About RIT

Founded in 1829, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a diverse and collaborative community of engaged, socially conscious, and intellectually curious minds. Through creativity and innovation, and an intentional blending of technology, the arts, and design, RIT provides exceptional individuals with a wide range of academic opportunities, including a leading research program and an internationally recognized education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Beyond the main campus in Rochester, New York, RIT has international campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo. And with more than 19,000 students and more than 125,000 graduates from all 50 states and over 100 nations, RIT is driving progress in industries and communities around the world. 

About RIT Dubai

RIT Dubai was established in 2008 to provide world-class university programs in the United Arab Emirates for students and professionals from the Middle East, North America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The campus is strategically located in the heart of Dubai Silicon Oasis, one of the world’s leading centers of advanced electronic innovation and design. RIT Dubai offers 09 undergraduate and 07 graduate programs.

How RIT Dubai came about

In 2005, Dr. Mustafa Abushagur, then the director of the Microsystems Engineering Ph.D. program at RIT, was sought out by government leaders in Dubai to discuss the prospects of opening a branch campus of RIT in the rapidly growing Middle Eastern City. RIT Dubai was established in 2008 to provide world-class university programs in the United Arab Emirates for students and professionals from the Middle East, North America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Degree programs in such disciplines as engineering, computing, business, city science, and service leadership have been selected to support the need for personal and professional development, economic growth, and human capital development in Dubai and the entire Gulf region. RIT Dubai provides a unique study abroad and networking opportunity for students from around the world.

The RIT Dubai Campus

The RIT Dubai campus is strategically located in the heart of Dubai Silicon Oasis, one of the world’s leading centers of advanced electronic innovation and design. The Dubai Silicon Oasis master plan is designed as a hi-tech ecosystem that offers businesses a plethora of advantages including a state-of-the-art infrastructure featuring advanced telecommunications, electricity, and road networks. It also features technology investment incentives for large enterprises, entrepreneurial support, an incubation center, and venture capital funding.

RIT Dubai is a cornerstone of the Dubai Silicon Oasis ecosystem offering students, staff, and faculty access to a local and regional pool of technical and engineering talent, business plan sponsorship, project/R&D assistance, and mentorship programs.

RIT Dubai students also have access to the many training and development opportunities provided by DSO and the international companies that it hosts such as Yokogawa, SAP, Porsche, and many others.

Click here for RIT Dubai Organizational Chart

Goals and Objectives

• Commitment to Academic Excellence

• Research Innovation with an impact

• Building an integrated campus community

• Community engagement

• Enriched student life

• Educational Technology

Our Mission:

Our Mission is to prepare our students for successful careers globally while also advancing the community through a unique blend of curricular, research, business development and outreach programs.

The uniqueness of RIT Dubai is resembled in:

• Offering an American degree, being an international branch campus of RIT NY.

• Being a not-for-profit university sponsored by the Government of Dubai.

• Offering programs as per the needs of the public and private sectors in the UAE.

Our Vision:

Lead higher education in preparing students for innovative, creative, and successful careers in a global society and support diversifying the economy.