General Academic Requirements Division (GARD)
Divisional Mission
The Mission of GARD is to:
• Enhance and integrate the academic and personal development and growth of HCT students through the development of a student-centered learning environment that will provide a comprehensive array of Innovative programs, resources and services.
• Facilitate the successful transition of new students to their career programs by enhancing student engagement, integrating academic and co-curricular programs, and fostering both independent and lifelong learning.
Senior Staff
Executive Dean
Dr. Christine Howling
Programs Offered
The following programs are offered at each HCT campus:
- Academic Success
- General Studies
- Arabic and Emirati Studies
Through its proactive and innovative programs, the Academic Success Program (ASP) offers additional opportunities for students to take charge of achieving their academic goals and develop as lifelong independent learners within a supportive learning community of volunteers.
General Objectives
As an interconnected unit of the General Academic Requirements Division (GARD), ASP aims to support and encourage academic student development outside of class time through a network of peer tutoring as an integral part of the HCT student experience. Additionally, ASP aims to coordinate tutoring and academic support to all HCT students in all program majors.
Description
In order to achieve its strategic objective of supporting students’ academic performance with out-of-class study, ASP provides an online tutorial tracking and booking system available to all HCT students, faculty and staff – tutTrak.
ASP enhances the students' leadership abilities and future skills by offering opportunities to tutor and mentor through Peer Tutoring.
General Studies Program is dedicated to supporting, developing and mentoring all HCT students to reach their full communicative, intellectual, literacy and vocational skills potential.
This is achieved through a cross-curricula approach that challenges students to reflect and develop holistically by providing them with continual applied learning opportunities that broaden their global perspective, critical thinking, problem-solving and information synthesis skills in preparation for the dynamic, increasingly global, work environment.
Admission to Program |
|---|
As per details in each Academic Division and general admission requirements of HCT.
Program Description
The General Studies (GS) program provides an integrated suite of courses that empowers students to meet the challenges of college, the workplace, and life by enabling students to acquire essential practical skills and competencies. Among those targeted are effective oral and written communication in the language of instruction, as well as moral and ethical decision-making, tolerance and multicultural sensitivity while maintaining the unique national identity and cultural background of the UAE.
The structure of the General Studies program (including the Emirati Studies course) is aligned with the updated CAA guidelines for General Education, June 2024, and consists of the following categories
- Humanities and Arts
- Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Innovation Technologies and Society
- Quantitative Reasoning and Critical Thinking
- Sustainability
Program Learning Outcomes
a. Graduates will be able to:
- Comprehend and express concepts in English (and Arabic1) in oral, written, and digital formats
- Work effectively, in teams and independently, understanding strategies that promote healthy dialog and discussion among people from different nationalities, cultures, and backgrounds
- Identify areas for personal, academic, and professional growth and development and self-access means for improving identified areas
- Reflect on the attitudes and beliefs relevant to individual and social choices and actions.
- Demonstrate a knowledge of mathematics and its application in various contexts.2
- Identify and devise creative solutions to address potential future challenges students may face in their educational experience, career and life3
- Collect, analyze, interpret and report qualitative and quantitative data effectively at a basic level4
- Develop decision making processes that incorporate critical and creative problem-solving skills5
1only for Military programs
2only for CIS
3only for Education and Health Sciences programs
4only for CIS and Health Sciences programs
5only for CIS, Education and Health Sciences programs
Arabic & Emirati Studies
Arabic and Emirati Studies (AES) courses are designed to assure that students are proficient in Arabic, the official language of the country and familiar with the history, tradition and culture of the region. AES courses are included under the General Studies course plan as per CAA core life skills requirements.
Co-curriculum Courses
As part of the continual development of academic and vocational skills, students complete a series of non-credit bearing co-curricular courses each semester. These courses develop essential skills for students including acculturation to college life, workplace readiness, ethical integrity, personal branding and language for program area purposes.
Diploma Courses
All first year students as part of their Diploma program are required to complete a common credit-bearing course in their first semester to develop their English language skills.
Completion Requirements
As a graduation requirement, students must successfully complete the following minimum credits:
| Description | Data |
|---|---|
| Bachelor | 18 credits |
| Diploma | 3 credits |
Mandatory Courses
General Studies courses which are mandatory for all students completing a Bachelor’s degree to include
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AES 1003 | Emirati Studies | 3 |
| A minimum of one English course from English, Arabic and other Languages option | 3 | |
| A course in innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability (unless these topics are addressed comprehensively across other courses in the programs) | 3 | |
The General Studies Requirements shall comprise of a minimum of 18 credit hours or equivalent, which will come from the below courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Humanities and Arts | ||
| AES 1003 | Emirati Studies mandatory course | 3 |
| OR | ||
| AES 2013 | Emirati Studies for Non-Native Speakers | 3 |
| Languages (Advanced English-minimum one course mandatory for programs in English) | ||
| LSC 1103 | Professional Written Communication all programs | 3 |
| LSC 1503 | Professional Spoken Communication all except CIS, Applied Media, Health Sciences, Medical Laboratory Science program, and Business, Actuarial Science program | 3 |
| LSC 3023 | Professional English only for military programs | 3 |
| AES 1013 | Arabic Communications only for military programs | 3 |
| OR | ||
| AES 2003 | Arabic for Non-Native Speakers | 3 |
| Behavioral and Social Sciences | ||
| LSS 1003 | Life and Future Skills Health Sciences and Education, Early Childhood program | 3 |
| LSS 1123 | Basic Research Methods Health Science programs Emergency Medical Services, Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing | 3 |
| NPS 2103 | Naval Leadership and Management only for military programs - Naval College | 3 |
| Innovative Technologies and Society | ||
| BUS 1133 | Introduction to Data Science and AI Business programs | 3 |
| BUS 2403 | Innovation and Entrepreneurship Business programs and Health Sciences | 3 |
| BUS 2503 | AI for Business Business programs | 3 |
| BUS 3013 | Data Science for Business Business programs | 3 |
| CIS 1813 | Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals CIS programs | 3 |
| DGM 3543 | Communication and Technology Applied Media, Digital Media program | 3 |
| DMD 1203 | AI in Digital Media Applied Media programs | 3 |
| DMP 3503 | Communication and Design Applied Media, Design and Media Production program | 3 |
| ECE 2413 | Computational Thinking, Innovation and Entrepreneurship for ECE Education, Early Childhood program | 3 |
| EGN 2203 | Introduction to Data Science Engineering programs | 3 |
| EGN 3113 | Artificial Intelligence Engineering programs | 3 |
| HIM 1123 | Introduction to Management & Entrepreneurship in Healthcare Health Sciences, HIM program | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning and Critical Thinking | ||
| ACS 2123 | Linear Algebra Business programs | 3 |
| CIS 1703 | Introductory Statistics and Probability CIS programs | 3 |
| BUS 1123 | Introduction to Statistics Business programs | 3 |
| DMD 3613 | Freelancing and Entrepreneurship Applied Media programs | 3 |
| EDU 2533 | Artificial Intelligence in Education Education, Early Childhood program | 3 |
| LSM 1013 | Mathematics for Computing CIS programs | 3 |
| LSM 1113 | Statistical Mathematics Health Sciences, Medical Laboratory Science program | 3 |
| LSS 1133 | AI Literacy and Critical Inquiry CIS programs and Health Sciences except Nursing | 3 |
| Sustainability | ||
| DMD 2433 | Sustainable Design Applied Media programs | 3 |
| MCE 1133 | Mechanical Sustainability Design Project Engineering, Mechanical Engineering program | 3 |
| MTE 1133 | Mechatronics Sustainability Design Project (Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering program) | 3 |
| AVT 1133 | Aviation Sustainability Design Project (Engineering, Aviation Maintenance Engineering) | 3 |
| CHE 1133 | Chemical Engineering Sustainability Project (Engineering, Chemical Engineering) | 3 |
| CVE 1133 | Civil Sustainability Design Project (Engineering, Civil Engineering) | 3 |
| ELE 1133 | Electrical Sustainability Design Project (Engineering, Electrical Engineering) | 3 |
| IET 1133 | Sustainability Design Project for Industrial Engineering (Engineering, Industrial Engineering) | 3 |
| Description | Data |
|---|---|
| Total Required Credits | 18 Credits |
Preparatory Courses
All students, before entering their Mahara programs, are required to complete two preparatory courses. These develop students' English communication skills, workplace competencies and ethical integrity required for success in Mahara programs and the workplace. Students in Bachelor programs may be offered intensive English preparatory courses to support their language development. Preparatory courses are pass/fail and do not have the credits that contribute toward program requirements.
| Preparatory Courses | |
|---|---|
| GEC 0103 General English for Certificate | |
| ESP 0103 Workplace English for Certificate | |
| NCHR 0103 English Language Development I | |
| NCHR 0203 English Language Development II | |
Abdelbasset Jeddi, PhD (Applied Linguistics and Teaching Methodology), The University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Abdulla Ibrahim, Master of Arts (Applied Sociology), Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Adam Arra, Master of Arts (Teach Engl as Foreign/Sec Lang), University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
Ahed Ayyal Salman, PhD (Arabic Language & Literature, Mu'tah University, Jordan
Ahyaf Burini, PhD (Arabic Language), Al-Madinah International Univ, Malaysia
Aisha Alali, Master of Arts (Arabic Language & Literature), Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Alison Prince, Master of Arts (TESOL), Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
Alya Al Naqbi, Master of Arts (Arabic Language & Literature), Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Amal Mohamed Farhat Elbarbary, Master of Science (Engineering Mathematics), Tanta University, Egypt
Ameen Ikhdair, Ph.D Arabic Language & Literature, Al-Madinah International Univ, Malaysia
Andrew Johnston, Doctor of Education, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Anna Robertson-Baldock, Master of Arts (TESOL), Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
Ann-Marie Simmonds, PhD (English Language and Linguistics), Purdue University, USA
Arwa Abdelhamid, Master of Arts (TESOL), American Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Asma Mohamed Easa Shaker Easa Jooaan, PhD (Education), University of Bath, United Kingdom
Aysha Al Hammadi, PhD (Arabic Language & Literature), Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Azza Alawadhi, Masters of Education (TESOL), The British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Baha'Eddin Abu Khait, Master of Education (TESOL), British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Barry McDonald, MA (Applied Linguistics & TESOL), University of Leicester, UK
Bassam Tradat, PhD in Literary and Critical Studies- The World Islamic Science & Education University, Jordan
Bouchra Kachoub, PhD (Linguistics), Simon Fraser University, Canada
Burak Alkaya, Master of Arts (TESOL), Al Ain University of Science and Technology, UAE
Christine Coombe, Doctorate in Philosophy (Second Language Teaching), The Ohio State University, United States
Christine Howling, Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education: Research, Evaluation and Enhancement, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
Christopher Young, Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics), University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
Clayton Young, Master of Education (Education), University of Toronto, Canada
David Bozetarnik, Master of Arts in TESOL, SIT Graduate Institute, United States
David McNally, Master of Arts (TESOL), Birmingham University, United Kingdom
Dhanya Surith, PhD (Mathematics Education), The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Doaa Hamam, PhD (Education), British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dylan Coady, Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics), Macquarie University, Australia
Eden Brough, Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics & TESOL), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Eliazar Dimalapang, Masters (Analytics), Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand and
Masters (Statistics), University of the Philippines (Diliman), Philippines
Eman Al Mashmoom, PhD (Islamic Studies), Islamic &Arabic Studies College, United Arab Emirates
Essam Ayoub, PhD (Political Science), Cairo Univ, Egypt
Eszter Nagy, Master of Arts (English Language Teaching), University of Essex, United Kingdom
Fahad Zaid Ali Bin Alwan Al Hebsi, Masters (Law), Dubai Police Academy, United Arab Emirates
Fathia Al Faran, Ph.D (Education), British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Fatima Alnusairat, PhD (Applied Linguistics), Yarmouk University, Jordan
Francisca Roberts, Master of Education (TESOL), Univ of Southern Queensland, Australia
Gerry Gibson, Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics & TESOL), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Gillian Zammel, Master of Arts (TESOL), Univ of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Hamad Almteiri, P.hd Emirates Mohammed V University, in Rabat, Morocco
Helen Rivera, Master of Arts (TESOL), Hawaii Pacific University, United States
Helene Demirci, Doctorate in Education (Education), University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
Henrieta Clara, MSC Mathematics (Mathematics), Manuel L.Quezon University, Philippines
Hiam Alateibi, MBA (Strategic Marketing), Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates
Hind Al Mashmoom, PhD (Arabic Language & Literature), Islamic &Arabic Studies College, United Arab Emirates
Hisham Mohamed Ayob, PhD (Mathematics), Alexandria University, Egypt
Huda Alshamsi, Masters (Applied Sociology), Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Huda Jamal, Master of Arts (English), Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania, United States
Iain Dodson, Master of Science (TESOL), Aston University, United Kingdom
Ian Delahunt, Master of Arts (Prof. Dev.for Language Educ.), Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
Jabreel Asghar, Doctorate in Education in Applied Linguistics & ELT, The University of Warwick, United Kingdom
James Mclaughlin, PhD (TESOL), University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Javed Iqbal, Master of Arts (English), University of Peshawar, Pakistan
Jennifer Dela Torre, PhD (Management), Divine Word College of Calapan, Philippines
John Brown, Master of Arts (TESOL), Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
John McDermott, Master of Education (Educational Technology), Univ of Southern Queensland, Australia
Johnson Thomas, Master of Science (Mathematics), Mahatma Gandhi University, India
Jonathan Fiteni, Master of Arts (Management in Education), Bilkent University, Turkey
Jonathan Gelens, Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics), The University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
Joseph Watkins, Master of Arts (Linguistics), California State Univ, Fresno, United States
Katarzyna Kusy, Master of Arts in Mgmnt. Language Learning, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom
Katrina Kinsella, Ed D (Higher Education: Creativity and Culture), University of Bath, UK
Kevin Lim, Masters of TESOL, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Khaldoon Haddad, PhD (Arabic Language), Al-Madinah International Univ, Malaysia
Khawla Al Shehhi, PhD (Education), British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Kulaithem Alkhatri, PhD (Arabic Language & Literature), Islamic &Arabic Studies College, United Arab Emirates
Lakshmi Krishnan, Master of Science (Mathematics), University of Madras, India
Latifa Mohammed Ali Mohammed Al Farsi, PhD (Arabic Language & Literature), Al Wasl University- UAE, United Arab Emirates
Lee Annesley, Masters in Applied Linguistics (TESOL), Macquarie University, United States
Lucyna Browarczyk, Master of Arts (English), Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland
Maen Odeh, PhD (Physics), Eastern Mediterranean Univ, Cyprus
Magdaleen Lotter, Doctorate of Education in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
Maha Abdulla Mohamed Saleh Al Ameri , Master of Education in Management and Policy, CERT, United Arab Emirates
Mahra Al Belooshi, Master of Education (Education), Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates
Mai Mohamed Ezzat, Doctor of Business Administration (Finance major) Ain Shams university, Cairo, Egypt
Marc Senall, Master of Science (Technology), Arizona State University, United States
Maria Gregoria Concepcion, PhD (English Language Teaching), Western Mindanao State Univ, Philippines
Maryam Al Shamsi, PhD (Arabic Language & Literature), Islamic &Arabic Studies College, United Arab Emirates
Maryam Humaidan Mohammed Humaidan Al Zaabi, Master of Arts (Islamic History), Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Maryam Malki, Master of Arts (TESOL), American Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Matthew Walter, PhD (English), The University of Kent, United Kingdom
Maya Daaboul, Masters (English Language & Literature), University Of Balamand, Lebanon
Melissa Hedges, PhD (Educational Leadership), Texas Tech University, United States
Monica Leiva, PhD (Education), The University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
Mouza Rashed Hasan Rashed Al Ayyan, Master of Science (Instructional Technology), New York Institute of Tech, United States
Moza AlAli, PhD (Educational Studies), Islamic & Arabic Studies College, United Arab Emirates
Mozah Saeed Mohamed Ahmed Al Helo Yammahi, Master of Science (Instructional Technology) New York Institute of Tech, United States
Mustafa Mustafa Qurmed, PhD (Arabic Language), Al Azhar University, Egypt
Nadezda Kettell, PhD (Environmental Biology), University of London, United Kingdom
Naeema Beermohamed Shaikh Mohamed Al Bloushi, Master of Science (Instructional Technology), New York Institute of Tech, United States
Napoleon Abdon, MA in Education (Mathematics), Divine Word College of Calapan, Philippines
Narjes Ahmed, Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics), The University of Reading, United Kingdom
Natalie-Jane Howard, Master of Arts (Education), The Institute of Education, Ireland
Nataliia Borysenko, PhD (Education), Washington State University, United States
Naureen Shehzad, PhD (Education), British University in Dubai, UAE
Nayela Mohammad, PhD in Education (Education), British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Nazila Motahari, Master of Arts (English Language Teaching), Islamic Azad University, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Nedal Othman, Master of Science (Mathematics), King's College London, United Kingdom
Neil Armstrong Satoquia, Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Language Education), University of the Philippines Diliman
Nicholas Bates, Master of Education Technology (Educational Technology), Univ of Southern Queensland, Australia
Nicole Shammas, PhD (Advanced Studies), Univ of Southern Queensland, Australia
Nourah Mohamed Hassan Morad, Master of Science (Organizational Excellence), Hamdan Bin Mohammed E-University, United Arab Emirates
Nura Hagi-Nur, Masters (Professional Educ &Trng (TESOL)), Deakin University, Australia
Nurliyana Isa, Masters (TESOL), MARA University of Technology, Malaysia
Omar Almansoori, Masters (Jurisprudence and its Foundations), Sharjah University, United Arab Emirates
Panagiotis Papadopoulos, PhD (Mathematics), Michigan State University, United States
Panthayil Babu Rajan, Doctorate in Philosophy (Population Studies), Intl. Inst. Population Science, India
Paul Harrison, Masters in Applied Linguistics (Applied Linguistics), Univ of Southern Queensland, Australia
Paul Mccullough, Master of Arts (Foreign Language), West Virginia University, United States
Peter Loughran, Master of Arts (Digital Tech, Comm & Educ), The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
Pushpa Sadhwani, Master of Education (Teaching of English), British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Rania Alhameed Amoori, PhD (Arabic Language), Yarmouk University, Jordan
Ranya Shaeen, Ph.D in Arabic Language & Literature, Islamic &Arabic Studies College, United Arab Emirates
Reem Badwawi, Master of Arts (Translation & Interpreting), Sharjah University, United Arab Emirates
Roman Ullah, PhD (Mathematics), Abdul Wali Khan University, Pakistan
Ruth Kaye, Master of Arts (TESOL), Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
Samantha Saliasi, Masters of Arts (Applied Linguistics & TESOL), University of Portsmouth,
United Kingdom
Samarjeet Rawat, PhD (Mathematics), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
Sanjay Tyagi, PhD (Mathematics), Chaudhary Charan Singh Univ, India
Sean Murray, Master of Fine Arts (Creative Writing), University of New Orleans, United States
Sean Quinn, Master of Science (Curriculum, Instruc&Tech in Edu), Temple University, United States
Selin Erzin, Master of Arts in Educational Supervision & Administration, Yeditepe University, Turkey
Shafia Abdul Rahman, PhD (Mathematics Education), The Open University, United Kingdom
Shaima Salem Mohamed Bin Helal Al Yammahi, PhD (Doctor of Philosophy in Arabic Language and Literature) Univ of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Shayma Ebrahim Mohammed Saeed Al Awadhi, PhD (Management, Leadership and Policy), British University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Sihle Ndlovu, PhD (Applied Linguistics), University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Smitha Johnson, Master of Science (Mathematics), Bharathiar University, India
Sonia Batra, Master of Education (TESOL), University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Terry Prosser, Master of Arts (TESOL), Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
Timothy Beer, Master of Arts in Teach English as Foreign/Second Language, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
Wahida Dastakeer, Master of Science (Microbiology), University of Mumbai (Bombay), India
Wasif Minhas, PhD (Political Economics), Swiss Management Center, Switzerland
Willard Zvarevashe, PhD (Statistics), University of Zululand, South Africa
Yasemin Altas, Master of Arts (Management in Education), Bilkent International Sch, Turkey