Dhofar University (DU) is a private, not-for-profit institution of higher education in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman, established by Ministerial Decree No. 5/2004, issued in January 2004. It has a Board of Trustees that represents its highest policy making body. DU formally commenced its operations in September 2004 on the premises of the National College for Science and Technology, which was then officially incorporated into DU. Students enrolled at that college, were following the curriculum of Yarmouk University in Jordan. These students were allowed to continue their studies under the umbrella of Dhofar University; their program of study became known as the Yarmouk University Program (YUP) in order to distinguish it from the new curriculum known as Dhofar University Program (DUP). The YUP was phased out in 2007. Academic ProgramsDU is the first private university in the Sultanate modeled after the American system of higher education. It offers two-year diploma and four-year bachelor degrees that follow the credit hour system and uses English as the medium of instruction. DU grants a diploma to those who complete the first two years of study for most majors with a cumulative average of 65 percent or above. Students qualify for a Bachelor Degree at the end of the fourth academic year if they meet the graduation requirements in their major.There are currently three colleges at DU: College of Arts and Applied Sciences (CAAS), College of Commerce and Business Administration (CCBA) and College of Engineering (CE). These colleges offer 46 academic programs in different fields of specialization, representing 20 diploma programs, 26 bachelor degree programs and 4 master degree programs.