Effat University is a leading private
non-profit institution of higher education for women in Saudi Arabia, operating
under the umbrella of King Faisal’s Charitable Foundation.
Effat University is strengthened by
the legacy of its founder, Queen Effat Al- Thunayyan Al-Saud, wife of the late
King Faisal Bin Abdal-Aziz (May God rest their souls). In 1419 H,
(corresponding to 1999 G), it started offering academic programs under the name
of Effat College.
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Effat College Initial License, 1999
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Effat College Final License, 1999
In order to be a center of academic
excellence, Effat College launched different academic programs taught in
English to expand the horizons of women in Saudi Arabia and raise their
educational level. The first two departments established by the college were
Computer Science and Kindergarten. These programs aimed to prepare women for the
job market and increase their chances of finding work opportunities.
During the following academic year
1421/ 1422 H (corresponding to 1999/ 2000 G) the founders of Effat established
three new programs; Information Systems, Psychology, and English Language andTranslation.
In 1423 H (corresponding to 2002 G),
Effat College signed a collateral agreement with King Faisal Private University
to become one of its three colleges; Effat College in Jeddah, Prince Sultan
College For Tourism and Business in Abha, and Prince Sultan College For Tourism
and Management in Jeddah.
After that, three new majors were
introduced during the academic year 1426/ 1427 H (corresponding to 2005/2006
G); Business Administration and, for the first time in Saudi Arabia, the first
department of Engineering for women consisting of two majors: Architecture and
Electrical and Computer Engineering, neither of which had ever been made
available to women before in the Kingdom.
Then, on the 25th of
Shawwal 1426 (corresponding to 11th of December, 2005) a new
decree was issued to accredit the official split of ‘The Sister Universities’:
King Faisal University and Effat College. Consequently, Effat College became an
independent Institution of Higher Education operating under the umbrella of
King Faisal’s Charitable Foundation and became completely detached from the King
Faisal Universities; the first step towards university status being conferred
upon Effat College. Successive efforts were made to develop the College in
every possible respect. Consequently the Ministry Decree, dated 23 Shaaban 1429
H (corresponding to July 27, 2008) was issued acknowledging three colleges
within Effat University: The College of Science and Humanities, the College of Engineering, and the College of Business Administration. These colleges offered
eight programs and different majors responding to national and international
demands for development, each playing a crucial role in achieving the goals of
Effat University’s strategic plan.
Many factors played a major role in
converting Effat College into a university, such as the relentless efforts and
the ongoing vision of its founders and administration; the inauguration of the
three Colleges and independent Deanships; the establishment of the Research and
Consultancy Institute; and the Extension Programs, in addition to the success
achieved at the academic, educational and social levels. All these developments
paved the way to becoming a University as per the Royal Decree NO. 963/ MB
issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz
Al-Saud, on the 3rd of Safar 1430 H, (corresponding the 30th of
January, 2009 G), associated to the Higher Education Council Decision No. 11,
agreement 5.
According to this Decree, Effat
College acquired University Status as a private institution of higher education
for women with the following Colleges and Departments:
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Effat University Initial License, 2009
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Effat University Final License, 2009
Effat University exerts considerable effort towards enhancing its graduate programs. In 1431H (corresponding to 2010), the University inaugurated the
Deanship for Graduate Studies and Research. In 1432 H (corresponding
to 2011 G), Effat University launched its first graduate program – a Master’s
in Islamic Financial Management (MIFM) . The MIFM Program is the first of
its kind in the Kingdom and the outcome of collaborative work of three
institutions: Effat University; Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus
University; and the École Supérieure Des Affaires (ESA), Beirut. In the second
semester of the academic year 2010/2011 the University received the Ministry of
Higher Education’s decree no. 8963 of 26 Muharram 1432 H (corresponding to
2/1/2011) officially licensing the Program. Furthermore, in 2014/2015
Effat University started two new graduate programs which are a Master’s inTranslation and Master’s in Urban Design, the first of its kind in the Kingdom,
in order to further develop and enhance the advancing the students and the
community as a whole.
Continuing its commitment to offer exclusive programs, in the academic year 1438/1439H (corresponding to 2017/2018) Effat University opened registration for the Master of Science program in Energy Engineering, paving the way for women to participate in this field for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
As the University continues its
mission to provide tomorrow's generations with unique opportunities and
experiences, in 1434 H (corresponding to 2013 G) it launched the
state-of-the-art Visual and Digital Production (VDP) Program, housed in the College of Engineering. The VDP Program at Effat University is distinctive in that it
is not available elsewhere in the Kingdom. Graduates of this Program will have
the ability to communicate across diverse media platforms; they will understand
how to plan, create, manipulate and disseminate still images, moving images,
sound, interactive media, and social media; they will understand the history
and theory of the global media industries, as well as the specific attributes
and conditions of local media culture, outlets, and potentials; they will be
able to understand and critically interpret the media they experience; and they
will be prepared for lifelong learning and to sustain agility in order to adapt
to the constant change in media technologies and platforms.
In order to continue its mission to
educate tomorrow’s leaders, Effat University established a new College of
Architecture and Design to educate the future generations in the field with
aesthetic judgement, professional knowledge, collaborative skills, and highly ethical
values in an environment conductive to learning, research, and commitment to
serving the community.
Notwithstanding its academic
orientation, Effat University has paid equal attention to the different
constituents of the community and their needs through its Executive Education
and Community Services Institute (EECSI). The EECSI is the bridge between Effat
University and the national and international community. The Institute consists
of five centers that offer diplomas, short courses, and customized programs covering
a wide range of areas that meet the needs of the individuals or groups of the
communities it serves.
The EECSI aims to provide
opportunities that help students excel professionally and at the personal
level. It exists to produce skilled individuals and ensure sustained and rich
relationships for the betterment of the community. It will develop and sustain
partnerships with leading academic and professional institutions nationally and
internationally. To attain the best results, the University signed
agreements and MOUs with a number of internationally - as well as nationally -
reputable institutions, including the Sorbonne University, Prince's School for
Traditional Arts, ICDL; Microsoft, DAADS, Cisco Networking Academy, Human
Resources Development Fund, Islamic Development Bank, and National Commercial
Bank.
