Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has launched the Psychological Counseling and Behavioral Health Program as part of the Government Scholarship Plan for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The program intends to prepare qualified Qatari professionals specializing in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Mental Health Counseling, while strengthening the national system of mental and behavioral health services.
This initiative is designed to meet societal needs and aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030 by supporting the development of highly skilled human capital.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Assistant Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs at MoEHE, Dr. Hareb Mohamed Aljabri, emphasized that this launch marks the Ministry's pivot toward targeted, demand-driven scholarship initiatives from broad, general scholarship programs.
He noted that this shift reflects a strategic alignment with national development priorities, with the Ministry underlining its commitment to attracting and preparing qualified national talent in high-demand, priority fields, particularly in behavioral health, where workforce needs are rapidly increasing.
Aljabri recalled that over the past period, the Ministry has succeeded in laying out specialized programs to meet strategic needs, such as nuclear engineering.
He pointed out that the novel program is a response to an exigent need to strengthen national talent in the domains of psychology and its various branches, in addition to qualifying a generation capable of supporting the psychosocial system in the country.
Aljabri further suggested that admission requirements for students who wish to join the program entail holding a grade not less than 80% in the secondary certificate and achieving a score of 6 in the English language test "IELTS" for scholarship purposes, alongside unconditional admission from one of the certified universities within the tracks of health and health sciences, whenever the Ministry determines the best 200 world universities in this track.
Financial benefits and allowances vary depending on the university category and field of study. Students under the Amiri Scholarship Program receive a monthly stipend of QR 20,000, two annual business-class airfare tickets, and their years of study are counted toward government service, Aljabri recalled.
In the field of Psychiatry, Aljabri noted, students receive a monthly stipend of QR 18,000 during the first four years, which increases to QAR 30,000 after the fourth year, in addition to annual travel tickets.
For specializations such as Clinical Psychology Specialist or Psychological Counseling (Clinical Mental Health Counseling), students are granted a monthly stipend of QR 14,000, one annual economy-class ticket, and the various allowances provided to scholarship students, he added.
The MoEHE has secured job opportunities for graduates once they finish their studies, in collaboration with the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau, as well as medical and social institutions in the country, Aljabri noted.
For her part, Executive Director of Doha International Family Institute, Dr. Sharifa Noman Al Emadi, underscored the strategic criticality of this program, suggesting that clinical psychology represents a mainstay to support mental health, with the increasing need for Qatari workforce to understand the privacy of the local community, as well as its culture and values.
Studies conducted by the Institute manifested an amalgamation of challenges facing the graduates in terms of applied aspects.
Al Emadi highlighted, stressing that what matters most is the focus of scholarships on programs that generate extensive practical training in myriad fields, such as tips for addicted people, as well as the behaviors of children and adolescents.
She implored Qatari students, especially males, to pivot toward such specializations to offset the clear shortage in a nationally qualified workforce in this vital field.
By and large, the program is primarily directed toward students studying in high-class domestic and international universities, with the essential provision of financial support and practical training that ensures a professional workforce capable of handling a wide diversity of psychosocial challenges in an efficient manner.
