HIGHER EDUCATION

CLASSIFICATION

2018 / 19

Amity University
TABLE OF CONTENT

01 | INTRODUCTION 3

02 | FACTSHEET 4

03 | METHODOLOGY 6

04 | SUMMARY 10

06 | CORE CRITERIA CATEGORIES 11

07| LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CRITERIA CATEGORY 12

08 | SPECIALIST CRITERIA CATEGORY 12

09 | ADVANCED CRITERIA CATEGORIES 13

INTRODUCTION
HIGHER EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION

The Higher Education Classification represents a milestone and symbolizes a new

maturity in Dubai’s higher education sector. The last 10 years have seen student
enrolment more than double, from 12,000 students in 2008, to almost 30,000
students today. As the sector continues to grow, so too does the need for a
transparent and robust rating framework that will enable institutions to showcase
their strengths and that will also provide the public with helpful, relevant data to
inform higher education decision-making.

The Higher Education Classification has been developed by QS StarsTM in

collaboration with KHDA, and aligned with the QS Stars TM
methodology, which
is used and understood by many countries and providers around the world.
Variations in methodology reflect input received through consultation with private
universities and the desire to incorporate UAE governmental priorities such as
wellbeing in the framework.

Like QS StarsTM, the Higher Education Classification evaluates universities against

a range of performance indicators based on a rating system. It awards Stars to
an institution based on a range of criteria. The rating breakdown by category
serves to highlight institutional strengths and to serve as a developmental tool,
by identifying areas where increased focus and deployment of resources could
improve institutional rating in the future.

Higher Education Classification team,

KHDA
 HIGHER EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION | 18/19

AMITY UNIVERSITY

YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT HOME CAMPUS

2011 INDIA

LOCATION ACCREDITATION
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL
NAAC, INDIA | WASC, USA
ACADEMIC CITY (DIAC)

NUMBER OF FACULTY DISCIPLINES

116
ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION

BUSINESS

NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENGINEERING

1742
FOUNDATION

HUMANITIES

NUMBER OF GRADUATES
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
493
LAW

MEDIA AND DESIGN

NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES
NATURAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

33
TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

2017-2018

4
 AMIT Y UNIVERSIT Y

The Higher Education Classification has been adapted from QS StarsTM to align with, and be relevant to, the Dubai
Higher Education environment. The following are definitions of Stars and the Higher Education Classification.

DEFINITION OF RATINGS 1000

ONE STAR A 1-star institution provides a good standard of education to students and has the necessary organisational
structure to enable progress and development.
100
RATING

TWO STAR A 2-star institution provides a good standard of education to students and has demonstrated progress in Core
Criteria categories including Teaching, Research, Employability and Internationalisation.
250
RATING

THREE STAR A 3-star institution provides a high standard of education to students and has demonstrated strengths in
Core Criteria categories including Teaching, Research, Employability and Internationalisation. They also made 400
RATING progress in other categories including Learning Environment, Programme Strength and Advanced Criteria.

A 4-star institution offers an excellent standard of education to students and has demonstrated strengths
FOUR STAR across all categories including Core Criteria categories, Learning Environment, Programme Strength and
Advanced Criteria categories. Graduate skill sets are attractive to employers. 4-star institutions meet pre-
550
RATING
requisites in Research and Internationalisation.

A 5-star institution offers a world-class standard of education and has demonstrated strengths across all
FIVE STAR categories including Core Criteria categories, Learning Environment, Programme Strength and Advanced
Criteria categories. It has a global reputation and has highly regarded international research and teaching 700
RATING standards. Graduates are sought after by employers. 5-star institutions meet pre-requisites in Teaching,
Research, Employability and Internationalisation.

FIVE STAR A 5+-star institution demonstrates all the qualities of a 5-star institution, and in addition, is recognised as
a leader in global higher education. It attracts high performing students and faculty. Graduates from such
PLUS
institutions readily find employment in both public and private sectors. 5+-star institutions meet pre-requisites
900
RATING in Teaching, Research, Employability and Internationalisation and achieve a 5-stars rating in all categories.

5
 HIGHER EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION | 18/19

METHODOLOGY
The Higher Education Classification has been adapted from QS StarsTM to align with,
and be relevant to, the Dubai Higher Education environment.

CORE CRITERIA CATEGORIES POINTS

TEACHING 150

Faculty student ratio 50

Completion rate 40
Satisfaction with teaching and learning 20

Faculty with terminal degree 40

EMPLOYABILITY 150

Campus employer presence 50

Graduate employment rate 50

Career centre / Career service support 50

RESEARCH 150

Papers per faculty or creative scholarly output 40

Citations per paper 40

Faculty publishing in Scopus indexed journals 40

Faculty presenting at international conferences 15
Research showcasing 15

INTERNATIONALISATION 150

International faculty 20

International collaborations 50
International students 20
Inbound exchange students 20

Outbound exchange students 20

International diversity 20

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CRITERIA CATEGORY

FACILITIES 100

Sporting facilities 20

Student activity centre / Student clubs or

20
Flexible learning spaces

Student accommodation (access) 20

IT infrastructure 20

Online library resources 20

6
 AMIT Y UNIVERSIT Y

METHODOLOGY
The Higher Education Classification has been adapted from QS StarsTM to align with,
and be relevant to, the Dubai Higher Education environment.

SPECIALIST CRITERIA CATEGORY

OVERALL PROGRAMME STRENGTH 200

Graduate employment rate 20

Completion rate 20
Satisfaction with programme of study 30
Faculty student ratio 10
Innovative teaching and learning 20
Internationally/Nationally recognized
50
accreditations

KHDA Quality assurance reviews 50

ADVANCED CRITERIA CATEGORIES (2 OUT OF 4)

ARTS & CULTURE 50

Arts and culture facilities 15

Concerts, events, and exhibitions 15
Artistic and cultural accolades 10

Community art and cultural investment 10

WELLBEING 50

Staff development & wellbeing 10

Student wellbeing policy 10
Overall satisfaction & happiness 10
Satisfaction with academic support 10
Satisfaction with learning resources 10

INNOVATION 50

Patents 10
Incubation facilities & accelerators 10
Documented start-ups & alumni new ventures 10
Industrial partnerships 20
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY & INCLUSIVENESS 50
Voluntary work 10
Environmental impact 10
Scholarships and bursaries 10
Inclusiveness (access & policy) 10
Gender balance 10

7
 HIGHER EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION | 18/19

THRESHOLDS & PRE-REQUISITES

The Higher Education Classification has been adapted from QS StarsTM to align with,
and be relevant to, the Dubai Higher Education environment.

CORE CRITERIA CATEGORIES 150

ONE STAR RATING 15

TWO STAR RATING 35

THREE STAR RATING 60

FOUR STAR RATING 85

FIVE STAR RATING 105

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CRITERIA CATEGORY 100

ONE STAR RATING 10

TWO STAR RATING 25

THREE STAR RATING 40

FOUR STAR RATING 55

FIVE STAR RATING 70

SPECIALIST CRITERIA CATEGORY 200

ONE STAR RATING 20

TWO STAR RATING 50

THREE STAR RATING 80

FOUR STAR RATING 110

FIVE STAR RATING 140

ADVANCED CRITERIA CATEGORIES 50

ONE STAR RATING 5

TWO STAR RATING 15

THREE STAR RATING 20

FOUR STAR RATING 30

FIVE STAR RATING 35

8
 AMIT Y UNIVERSIT Y

THRESHOLDS & PRE-REQUISITES

The Higher Education Classification has been adapted from QS StarsTM to align with,
and be relevant to, the Dubai Higher Education environment.

OVERALL RATING 1000

ONE STAR
RATING
100

TWO STAR
RATING
250

THREE STAR
RATING
400

FOUR STAR
RATING
550

• Must have at least 2 Citations per faculty member

• Must have at least 15% of International students

FIVE STAR
RATING
• Must have at least 3 Citations per faculty member 700
• Must have at least 75% Completion rate
• Must have at least 25% International students
• Must have at least 85 points in the Employability category
• Must have at least 75% score for International diversity

FIVE STAR PLUS

RATING
900
• Must have 5-stars rating in all categories and meet all the
pre-requisites needed for 5-Stars

9
 HIGHER EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION | 18/19

SUMMARY
AMITY UNIVERSITY

A 4-star institution offers an excellent standard of education to students and has demonstrated
strengths across all categories including Core Criteria categories, Learning Environment,
Programme Strength and Advanced Criteria categories. Graduate skill sets are attractive to
employers. 4-star institutions meet pre-requisites in Research and Internationalisation.

CORE CRITERIA CATEGORIES

TEACHING

EMPLOYABILITY

RESEARCH

INTERNATIONALISATION

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CRITERIA CATEGORY

FACILITIES

SPECIALIST CRITERIA CATEGORY

OVERALL PROGRAMME STRENGTH

ADVANCED CRITERIA CATEGORIES

WELLBEING

INNOVATION

10
 AMIT Y UNIVERSIT Y

The Higher Education Classification collected data from Amity University, and evaluated it against the criteria.

Amity University, Dubai campus has earned an overall 4-stars rating, with strong performances in almost all categories
of the Higher Education Classifaction. 5-stars rating was achieved in the Teaching, Employability, Internationalisation,
Learning environment, Programme strength, Wellbeing, and Innovation categories. A 3-stars rating was achieved in
Research.

CORE CRITERIA CATEGORIES

TEACHING
Traditionally, universities built their reputations around research output by faculty. Today’s students expect faculty to
contribute to their learning through effective, quality teaching. Universities that can demonstrate teaching excellence
will attract students and have a competitive advantage in the higher education sector.

EMPLOYABILITY
Prospective students (and parents) consider future employment prospects when selecting universities and academic
programmes. Strong employability data gives universities a significant advantage. This sends students a positive signal
- namely that graduates from their university are held in high regard by employers and that they stand a good chance
of finding a job after graduation themselves. The ‘employability agenda’ today is pivotal in the strategic priorities of
universities as it has a direct impact on student recruitment, retention and satisfaction.

RESEARCH
The research category enables higher education institutions to demonstrate their research assets such as research
quality and productivity. Research output should be a recognisable aspect of the strategic priorities and growth-plan
of the university, and should be visible in the institution’s everyday operational reality. Research outcomes contribute
not only to society’s intellectual knowledge base, but also create wealth in the community in which the university is
located and beyond.

INTERNATIONALISATION
There is a need for higher education institutions to cultivate a global outlook to offer students the best possible
preparation for life and careers in the 21st century. It is important for institutions to develop and articulate their own
campus-based internationalisation strategy to meet the expectations of students who increasingly want international
experiences while pursuing their university studies. Universities able to provide students with opportunities to complete
their academic programmes in multiple, global settings, will be attractive destinations for tomorrow’s students.

11
 HIGHER EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION | 18/19

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
CRITERIA CATEGORY

FACILITIES
The learning environment category focuses on the physical and technological infrastructure that the university has
created to support student learning. Today’s students have high expectations about the quality and variety of learning
environments that they expect to find on campus. Institutions that provide high quality learning environments will
benefit in terms of recruitment, retention, and student satisfaction.

SPECIALIST CRITERIA CATEGORY

OVERALL PROGRAMME STRENGTH

In conventional university ranking systems, specialist institutions tend to be under-rated (or excluded from ratings) in
comparison with comprehensive institutions, despite the fact that they may be recognised as ‘world-class’ in their given
field. This category gives institutions the opportunity to benefit from the delivery of high-quality academic programmes.

12
 AMIT Y UNIVERSIT Y

ADVANCED CRITERIA CATEGORIES

(2 OUT OF 4)

WELLBEING
The UAE has placed happiness and wellbeing on its national agenda, as witnessed by the appointment of a Minister
of State for Happiness and Wellbeing. This category serves as the impetus to officially recognising happiness across
the Higher Education sector in Dubai. This indicator captures data on how institutions are facilitating environments
which nurture and encourage the personal wellbeing and professional development of students. Institutions should also
facilitate processes and activities to support staff development and wellbeing.

INNOVATION
Universities have a role to play in unlocking the economic and social value of ideas by creating pathways for scientific,
entrepreneurial, and creative enterprises. Higher education institutions contribute to society’s innovation potential
in a variety of ways, such as collaborating with industry and other universities; developing incubation facilities and
accelerators to nurture start-ups; and registering patents . This category gives universities the opportunity to showcase
their innovative achievements.

13
KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Block 8, Academic City, P. O. Box: 500008, Dubai, UAE

Tel: +971 4 364 0000 Fax: +971 4 364 0001

www.khda.gov.ae

#KHDADUBAI #KHDA

@KHDA @KHDADUBAI /KHDAOFFICIAL