6 Scholarships in Oman for International Students Pursuing Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degrees

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a fairly small country located in the south east corner of the Middle East. Despite its small grounds, Oman is popular with international students due to its high-quality education system. Many Omani international universities are based in America, Australia, and Europe. International students who come to study in Oman will not have a tough time in adjusting themselves with the country’s culture and language – even though Oman’s official language is Arabic – as courses are taught in English. In addition, there are plenty of funding opportunities to study in Oman. Whether you are pursuing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, or even a short course in Oman, there are many grants and scholarships waiting to be earned by you. Enjoy your study in this country with the following scholarships in Oman for international students!

1. Muscat University Scholarships

Muscat University recognizes its students’ academic excellence through its scholarship programs. For undergraduate applicants, Muscat University’s generous new scholarships offer up to 40% of the undergraduate tuition fee for suitable fee-paying applicants. With Muscat University’s postgraduate scholarship scheme, applicants receiving an offer to study at the University can apply for a scholarship worth 25% of the tuition fee. Applicants may apply for a scholarship once they are in receipt of a conditional offer from Muscat University. This is done by uploading a scholarship application form for which instructions will be given with the offer. Applications for scholarships are only considered for those students who gave successfully completed the application process and are dealt with on case by case basis by the Scholarship Committee of the University.

2. MOHE Oman Scholarship

The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in Oman provides internal and external scholarship opportunities every year.  These scholarships contribute in a significant way to the Sultanate’s economic growth. A major aim of the Oman Government is to ensure that students take programs in areas relevant to the Sultanate’s job market. One way to reach this objective is by offering internal and external scholarships that enable students to pursue higher studies in certain levels, in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) within and outside Oman. The aim is to produce graduates who have not only technical competence and knowledge in core disciplines, but also generic skills sought by employers, such as critical inking, problem-solving, team working and communication skills.

• • Internal Scholarships: A total of 1500 scholarships annually offered to students from families of social security to be used for tuition fees in addition to monthly allowance. The scholarships vary according to the targets.
    • A total of 618 partial scholarships are provided annually to students from families with limited income. This scholarship is 100% coverage of tuition fees only.
    • A total of 100 scholarships provided annually to those who fit in the category of Social Security or low-income people. These scholarships are intended for students who are studying or plan to study at the Maritime College Oman, and cover tuition fees only for Bachelor degree.
    • A number of scholarships offered for studies at the General Medicine Medical College of Oman.
    • A number of scholarships offered for studies in medicine and dental surgery at the Dental College Oman. The scholarships are aimed at students from families of the Social Security.
    • A total of 500 scholarships offered to Omani female students to pursue Bachelor degree at private education institutions in the Sultanate. The scholarship includes coverage of tuition fees only.
    • Competitive grants for tuition fees only, offered to all students to pursue Bachelor degree at private higher education institutions in the Sultanate.
    • Grants provided by the Government in partnership with private agencies are available through the HEAC.

The scholarships are available for studies in the following areas:

• • • Linguistic and media disciplines
    • Scientific disciplines
    • Engineering disciplines
    • Commercial disciplines
    • Information technology disciplines
    • Medical specialties

• • External Scholarships: Educational opportunities offered to students to study in higher education institutions outside the Sultanate. External scholarships are categorized into two:
    • Full-fledged: Study opportunities offered by the government represented by the Ministry of Higher Education or from the partner country’s governmental, semi-governmental or private agencies, to Omani students to study abroad in a specific discipline. The study mission is divided into two categories:
      • Category A missions: Includes all exchange allocations and allowances regulated in the Scholarship Law, Scholarships and Subsidies Act and its regulations.
      • Category B missions: Includes the payment of only 5 things: monthly allowance, living allowance, tuition fees of up to USD 20,000, health insurance or treatment allowance, and airfare tickets.
    • Grants from foreign countries: Study opportunities offered by one of the partner countries, to Omani students who hold a diploma of general education or its equivalent to continue his or her higher educational studies at one of the foreign universities in the specified specialization. There are two types of this scholarship:
      • Full scholarship: This is where the donor country is responsible for all tuition fees, living costs, travel and treatment expenses for the duration of the student’s study.
      • Partial scholarship: Donors only bear the tuition fees, or the tuition fees and part of the cost of living.

3. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) Fresh Graduate Scholarships

PDO scholarship schemes are considered to be one of the best development schemes offered to Omani graduates. PDO offers two schemes to fresh graduate students: the Undergraduate Overseas Scholarship Scheme and the Postgraduate Overseas Scholarship Scheme.

• • Undergraduate Overseas Scholarship Scheme: Offered to high school leavers through the Higher Education Admissions Center (HEAC) annually. The scheme covers full tuition fees, medical insurance, living expenses, transportation, clothing, books, and equipment. Majors offered are mainly in Petroleum Engineering, Geosciences, and Quantity Surveying or as advertised by HEAC. The entry requirements are ‘A’ grades in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English Language or as advertised by HEAC. Universities are selected by the Company in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia.
  • Postgraduate Overseas Scholarship Scheme: Offered to fresh university graduates with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or 2^nd class higher division from an accredited institution by the Ministry of Higher Education. the disciplines and majors are mainly Engineering and Geosciences or as advertised annually on the PDO website or the public media. Universities are selected by the Company in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The scheme covers tuition fees, medical insurance, living expenses, transportation, clothing, books, and equipment. Successful applicants are obliged to serve the Company for a minimum of 3 years upon the successful completion of the Master’s degree program and 5 years after the PhD.

4. Sultan Qaboos University Scholarships

A number of scholarships are available to study at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).

• • SQU Scholarships: A total of 105 scholarships annually offered to all (Omani and international) students to study in Master’s or PhD degree at SQU. Recipients of this scholarship will benefit academic fees including 250 OMR for Master’s study and 350 OMR for PhD study. International students will also receive airfare tickets.
  • MOHE Scholarships: A total of 25 scholarships annually offered for Master’s studies at SQU. The scholarships are aimed at incoming students only and cover academic fees (including fees required in the following cases: probation period, repeating courses, postponement / withdrawal).
  • Scholarships for Palestinian Students: Two scholarships annually offered only to incoming Palestinian students at SQU. The scholarship includes academic fees (including fees required in the following cases: probation period, repeating courses, postponement / withdrawal) and living allowance of 250 OMR.
  • Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs Scholarships: Two full-funded Master’s scholarships offered to non-Omani students who have Omani parents and have graduated from college of Islamic Sciences. The scholarship includes academic fees (including fees required in the following cases: probation period, repeating courses, postponement / withdrawal) and living allowance of 250 OMR.

5. Noor Majan Arabic Institute Scholarships

Noor Majan is committed as an institution to supporting the continuity of Arabic language study, and because of this, Noor Majan offers scholarships too its alumni and during certain programs around the year. Below are the scholarships available exclusively through Noor Majan.

• • The November 18^th Scholarship: To celebrate and honor the birthday of Sultan Qaboos on November 18^th, Noor Majan offers an 18% discount for all students who want to study at the Institute for the months of September, October, and November.
  • Winter Partial Scholarship Program Ibri: Offered to students who want to study Arabic on their Winter break. The partial scholarship will be offered during Noor Majan’s scheduled winter term which starts in either early or late December and extends to early or late February. Partial scholarship will cover courses with a total of 200 contact hours for over 8 weeks. The scholarship covers accommodation, transportation, excursion fees, and the cost of course materials.

6. GUtech in Oman Scholarship for International Students

The International Student Scholarship offered by the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) is aimed at highly qualified international applicants. This scholarship can cover up to 20% of the tuition fees. Eligible applicants are those non-Omani citizens, both residing in and outside Oman, who have received unconditional admission to GUtech. Students who already receive a major scholarship from a Ministry, DAAD, employer or any other funding source should discuss their eligibility with the International Office Manager. Bachelor students in good standing enrolled full-time from academic year 2018/2019 onward are eligible to apply. The award is limited to the regular course of study on a Bachelor program (8 semesters) and is not available for foundation program students. The award is non-transferable and will be adjusted against tuition only. It cannot be disbursed as cash. The deadlines for scholarship applications are: September 1^st for Winter semester and February 1^st for Spring semester.