Sohar University
Sohar University (جامعة صحار ) was established in 2001 as the first private university in Oman. It was granted degree awarding powers by the Oman Ministry of Higher Education, with the authority to provide programs and courses whose successful completion leads to academic awards.
جامعة صحار | |
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 2001 |
| Vice-Chancellor | Dr Hamdan Sulaiman Al Fazari |
Academic staff | 184 (2022/2023) |
| Students | 10957 (2023/2024) |
| Undergraduates | 7026 |
| Postgraduates | 85 |
| 4 | |
| Address | Sohar University , Sohar , 311 , Oman 24.2979°N 56.7803°E |
| Website | www.su.edu.om |
Summary
Sohar University has obtained official approval from the Ministry of Higher Education, following the issuance of the Ministry Decision No. 47/2001 dated 11/9/2001, to commence the first private university in the Sultanate of Oman. It originally started under the name of Sohar College of Applied Sciences, until formally approved as a university in a ceremony under the patronage of His Highness Sayed Asaad bin Toriq.
Tagline
Sohar University is the second University in Oman, offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It has a world class campus located in Sohar.
جامعة صحار هي الجامعة الثانية في سلطنة عمان، وتقدم برامج البكالوريوس والدراسات العليا. لديها حرم جامعي عالمي المستوى في ولاية صحار
About Sohar University
| Sohar University is proud of its status as the first private university in the Sultanate of Oman, having opened on 11 September 2001. The campus is located in the heart of the city of Sohar, which is the second-largest city in the Sultanate. Sohar is also in the governorate of North Al Batinah with easy access to Muscat and the UAE.
The campus boasts over 216,710 square meters of dedicated space to accommodate the delivery of teaching, research, and knowledge transfer which is aligned with the strategic objectives of the University. The University campus consists of 7 main buildings providing students with access to a wide range of facilities including a world-class Learning Resources Centre at the heart of the campus; lecture theatres and other teaching rooms and facilities; labs for engagement in research and knowledge transfer; academic student support services; flexible learning spaces; social learning facilities, and training facilities. There is also a Postgraduate Centre; a student hub, Mahatat Al-Talaba, where all student activities and support services are combined, the office of the Student Advisory Council; and sufficient administrative accommodation to facilitate and support the Mission of the University. Academic provision is spread across six faculties in addition to a General Foundation Program. The faculties include: • Business • Computing and IT • Education and Arts • Engineering • Language Studies • Law All programs are taught through the medium of English except for those in the faculties of Education and Arts and Law. For the Academic Year 2023/2024 the University has 7911 students registered in undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In total, the University offers 39 programs to students with the opportunity to exit at Diploma, Bachelor, Master levels, and Ph.D. levels. All programs are licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. The University has made significant progress with research and knowledge transfer over the past three years by adopting a thematic approach and working in partnership regionally, nationally, and internationally. Aligning internal investment and expertise with the available opportunities has allowed Sohar University to deliver research and knowledge transfer with impact. The University celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021 and looks forward to making a major contribution to the continued development of higher education in Oman over the next 20 years. |
Faculties and Departments
| Business | Computing and IT | Language Studies | Engineering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education and Arts | Law | |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor Degrees |
Higher DiplomaMasterPHD in Education
|
Bachelor of Law |
Services
| Accommodation الــــســـكـــن
Sport Facilities مرافق رياضية • Health Care الـرعاية الـصـحــيــة Transportation الـنـــــــــــقــــــــــل Student Counselling Centre قــســم الإرشـــاد الــطــلابي Career Guidance Services خــدمــات الـتـوجـيه الـمهــنـي Restaurant الــــــمــــــطــــــعــــــم Student Activities الأنـشـطـة الــطـلابيـة |
Student Life
Sohar University is a private university in Oman that provides a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university has an active student life, with numerous organisations and activities to participate in. Students are permitted to participate in athletics, cultural events, and social activities. In addition to its strong academic reputation, the university's graduates are highly sought after by employers. Student life at Sohar University is an excellent opportunity to become involved, acquire new skills, and make new acquaintances.
Student Activities https://www.su.edu.om/en/facilities-and-services/student-activities
Learning Resources Centre https://www.su.edu.om/en/facilities-and-services/library-services
Research and Innovation
We are committed to the increased development of research and knowledge transfer during the coming five years that meets international standards. We believe that higher education and the student experience are enhanced by delivery in an environment where the academic staff is engaged with research, innovation, and knowledge transfer. The creation of new knowledge allows us to shape our future and provides opportunities for wealth generation and enhancement of the quality of life.
History
Sohar University effectively began its life as the Sohar College for Applied Sciences, which opened in 1998. At that time, the college's main overseas partner was the University of Lincolnshire & Humberside (UK). In 2001, Sohar University became affiliated to the University of Queensland (Australia), a member of Universitas 21, to ensure that its academic activities met international standards.
Academic
The medium of instruction is English for most programs, but some courses in the Faculty of Education and Arts are delivered in Arabic. Nearly all students spend one year in the General Foundations Program (GFP) to improve their English, math and computer literacy skills prior to entering a degree program offered through the faculties of: Business, Computing and Information Technology, Engineering, Education & art, English & Language studies. Law students are exempted from studying English at the GFP.
Campus Expansion
The University campus is located in Sohar, Oman's fastest growing city and the administrative centre of Al Batinah region in the Sultanate of Oman. The University lies on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, 224 kilometres west of the capital Muscat, and approximately 200 kilometres south-east from Dubai in the UAE. The area around Sohar, including Saham and Liwa, has a population of approximately 300,000 and is expanding rapidly, largely due to the very recent establishment of the Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC).
With the support of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said the University has embarked on an expansion of the existing campus. The extended campus will cater to the growing number of students seeking tertiary education. In 2008 Queensland-based Noel Robinson Architects' (NRA) were appointed of to design the new 120 million Australian Dollars Sohar University campus. Buildings include a new Library, Sporting Facilities, Multi-purpose lecture theatres, Graduation Hall, Faculty Buildings for Engineering, Business, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, Administration, Student Services and post-graduate residences. NRA has collaborated with the University of Queensland during the design for the campus buildings.[1] The new campus is designed to develop the potential of students to meet the needs of modern industries in the Sultanate.
References
- "Queensland Architectural firm appointed to design $120m University Project in Middle East". Thinking the Town. Satrapia. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2012.