Universities
Postgraduate Study in Jordan
Master's, doctoral and higher-diploma study in Jordan — the qualification structure, admission requirements, the funding reality, and why postgraduate comparison works differently from undergraduate comparison.
In short
Postgraduate study in Jordan offers higher diplomas, master's degrees and doctorates, plus professional higher specialisation in medicine and dentistry. Entry to a master's normally requires a recognised bachelor's degree; entry to a doctorate normally requires a recognised master's degree, plus research, supervision and language requirements. The Study in Jordan portal states that postgraduate applicants are required to provide evidence of an accepted foreign-language proficiency test, with possible alternatives under the university's own rules. Funding is frequently attached to a specific supervisor or funded project, so the route is direct departmental contact rather than a central application.
The qualification structure
| Level | Entry requirement | Typical character |
|---|---|---|
| Higher diploma | Recognised bachelor's degree | Postgraduate, below master's level. Offered by some institutions under their own regulations; not universally available. |
| Master's | Recognised bachelor's degree | Coursework, thesis-based, or mixed, depending on the programme and institution. |
| Doctorate | Recognised master's degree | Research-based, requiring a supervisor and in most cases a funded or self-funded project. Offered in selected disciplines. |
| Higher specialisation | Professional qualification | Medicine and dentistry higher-specialisation programmes form a distinct category. |
Admission requirements
- A recognised prior degree — and where it was obtained outside Jordan, satisfaction of Jordanian recognition and equivalency requirements as a step separate from the university's own admission.
- Language-proficiency evidence, subject to the applicable programme rules. Where no test result exists, the national portal has described a possible preparatory English programme of six credit hours at the accepting university, subject to required grades — confirm the current policy.
- Programme-specific conditions, which may include entrance tests, interviews, qualifying courses or prerequisite coursework.
- Supervisor availability for research degrees — frequently the binding constraint for doctoral entry.
Crossing fields at postgraduate level
A master's in a different field from your bachelor's is sometimes possible, depending on the programme's prerequisites, related-major rules, bridging requirements and university regulations. Prerequisite coursework is often required. Confirm this before applying, not after.
Funding — the honest picture
Postgraduate funding in Jordan generally falls into three categories: institutional scholarships and fee waivers; research or teaching assistantships attached to a department or funded project; and external schemes administered by governments, embassies, foundations or development agencies. The second category is the most common route for doctoral study, and it is not centrally advertised — it depends on a supervisor with a funded project. This portal's scholarship database records what could be verified from official sources, with a last-verified date on every entry.
How postgraduate comparison differs
At undergraduate level, institutional factors dominate. At postgraduate level, the supervisor and the department dominate. The relevant questions change: who works in your area, what the department's publication record is, what facilities and funding exist, what the completion record is, and what the supervision model is. Institution-wide reputation is a weak proxy for any of these.
Sources & verification
Priority order: official Jordanian government authorities → official institution websites → accreditation organisations → official ranking organisations → Visit Jordan → other reliable sources. Claims that could not be verified from these are marked as unverified rather than presented as fact.
- Study in Jordan (national higher-education portal) https://studyinjordan.jo/
- Jordan Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research https://mohe.gov.jo/EN/
- Recognition & Certificates Equivalency Directorate https://rce.mohe.gov.jo/en/
Language-test and preparatory-programme details reflect the national portal's published guidance. Because these rules are set per programme and can change, confirm the current requirement with the university before applying.