Qatar University (QU) has announced the admission requirements for the newly-established College of Medicine. The criteria will be applicable to students applying for Fall 2015 and will focus mainly on high school GPA, completing science courses, and English language and math skills.

The university said that a minimum high school GPA of 85% will be required as well as passing at least two of the following science subjects in high school: biology, chemistry, and physics.

The application for admission should also include a well-written statement to describe the candidate’s interest and motivation to study medicine. 

In addition to college-specific requirements, all students applying to QU are expected to possess minimum basic skills to be eligible for enrolment in their desired academic programmes.

In order to be considered for undergraduate admission to programmes which use English as the primary medium of instruction, including the College of Medicine, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English and mathematics by satisfying QU’s minimum competency requirements such as Accuplacer, TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, etc or successfully completing the Foundation Programme at the university.

Additional optional material such as volunteering, internship or community service experience in the medical field or other relevant experience can be submitted along with the application to strengthen the application.

Ghada al-Kuwari, assistant dean for Student Affairs said: “We aim to attract as many Qatari students as possible while promoting diversity and a high standard of quality. For this reason, the criteria were designed with the aim of prioritising Qatari students of both genders, as well as highly qualified residents.”  

Al-Kuwari said that regional best practices were considered in the process but that the final decision was based on the averages of Qatari high school graduates and on the specific needs of the Qatari healthcare system.

“As with all programmes, admission criteria will be continuously assessed and reviewed to ensure a suitable balance between the growing capacities of the college, the requirements of the labour market, the abilities and interests of high school graduates and other factors,” she added.  QU had announced earlier that the college is ready to receive 50 students in the first year. Meeting the criteria therefore does not guarantee admission and the college will select the candidates with the best credentials with priority given to Qatari applicants. QU also clarified that admission criteria may be modified in future years according to the strength of the applicant pool and the available capacity in the college.

Admission for Fall 2015 at Qatar University begins from February 22 to July 9.