Dar Al-Hekma University
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 1999 |
| Location | , , |
| Website | Official website |
Dar Al-Hekma University is a private, non-profit institution of higher education for women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Classes are taught in English. The university started in September 1999, with the approval of the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education. Students at the college are eligible for financial support from the state. It received the university status on January 2014.[1]
History
The university was founded in September 1999, with private donations and advice from the Texas International Education Consortium, offering classes in Arabic and English.[2] The first year, 120 students enrolled in three majors,[3] management information systems, interior design, and special education.[4] In 2002, a nursing program was added.[3]
The university started expanding its facilities in 2003, with financial support from Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, a Saudi businessman, for whom one of the buildings was named.[5] Applications for enrollment in 2003 exceeded the number of graduates, a development coinciding with the realization in Saudi Arabia of high unemployment for women, estimated to be as high as 98%.[6]
Number of graduates
In 2002, the first group of graduates was honored at a ceremony by Crown Prince Abdullah.[2] In 2004, forty-eight students received their diplomas, in the presence of Princess Al-Jowhara bint Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim, wife of King Fahd.[4] In 2005, at the third graduation ceremony, seventy-seven women graduated, thirty-three of whom in Management Information Systems.In 2013, it received a total number of 222 graduates the highest in its history.[3]
Academic programs
Dar Al-Hekma University offers bachelor degrees in 12 majors and two different master degrees from four schools; the Hekma School of Business, the Hekma School of Law and International Relations, the Hekma School of Design and Architecture, and the Hekma School of Education and Applied Sciences.The Hekma School of Business offers Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Banking and Finance, Management Information Systems, Marketing, and Human Resource Management; and Master of Business Administration. The Hekma School of Law and International Relations offers Bachelor of Legal Studies and Master of Arts in International Relations. The Hekma School of Design and Architecture offers Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design, Fashion Design, Motion Graphics, Graphic Design, and Bachelor of Architecture. Finally, the Hekma School of Education and Applied Sciences offers Bachelor of Science in Special Education in Learning Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The campus
Dar Al-Hekma University is housed in an integrated complex consisting of four 4-story halls with modern teaching and research facilities, a central building, and a 1200-seat auditorium.
References
- ^ a b "King's decision on private college tuition fees hailed". Saudi Gazette. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b Bashir, Abdul Wahab (7 July 2003). "Abdullah Honors Dar Al-Hekma Graduates". Arab News. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b c Akeel, Maha; Ebtihal Mubarak (21 June 2005). "Dar Al-Hekma Holds Annual Graduation". Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ a b Akeel, Maha (8 June 2004). "Dar Al-Hekma Students Celebrate Graduation". Arab News. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- ^ http://www.arabnews.com/node/228856
- ^ Qusti, Qusti; Javid Hassan (9 October 2003). "Abdullah to Look Into REF Recommendations". Arab News. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
External links
- Saudi King Tries to Grow Modern Ideas in Desert, Thanassis Cambanis, New York Times, October 26, 2007.