Michigan State University in Dubai

Michigan State University (MSU) established an education center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2007, making it the first American university to have a presence in Dubai International Academic City.

The Dubai campus officially began offering classes in August 2008 with six undergraduate programs, including Business Administration, Child and Youth Development, Construction Project Management, Early Childhood Education, Media Management and Research, and Electrical and Computer Engineering. Additionally, the campus offered a master's program in Human Resources & Labor Relations.

The initiative was aligned with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 and aimed to meet the emerging higher education needs of the region. However, despite initial enthusiasm, the campus faced challenges in attracting sufficient student enrollment, recruiting about 100 students in its first year but falling short of the 100-150 new students per year required for sustainability.

Due to the lower-than-expected enrollment numbers and financial viability concerns, Michigan State University decided to close the Dubai campus and its programs in 2010, before any students had graduated from the campus.

The university arranged for the existing students to transfer either to the main campus in East Lansing, Michigan, or to other universities in the UAE. The closure was part of a broader trend during that period when some international campuses faced operational difficulties.

Despite the campus closure, Michigan State University continues to be a prominent public research university in the United States with a history dating back to its establishment in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, becoming the nation's first land-grant university and expanding significantly in academic offerings and research over the years.