Dubai Campus students

A warm welcome to Heriot-Watt University, Dubai. We are pleased that you will be joining us. Here you will find information to help get your university journey off to a flying start.

New students checklist

The new student Guide and checklist will take you through the 7 practical steps that you should complete and take note of BEFORE you start your Welcome Week and studies with us

Dubai Campus semester dates 

Semester dates for our Dubai campus are listed in the academic calendar and you can find dates for induction, teaching, holidays, and examination.

Step 1 - Reply to Offer

Your offer to study at Heriot-Watt University is stated in your Decision Letter. To view your Decision Letter, please login to your application account. Once you have logged in, please click on View > Decision history > Decision Letter > Response Now to view the status of your offer, which may be one of the following: -

Status of Offer Description Action Needed

Conditional

You will need to achieve further qualifications or provide additional supporting documents before you are accepted.

Fulfil the conditions stated in the Decision Letter and inform your Education Consultant.

Unconditional

You have fulfilled all requirement and your application is successful.

Reply to your offer.

Upon you accepting your Unconditional offer, your offer status will be converted to Unconditional Firm.

Step 2 – Pay Deposit & Tuition Fees

Being a student comes with a lot of financial obligations, and it is important that you are aware of these before you start your studies with us.

Tuition fees will most likely be the biggest financial obligation you have, and you should make sure you understand how and when to pay these before you start with us. There may also be scholarships and discounts available to you, which can give you some additional support and funding during your university career.

Step 3 - Book Accommodation & Transportation (optional)

A number of high-quality accommodation providers are available in Dubai for our students. For more information please visit our accommodation page.

For more information on transit options to the Dubai Campus please visit our transport page.

Step 4 - Complete Enrolment & Access Student Portal

Enrolment is the process of formally joining the University and becoming a Heriot-Watt student. You agree to abide by the rules of the University and to pay any fees, and we ask you to confirm that we have your correct details.

To complete enrolment, you are required to login to Heriot Watt Student Portal, myHWU Student Portal, using your HW username. Please follow the steps below to set up your username/password.

You will need your Heriot Watt username to set up your password.  By clicking on the link to set up your password you accept the University's IT and Communications Acceptable Use Policy.

Set up your password (Note: see the guidance on creating a password.)

You are then required to set up Multi-Factor Authentication.  You may have used a similar system to access online banking or a personal email account. 

Please proceed to complete enrolment via myHWU Student Portal, Academic Record & Self Service tile

Enrolling online involves checking and updating your personal details, checking your programme and fees and agreeing to our terms and conditions.

You must also upload a photograph for your student identity card. This should be a clearly identifiable passport-style photograph.

You can visit the IT Essentials webpage to find out what is available to you.

Please refer to the HWU Student Account Guide for more details.

To login to Heriot-Watt online services you will need to use your Heriot-Watt username and the password you create.  

Please note you can only enrol online once you have an unconditional offer and paid your deposit.

Step 5 - Complete your Course Registration

After you enrol online, you will need to register for your courses (each programme – the degree in the subject you are studying – is made up of a number of courses).  You register for these online.  Access to course registration may vary depending on your programme, as you may require guidance before making your choices, so if you have questions about your courses, make sure you discuss these with academic staff at your induction.   You register for your courses using Student Self Service.

Below are some guides to help you with your course registration -

January Semester new students

School of Energy, Geoscience Infrastructure and Society

PG programme guide

School of Engineering and Physical Sciences

UG programme guide

PG programme guide

School of Mathematics and Computer Sciences

PG programme guide

School of Social Sciences

UG programme guide

PG programme guide

School of Textile and Design

PG programme guide

September semester students (new & continuing)

School of Energy, Geoscience Infrastructure and Society 

UG programme guide

PG programme guide

School of Engineering and Physical Sciences

UG programme guide

PG programme guide

School of Mathematics and Computer Sciences 

UG programme guide

PG programme guide

School of Textile and Design

UG programme guide

PG programme guide

School of Social Sciences 

UG programme guide

PG programme guide

Step 6 - Access Timetable

You may access to your class timetable once you have performed your enrolment.

Please take note of the following: -

For tutorial classes, you will be notified on your tutorial grouping either via email or by your lecturer during the first week of your classes.

Please refer to the Timetable Guide and the Timetable website for more details.

Step 7 - Welcome Week & Induction Schedules

Induction takes place during Welcome Week, 8 to 12 January 2024.  Induction is an organised programme of welcome and introductory activities you will participate in as a new student joining a particular programme of study. Once you enrol, you will have access to the induction site for your subject on Canvas, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) (see below).  You need to make sure you participate in all of your induction programme.

Induction is your opportunity to -

  • Meet your lecturers.
  • Find out about the programme.
  • Find out about the resources and support available to you for study.
  • Ask any questions. 
  • Meet the students you will be studying with.

After you enrol, you log in and go to your subject induction site on Canvas where you will find details of your induction programme including times, venues and activities.  Your induction site will also give you access to a range of resources and information about the University and your programme.

Click on your school below to find your induction schedule – 

Global college

DEP induction schedule

School of Energy, Geoscience Infrastructure and Society 

School of Engineering and Physical Sciences 

School of Mathematics and Computer Sciences 

School of Social Sciences 

School of Textile and Design 

Academic Calendar AY2023-24

Semester dates for our Dubai campus are listed in the academic calendar and you can find dates for induction, teaching, holidays, and examination.

Questions & Support

If you have questions about what life is like as a Heriot-Watt University student, or about the range of support and resources that will be available to you, you can email the Dubai campus student success advisor at StudentSuccessDubai@hw.ac.uk

Remember, university is more than just sitting in a lecture theatre. The sections below will give you more information on the different aspects of your university experience and the opportunities available to you whilst studying at Heriot-Watt.

Key information

Student Service Centre - Dubai Campus