The University of New Haven (UNH) has achieved a major international milestone, becoming the first university globally to receive approval for establishing an international branch campus in Riyadh, the dynamic capital city of Saudi Arabia.
Following this historic regulatory achievement, the University of New Haven officially announced its plans to launch a crucial Pre-University Program next January, marking a significant step forward. This initiative offers Saudi students essential preparation for higher education.
Paving the Way for Academic Excellence
The university officially announced this momentous development in an official release on Tuesday. Consequently, aspiring students interested in pursuing a degree at the university, whether in Riyadh or at the main campus in Connecticut, can now enroll in foundational courses. Specifically, students can take Academic English Language and Pre-College Math classes. Furthermore, they can effectively learn essential college-level academic skills and fundamental business instruction principles, ensuring a strong start.
University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen enthusiastically described the establishment of this vital new program as a definitive, historic moment for the institution. He emphasized its deep commitment to becoming the world’s first university to successfully open a branch campus in Saudi Arabia, a groundbreaking endeavor.
“As we successfully pursue this ambitious undertaking, our principal focus absolutely is on ensuring interested students possess the necessary foundation to excel,” Frederiksen stated, explaining their vision for the future. He confirmed they plan to offer U.S.-style undergraduate and graduate degrees in Riyadh, meeting a crucial regional need.
Future Degree Offerings
The university’s pioneering Riyadh campus will start offering core degree programs through a specialized College of Business and Digital Innovation in the fall of 2026. This launch is currently pending only final regulatory approvals, signaling rapid progress.
Subsequently, the university has also announced its future intention to begin offering degrees through a College of Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing and a College of Arts and Applied Sciences at the new branch.
There, students will have an unparalleled opportunity to pursue both undergraduate and graduate degrees close to home. Importantly, those learning at the Riyadh campus will simultaneously be able to access both the university’s main campus in West Haven and its unique Tuscany campus, greatly expanding their educational horizons. Within the next 10 years, the university confidently projects that the Riyadh campus will efficiently serve up to 13,000 students, a testament to its massive potential impact.
Aligning with Vision 2030
“We are totally dedicated to being at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to investing in human capital and in successfully educating the elite global workforce of the future,” Frederiksen affirmed, aligning the university’s mission with national priorities. The university president expressed sincere gratitude for the incredible support they have consistently received from the Saudi government.
He underscored that the branch campus will thoroughly equip students with the foundational competencies essential to succeed in the university’s immersive, market-driven programs. Ultimately, this will significantly advance the transformative goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative, a key national objective.
“We remain absolutely steadfast in the belief that the more prepared and the more purpose-driven our students are as they get ready to pursue their degrees, the better positioned they will be to take full advantage of all the college experience successfully entails,” Frederiksen concluded.
