Scientific College of Design

What Scientific College of Design does

Scientific College of Design (SCD) is a private, for-profit higher education institution headquartered in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, founded in October 2004. It offers a portfolio of undergraduate programs (BA Fashion Design, BA Fine Arts, BA Photography, BS Animation, BS Graphic Design - Digital, BS Graphic Design - Hearing Impaired, BS Interior Design, Bachelor of Architecture, Visual Communication), postgraduate programs (MA Fine Art, MS Interior Design, MS Visual Communication), diploma programs (Digital Content Creation, Digital Marketing & Social Media Management), a General Foundation Program, and short courses through SCD Academy. The college serves Omani undergraduate and postgraduate students primarily, with a 7% international student body drawn from 40+ countries across 21 nationalities, supported by hostel accommodation for female students, visa assistance, and year-round open admission.

SCD's underlying technology consists of a standard higher-education digital ecosystem: a student portal, Moodle-based e-learning management system, library system, campus management system, faculty portal, and online application portal (apply.scd.edu.om). Instructional delivery is studio-based, on-campus in Muscat, with state-of-the-art labs, animation facilities, a theater, and exhibition spaces. Programs are accredited by OAAAQA (institutional accreditation, July 2019), hold program equivalency from NASAD (USA), international certification from AQACHEI (Jordan), and the college is a member of the Cumulus Association of Art & Design.

The business model is tuition-driven and direct-to-consumer. Revenue is generated primarily through semester-based tuition subscriptions across multi-year degree contracts (BA programs priced 8,160-7,920 OMR tuition plus ancillary fees; MA programs ~7,425 OMR; diplomas ~2,475 OMR; GFP 2,575 OMR total), with supplementary income from hostel accommodation (500-600 OMR/semester single room), application fees (25 OMR non-refundable), short courses, and ancillary fees, all subject to MoHERI approval. Go-to-market relies on campus tours, educational fairs, the institutional website, Instagram presence, alumni referrals, and direct WhatsApp/email inquiry handling, with a strong partnership network spanning Omani government ministries, museums, banks, defense entities (Royal Army, Royal Air Force), and international academic institutions.

Name

Scientific College of Design

Legal name

Scientific College of Design

Website

https://scd.edu.om

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Private for-profit higher education institution in Muscat, Oman offering accredited undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and short-course programs in art and design (fashion, fine arts, photography, animation, graphic design, interior design, architecture), serving primarily Omani students with a 7% international cohort from 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Art and Design)

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG), Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG), Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation) (EDAMAAAB), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Art design education
• Undergraduate programs
• Postgraduate programs
• Design degrees
• Higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Matrah

HQ country

Oman

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: SCD generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged for undergraduate programs, postgraduate programs, diploma programs, short courses, and the General Foundation Program. Additional fees include registration, educational materials, graduation fees, and hostel accommodation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Scientific College of Design is a private art and design higher education institution that offers accredited undergraduate degree programs (BA/BS), postgraduate programs (MA/MS), diploma programs, a General Foundation Program, and short courses across disciplines such as fashion design, fine arts, photography, animation, graphic design, interior design, and architecture. Programs are taught on-campus in Muscat, Oman, in English, and are backed by accreditations from OAAAQA, NASAD, and AQACHEI, supported by facilities including studios, animation labs, and digital learning platforms.

Product overview

The Scientific College of Design is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of art and design programs. The academic offerings consist of undergraduate degree programs (BA and BS) in Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Photography, Animation, Graphic Design (Digital and Hearing Impaired specializations), Interior Design, and Architecture; postgraduate programs (MA and MS) in Fine Art, Interior Design, and Visual Communication; diploma programs in Digital Content Creation and Digital Marketing; and professional short courses. The college operates from a unified campus in Muscat, Oman, with programs accredited by NASAD (USA) and AQACHEI (Jordan), supported by facilities including animation labs, studios, e-learning platforms, and a gallery for exhibitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BA - Fashion Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 alumni graduated since first batch in 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Technology and Applied Sciences - NizwacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration for student exchange, research partnerships, and educational program development in art and design fields
• University of MinhocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnership for research collaboration and student exchange opportunities in art and design disciplines
• 6th October UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Egyptian university for program development and student exchange
• Minia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Egyptian institution for research and educational cooperation
• Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment oversight and regulatory partnership for higher education standards, quality assurance, and research initiatives
• Ajman UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with UAE university for program development and student exchange
• Faculty Of Applied Arts Badr University-CairominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Egyptian institution for applied arts education and research
• National Museum OmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for exhibitions, cultural events, and student exposure to Omani heritage and art
• Muscat Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia partnership for student exposure to media industry, internships, and collaborative projects
• Kempinski Hotel MuscatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospitality industry collaboration for student internships and professional development
• Ministry of Health OmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment collaboration for health-related design projects and student training opportunities
• Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for design projects related to agriculture, fisheries, and environmental sustainability
• Royal Army of OmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefense sector collaboration for design services, camouflage design, and military-related creative projects
• Royal Air Force of OmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefense sector collaboration for design services and creative projects
• Bait Al Zubair MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum partnership for exhibitions, heritage preservation projects, and student exposure to Omani cultural artifacts
• Oman Society of EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional society collaboration for engineering and design cross-disciplinary projects
• Oman Society of Fine ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts organization partnership for exhibitions, competitions, and professional development for art students
• Embassy of ItalyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural embassy collaboration for international art and design exchange opportunities
• Japanese EmbassyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural embassy partnership for Japanese art and design exposure and international exchange
• SME Development FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSME support partnership for entrepreneurship education, student business development, and startup support
• Authority for SME DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership supporting student entrepreneurship initiatives and small business development
• Oman Arab BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanking partnership for student financial services, payment systems, and career opportunities
• The Royal HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare institution collaboration for healthcare design projects and student training
• Oman International Art FaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt fair partnership for student exhibition opportunities and international art exposure
• Omani Association for the Hearing ImpairedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial needs advocacy partnership supporting the BS Graphic Design - Hearing Impaired program
• The Oman Association for Quality in Higher EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality assurance organization collaboration for educational standards and accreditation support
• Omani Down's Syndrome SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial needs advocacy organization collaboration for inclusive design education
• Omani Journalists AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia professional association partnership for journalism and media design collaborations
• Oman Film SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm organization partnership for animation and visual communication student projects
• IDP EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational education services partnership for international student recruitment and support
• Vertex Business SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness solutions provider partnership for student placement and professional development

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS): Largest public higher-education institution in Oman with applied arts and design offerings; competes with SCD in the same domestic market for Omani students at subsidized government tuition.
• Sultan Qaboos University - College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences: Oman's flagship public university; its faculty members sit on SCD's Board of Trustees and represents the public-sector alternative for Omani students considering design and applied arts programs.

Direct peers

• Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI): Standalone Dubai-based design college offering undergraduate design degrees with industry focus — competes with SCD for the same Gulf-region aspirational design students seeking internationally accredited credentials.
• Ajman University - College of Architecture, Art and Design: UAE institution and listed SCD academic partner; offers architecture, interior design, and visual communication programs and competes for the same student demographic in the Gulf.
• Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar): US-affiliated art and design college in Doha offering accredited BFA programs in graphic, interior, fashion, and fine arts — directly comparable to SCD as a regionally located Western-credentialed art school serving Gulf and international students.
• Zayed University - College of Arts and Creative Enterprises: UAE federal university with a dedicated college covering graphic design, animation, interior design, and visual arts — competes directly with SCD for Gulf-region design students at similar tuition tier.
• American University of Sharjah (AUS) - College of Architecture, Art and Design: UAE university with dedicated CAAD offering programs in architecture, design, and visual arts; comparable to SCD in academic portfolio, English-medium delivery, and regional recruitment focus.
• American University in Dubai (AUD) - School of Architecture and Design: Dubai-based private university with NAAB-accredited architecture and design programs; comparable to SCD as an English-medium, American-style design school operating in the GCC.

Broad incumbents

• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): Large US art and design university with global locations (including a UAE presence via SCAD Dubai); operates at much larger scale than SCD with broader program portfolio, but offers directly overlapping art and design degrees.
• Royal College of Art (RCA): UK-based postgraduate art and design university with global reputation and international student body; serves as the upper-bound credential benchmark against which Gulf private art colleges (including SCD) are measured by aspirational students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/scd_oman
• Xx.com/scd_oman
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCD.Art.Design
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scd-oman

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scientific College of Design