al Mazrui was the first ever Rhodes Scholar from the UAE in 2014. She’s gone on to become the youngest member of the UAE cabinet and the youngest government minister in the world.

In this most recent class, Abdullah Alhashmi (UAE) and Munib Mesinovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) were selected for the honor. Abdullah is a double major in Economics and Philosophy whereas Munib majors in Electrical Engineering. Read more about what they plan to study at Oxford and how their experiences at NYU Abu Dhabi prepared them for this opportunity here.