Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
About Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is a research university in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, and the world's first university dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence. Established in 2019, it publishes an enrolment of 653 students from 59 nationalities, 116 faculty and 254 postdocs and researchers, and ranks itself 10th globally in AI, computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, robotics and computational biology on CSRankings. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence with Business and Engineering streams, eight master's programmes and eight doctoral programmes. Funding is partial and conditional rather than universal. MBZUAI centrally funds Ph.D. students in Year 1 while they match with a faculty advisor, after which the advisor funds them; M.Sc. students are "fee-paying by default", with merit-based funding considered at admission and otherwise secured through a faculty-sponsored assistantship or a government scholarship. Funded students receive free tuition, a monthly stipend, an annual airfare home, health insurance and a University-sponsored UAE residence visa. The part-time Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence is fee-based with no scholarships. MBZUAI is accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation, which lists 18 of its programmes as Active.
Programmes Offered
18 ProgrammesBSc in Artificial Intelligence
BSc4 years · Undergraduate
MSc in Machine Learning
MSc2 years · Postgraduate
MSc in Computer Vision
MSc2 years · Postgraduate
MSc in Natural Language Processing
MSc2 years · Postgraduate
MSc in Computer Science
MSc2 years · Postgraduate
MSc in Robotics
MSc2 years · Postgraduate
All 18 programmes by subject
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Computer Vision
Natural Language Processing
Computer Science
Statistics & Data Science
Computational Biology
Human-Computer Interaction
Tuition & scholarships
MBZUAI's funding is partial and conditional, not universal. Ph.D. students are centrally funded in Year 1 while matching with a faculty advisor, then move to the advisor's funding from Year 2. M.Sc. students are "not automatically funded, fee-paying by default"; merit-based funding is considered during admissions, and funding is otherwise secured through a faculty-sponsored assistantship or an approved government scholarship. A scholarship "may include 100% tuition fees, accommodation, health insurance and a competitive monthly stipend and annual ticket to the student's home country", awarded by category. FEE-PAYING RATES, published in the University Catalogue 2024-2025: M.Sc. AED 5,000 per credit hour and Ph.D. AED 6,600 per credit hour - about AED 180,000 for a 36-credit master's and AED 396,000 for a 60-credit doctorate. The undergraduate B.Sc. publishes USD 45,000 per annum plus a cost of attendance, with merit- and needs-based scholarships covering up to 100%. The Master in Applied AI is fee-based at AED 170,000 for the award (AED 5,000 per credit over 34 credits) with no scholarships. A non-refundable AED 200 application fee is payable on completing the screening exam. The cost-of-attendance figures (UAE nationals AED 37,500 M.Sc. and AED 43,500 Ph.D.; international AED 15,500 and AED 17,500) are living costs, not tuition.
Scholarships & discounts
Open to prospective undergraduate students from the UAE and worldwide. MBZUAI states it aims to support approximately 350 undergraduates over six years.
Ph.D. students are centrally funded in Year 1 while matching with a faculty advisor, transferring to the advisor's funding no later than the start of Year 2, subject to a confirmed match and satisfactory progress.
MBZUAI classes M.Sc. students as fee-paying by default. Merit-based funding is considered during the admissions review, and funding is otherwise secured through a faculty-sponsored research or teaching assistantship, or an approved government scholarship for UAE nationals.
Admissions & entry requirements
MBZUAI admits to a single annual Fall intake. Undergraduate applicants need a recognised high-school qualification averaging around 90%, an English score (IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 90, PTE 60, Cambridge C1 180, C2 200 or Duolingo 120) and must sit a screening exam, applying through non-binding Early Action or Regular Decision. Graduate applicants need a relevant STEM bachelor's with a CGPA of 3.0 or 3.5 on a 4.0 scale depending on the programme, a CV, statement of purpose, research statement and references, followed by a screening exam and a technical interview. Funding is not automatic: Ph.D. students are centrally funded in Year 1 while matching with a faculty advisor, while M.Sc. students are fee-paying by default unless they secure merit funding, a faculty-sponsored assistantship or a government scholarship.
Apply Online
Submit the online application with your transcripts, CV, statement of purpose, references and (for PhD) an independent research statement. A AED 200 application fee applies, waived or reimbursed for a strong screening-exam score or on admission.
Screening Exam
Take the online screening exam within about 10 days of applying: mathematics and programming (PhD applicants also sit a machine-learning section).
Technical Interview
Shortlisted applicants attend a technical interview with the admissions committee.
Decision & Offer
Receive the admissions decision and respond by the stated deadline. Funding is decided separately and is not automatic: Ph.D. students are centrally funded in Year 1 pending a faculty advisor match, while M.Sc. students are fee-paying by default unless they secure merit funding, a faculty-sponsored assistantship or a government scholarship.
Entry requirements by level
Intakes & deadlines
MBZUAI runs a single annual intake. The Fall 2027 semester begins in mid-August 2027.
Applications open: The application portal opens at 8am GST for both undergraduate and graduate entry to Fall 2027.
Undergraduate Early Action: Early Action deadline, 5pm GST.
Graduate final deadline: Final graduate application deadline, 5pm GST.
Undergraduate Regular Decision: Regular Decision deadline, 5pm GST.
Graduate decisions and offer response: Decision notification by 31 March 2027 (5pm GST); offer response deadline 15 April 2027.
Required documents
9 totalMBZUAI sponsors a UAE residence visa and Emirates ID for admitted full-time students as part of the benefits package for FUNDED students. Because M.Sc. funding is not automatic, visa sponsorship follows the funding rather than the admission. Confirm current requirements and timelines with the admissions office.
Life at the campus
Student life at MBZUAI centres on an on-campus residential community in Masdar City, with student-led clubs, a Student Government, sports facilities and a wellbeing programme. As a specialised AI research university, it combines a close-knit graduate community with a growing undergraduate cohort.
Accommodation
MBZUAI provides on-campus accommodation in Masdar City, within walking distance of the academic buildings. Housing forms part of the benefits package for FUNDED students; M.Sc. students are fee-paying by default and funding is not guaranteed, so housing support follows the funding rather than the enrolment.
Career services
MBZUAI's Career Services team supports students with internships, industry connections and career planning; the BSc embeds a substantial industry co-operative placement, and graduate programmes include internships.
Clubs & societies
Facilities & campus
MBZUAI occupies a purpose-built campus in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence. It houses AI research labs, a specialised knowledge centre, the Institute of Foundation Models and a Metaverse Center, alongside on-campus student residences, male and female gyms, a swimming pool and dining outlets. MBZUAI publishes that its computing labs include "nearly 1,000 Nvidia DGZ-1/2 GPU servers" (its own page writes "DGZ"; the NVIDIA product line is DGX) plus high-performance computing resources.
AI Computing Cluster
State-of-the-art computing labs including nearly 1,000 Nvidia DGZ-1/2 GPU servers, alongside high-performance computing resources for teaching and research. MBZUAI writes "DGZ" where the NVIDIA product line is DGX; stored as published.
AI Research Labs
Specialised laboratories across machine learning, computer vision, NLP, robotics and computational biology.
Knowledge Center
A specialised library and knowledge centre with electronic collections and core AI-field resources.
Institute of Foundation Models
MBZUAI's foundation-models research institute, with labs in Abu Dhabi, Silicon Valley and Paris.
Metaverse Center
A dedicated research centre for immersive and metaverse technologies.
Auditorium & Visitors Center
An auditorium and visitors centre that host lectures, events and international delegations.
Gyms (Male & Female)
Fully equipped separate male and female gyms.
Multipurpose Hall
An indoor multipurpose hall for sports and recreation, with billiards and foosball.
Campus leadership
Prof. Eric Xing
President and University Professor
MBZUAI's founding President and University Professor, a world-renowned machine-learning academic (formerly of Carnegie Mellon University), leading the university since its first intake in 2021.
H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak
Chairman of MBZUAI's Board of Trustees
Prof. Éric Moulines
Dean of the Computing and Mathematical Sciences Division, and Professor of Machine Learning
Prof. Eran Segal
Dean of the Biological and Life Sciences Division, and Professor of Computational Biology
Student & alumni reviews
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Questions & answers
Getting to campus
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Building 1B, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE
