University College of Bahrain receives institutional and programme accreditation

University College of Bahrain (UCB) has successfully completed its International Quality Review (IQR) and has been awarded global quality accreditation by QAA. QAA has also published the report of a concurrent International Programme Accreditation (IPA) review process of the Master's in Business Administration delivered by UCB.

IQR and IPA are part of a rigorous process which benchmarks global higher education institutions against international quality assurance standards set out in Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The review visits were conducted on 15-17 April 2024 (IQR) and 18 April 2024 (IPA) by a team of three independent reviewers (including a student reviewer) appointed by QAA.

The team concluded that University College of Bahrain meets the standards for International Quality Review and may therefore be granted QAA's global accreditation. The team also found that UCB's Master's in Business Administration meets the required standards and may therefore be granted QAA's International Programme Accreditation.

UCB was founded in 2002 and is a is a non-profit private institution of Higher Education. It comprises three departments: the Department of Business Administration, the Department of Information Technology, and the Department of Communication and Multimedia. At the time of the review, UCB had 163 undergraduate students and 285 MBA students, supported by 13 full-time and 6 part-time staff.

The IQR report identified three examples of good practice and made seven recommendations for enhancement. The IPA report was able to make six recommendations for enhancement.

The areas of good practice identified by the IQR report included:

• Engagement of employers via the operations of its industry advisory boards and through the provision of placement opportunities;
• Actively building connections with civil society;
• Efforts to nurture student progression through the maintenance of a culture of student and teacher partnership.

The reviews identified one shared condition, to be met within 12 months of the receipt of their initial reports: that UCB review the newly developed Quality Assurance Policy to ensure its fitness for purpose in guiding the institution forward and that the policy be clearly integrated into strategic and operational planning and functions to further a systemic approach to quality assurance and enhancement and foster a culture of quality – and [in relation to International Programme Accreditation] ensure that this culture is reflected in all the activities of the MBA programme. That condition was met by the submission of additional evidence from UCB in May 2025.

Dr Rana Sawaya Zeitounie, President of University College of Bahrain, said: 'The successful completion of the Institutional Quality Review (IQR) and International Programme Accreditation (IPA) by QAA-UK marks a defining milestone in UCB's journey. These rigorous reviews not only affirmed our academic standards and governance but also strengthened our global standing and commitment to continuous improvement. I am proud of the dedication shown by UCB community, and confident that the insights gained will guide our next phase of innovation and excellence. Most importantly, the insights gained will not only shape our future innovations but also advance our mission to positively impact student success and contribute to Bahrain’s national vision for education and development.'

Piers Wall, QAA’s Head of International Quality Assurance and Enhancement, added: 'QAA is pleased to congratulate University College of Bahrain on its successful completion of our International Quality Review and International Programme Accreditation. We have very much enjoyed working with our colleagues in Bahrain, and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future.'

By securing IQR and IPA accreditations from QAA, international institutions can clearly spotlight their quality standards internationally, and more easily start dialogues with institutions outside their own country.

You can read UCB's full IQR and IPA reports on our website, where you can also find out more about the IQR process, the IPA process and QAA International Membership. If you are interested in your institution seeking accreditation or international membership, and wish to discuss this further, please contact the QAA Global team at accreditation@qaa.ac.uk.