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UAEU offers 3-week course in lieu of one year

Students can complete mandatory academic requirements in a short time span

Each year, around 2,400 freshmen at the UAE University attend the university’s Foundation Programme. More than half of them complete their courses in a year, while the rest finish the programme in two years.

Students at the Quick programme at UAE University. — Supplied photo

Saud Al Ameri, Director of Enrolment Deanship Foundation, said around 2,400 students have at least one foundation course and about 55 per cent of the continuing students complete the programme’s requirements in one year. “About 31 – 35 per cent of continuing students finish the Foundation Programme during the second year,” he added.

In an endeavour to offer high performing students the opportunity to go straight into their chosen college courses, the UAEU has introduced the ‘Quick Programme’ last month. “This is one of the successful programmes run by the university and it helps the students complete their foundation course programme in three weeks instead of one year,” said Al Ameri.

For the three-week intensive course, the admissions section of the Student Affairs and Enrolment Department selected 150 students who scored 90 per cent or higher in high school, and an average of 175 and above in their Common Educational Proficiency Assessment (Cepa) English examination.

“This is very beneficial as it saves time and effort … Although this programme is short, it adequately prepared the students to register in the next level of the college courses and to proceed in the programme with good knowledge and strong background,” he added.

According to him, majority of the students passed the complete programme and only a small number of students were left to continue with one subject.

Amenah Nasser Al Balushi, director of Admissions, noted that the programme was previously implemented by the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, but this year it has included students from other colleges of the university. “The programme represents a unique opportunity for large numbers of freshmen to complete their mandatory academic requirements in a relatively short time span,” she said.

Sarah Sultan Al Suwaidi, from the Faculty of Medicine, was one of the students who passed the Quick Programme. “Actually, I had to travel but I cancelled my trip to London because it is very important that I take a three-week programme instead of one full year,” she said noting that she took the Math and Arabic courses after passing the International English Language Test System (IELTS).

Despite the challenge of the “compressed” courses, she commended the programme. “It is very beneficial for me as I didn’t waste a full year. Although I spent my summer time studying, in the end I got rewarded for this effort,” Sarah said.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com