University Rules and Regulations
General University Academic Information
Academic Advisers Attendance Classes and Laboratories Examinations and Quizzes Categories of Students Auditors Course Loads Dean �s Honor List Directed Study (Faculty of Arts and Sciences Only) Disclosure of Student Records Dismissal and Readmission Education Requirements Grading System Graduation Incompletes Majorless Status Premed Requirements Probation Recognition of AUB Degrees Registration Repeating Courses Residence Requirements Students In Transition Transfer within the University Withdrawal from Courses
GENERAL UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic Advisers
Each student has an academic adviser who must approve the student�s schedule each semester.
The student�s adviser is determined as follows:
� Freshman students are assigned an adviser from a group of advisers appointed by the
dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The adviser continues advising the student until
s/he has been accepted into a major. Names of advisees and their respective advisers are
available through the Student Information System (SIS).
� The Office of the Registrar assigns all students admitted to a prospective major to advisers
determined by the relevant faculties. These advisers maintain this relationship until the
student graduates from the department or changes major. Names of advisees and their
respective advisers are available through the Student Information System (SIS).
Attendance
(Also see Withdrawal from Courses)
Classes and Laboratories
� Students are expected to attend all classes, laboratories, or required fieldwork. All missed
laboratory or fieldwork must be made up. A student is responsible for the work that is
done, and for any announcements that are made during his/her absence.
� Students who, during a semester, miss more than one-fifth of the sessions of any course in
the first ten weeks of the semester (five weeks in the case of the summer term) are dropped
from the course if the faculty member has stated in the syllabus that attendance will be
taken.
� Students who withdraw or are forced to drop a course receive a grade of �W.�
� A student cannot withdraw, or be withdrawn, from a course after the announced deadline
unless approved by the appropriate faculty committee.
� Without prior approval of the appropriate faculty committee, a student cannot withdraw, or be
forced to withdraw, from a course at any time if this results in the student being registered for
fewer than 12 credits.
Examinations and Quizzes
Students who miss an announced examination or quiz must present an excuse considered
valid by the instructor of the course. The course instructor should then require the student to
take a make-up examination.
Medical reports and/or qualified professional opinions issued by an AUB employee, AUH doctor,
or by the University Health Services are accepted. Should there be a question about the validity
of any excuse presented by the student, the matter should be referred to the appropriate faculty
committee.
Full-time Students
To be considered full-time, a student must carry a minimum load of 12 credits per semester. For the required number of credits for summer full-time, see under summer session for each faculty.
Special Students
The category of special students is restricted to the following types of students:
Those who are not working for a degree. Such students should be accepted by the appropriate faculty committee. Those who have an undergraduate degree from AUB but who want to work for another undergraduate degree. Such students need the permission of the appropriate faculty committee and must carry a minimum of 12 credits per semester.
Part-time Students
The category of part-time students is restricted to the following types of students:
AUB staff members who are working for a degree. Those who need less than 12 credits to complete work for an undergraduate degree. Those who are granted permission by the appropriate faculty committee for one of the following reasons:
-Health
-Family problems that may influence the academic performance of the student.
Auditors
Those who wish to attend individual classes without credit may apply as auditors. Applications
to audit courses are available at the registrar�s office.
The applicant should:
1) Secure eligibility from the admissions office. An applicant is eligible to audit a course if s/he
meets the following requirements:
(a) Bacc. II, or equivalent, to audit an undergraduate course
(b) Bachelor�s degree, or equivalent, from a recognized academic institution to audit a
graduate course
2) Secure approval from the instructor of the course.
3) Receive approval from the dean of the faculty/school offering the course.
4) Pay the tuition charge at the comptroller�s office (student accounts section).
5) Register as an auditor at the registrar�s office.
Applicants are not eligible to audit laboratory, studio, or seminar courses.
Since permission to audit is on a space-available basis, applicants are not permitted to register
until after registration of regular students is complete.
The University does not grant academic credit for such work. Audit credits do not appear on
transcripts.
Course Loads
To be considered full-time, a student must carry a minimum load of 12 credits per semester.
(See the required number of credits for summer full-time status under summer term for each
faculty.) If a full-time student wishes, or is forced, to reduce his/her load to fewer than 12
credits, the issue must first be referred to the appropriate faculty committee.
Students can normally register for up to 17 credits per semester and nine credits during the
summer term. Students in the following categories must petition the appropriate faculty
committee but are, however, normally granted permission to register for more than 17
credits:
� Freshman students intending to go into medicine or engineering, and who have an average
of at least 80 in the first semester, may take an additional course in the second semester.
� Junior and senior (third and fourth year in the professional schools) students who have
completed their English communication skills requirements at the level required by their
major departments may register for a maximum of 18 credits per semester (a maximum of
19 credits per regular semester in FEA).
� If the program requires that a student register for more than 17 credits in a particular
semester.
In all other cases, students who wish to register for more than 17 credits must petition the
appropriate faculty committee for permission to do so. Their requests are handled on a caseby-
case basis.
Correct use of Language
Facility in clear, correct, and responsible use of language is a basic requirement for
graduation.
Papers (term papers, essays, or examinations) that are ill-written, no matter what the course,
may receive a lower grade for the quality of the writing alone.
The final grade in any course may be lowered for consistently substandard written or oral
expression; in extreme cases a failing grade may be given for this reason alone.
See also information on the English Language Proficiency Requirement (ELPR) on pp. 37, 38
of the 2006-07 catalogue.
Dean �s Honor List
To be placed on the Dean �s Honor List at the end of the semester, a student must:
be carrying at least 12 credits, not be on probation, have passed all courses and attained an overall average of 85 or be ranked in the top 10 percent of the class and have an overall average of 80, not have been subjected to any disciplinary action within the University during the semester, and be deemed worthy by the dean to be on the Honor List.
Directed Study(Faculty of Arts and Sciences Only)
A student with an average of at least 85 in his/her major at the beginning of the senior year may elect to pursue a course of directed study. Students with averages below 85 may be admitted to directed study at the discretion of the department.
Students who elect a course of directed study choose their courses in consultation with a faculty member selected by the student with the department �s approval. These courses may include a three-or six-credit course directed by the faculty member. This tutorial may consist of independent research, original creative compositions, or directed reading, and will include the presentation of a report or thesis.
Disclosure of Student Records
The University may disclose routine information without prior written consent from the student. This information will be of a directory nature and may include only the following items: student �s name, degrees received, major field(s) of study, awards received, and participation in officially recognized activities and sports.
With the exceptions specified in one through five below, the University will release other information, including information from academic records, only upon receiving written consent of the student. This consent must specify the information that is to be disclosed, state the purpose of the disclosure, and provide the names and addresses of the individuals or institutions to whom disclosure is to be made. However, the University may disclose information, including information on academic records, without prior written consent of the student.
upon the request of officers of other educational institutions where the student seeks to enroll (In such cases the student will be given, upon his or her request, a copy of the information sent to the institution.); as necessary to academic officers, academic advisers, and faculty members within the University; to parents of a dependent student; in compliance with a judicial order; and to financial aid services in connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received.
Dismissal and Readmission
A student is dismissed from the faculty for any of the following reasons:
� if the student�s overall average is less than 60 at the end of the 2nd regular semester
� if the student fails to clear academic probation within two regular semesters, excluding the
summer term, after being put on probation
� if the student is placed on academic probation for a total of four regular semesters (a
student can be dropped for this reason even if s/he is in the final year at AUB)
� if the student is deemed unworthy by the faculty to continue for professional or ethical
reasons
A student is normally considered for readmission only if, after spending a year at another
recognized institution of higher education, the student is able to present a satisfactory record
and recommendation. Exceptions may be made for students who left the University for
personal or health reasons.
Transfer credit is considered after departmental evaluation of a student�s coursework.
General Education Requirements
AUB is committed to offering its students a broad undergraduate liberal arts education that
enables them to acquire the analytical skills and habits of life-long learning that they will
need to compete successfully in the twenty-first century. The general education distribution
requirements are intended to expose students to a range of intellectual experiences during
their time at AUB. We want to give our students the opportunity to make choices and to
question and to test what they believe are their career goals and their intellectual interests.
In addition to courses in their academic majors and the opportunity to take minor concentrations
in specific fields, all AUB students must take a minimum of 36 credits in general education
requirements distributed in the following fields: English and Arabic (9 credits); the humanities
(12 credits); economics and social sciences (9 credits); and science, math, and technology (6
credits). We believe that a student who has chosen to follow a course of study at AUB leading
to a degree in a professional field such as engineering should be exposed to the humanities
and social sciences. By the same token, a student who plans to major in history should have
the opportunity to take science courses and to work in a lab.
While being exposed to various fields of knowledge, we also want our students to have
the opportunity to experience different modes of learning (lectures, seminars, labs, and
independent research projects). Different modes of analysis are designed to enhance
students� verbal and interactive skills (seminars), writing and analytic skills (research projects),
and hands-on experimental skills (laboratories).
These distribution requirements may be met by either required or elective courses.
English Proficiency
AUB students must demonstrate English language proficiency in order to graduate. Grades
on papers (term papers, essays, or examinations), or a final course grade, may be lowered for
the quality of the writing alone.
The Intensive English Course (IEC), ENGL 100, is intended for students who have been admitted
but have not met the English Language Proficiency Requirement (ELPR). Students must score
at least 375 on the AUB EEE, 490 on the paper-based TOEFL, or 163 on the computer-based
TOEFL (CBT) to be admitted to IEC.
Students are placed in either ENGL 100A (15 hours) or ENGL 100B (10 hours) based on their
EEE and TOEFL scores. Students with scores of 375�449 on the EEE, 490�500 on the TOEFL,
or 163�173 on the CBT are placed in 100A. Those with scores of 450�499 on the EEE, 503�
567 on the TOEFL, or 177�227 on the CBT are placed in 100B.
Students enrolled in the IEC may register for one or two regular university courses (up to a
maximum of six credits) depending on whether they are placed in ENGL 100A or ENGL 100B.
This allows students to earn credits toward a degree while working toward achieving the level
of English needed in order to carry a full load of courses in the regular program. Such courses
are restricted to Arabic and mathematics/statistics/computer literacy courses in the Faculty
of Arts and Sciences, and equivalent courses in mathematics and statistics in other faculties
and schools.
Students usually complete the IEC in one or two semesters. A student who fails to pass IEC by
the end of the second semester loses his/her admission to the University. A student in the IEC
program is subject to the same attendance requirements as all other AUB students.
ENGL 100A Intensive English Course/ENGL 100B Intensive English Course. These zerocredit
courses are offered each semester. The courses are designed to help students develop
linguistic and communication skills with a special emphasis on strengthening areas of particular
weakness that are identified by diagnostic tests. Students are exposed to a wide variety of
assignments to assist them in developing critical thinking skills. Laboratory sessions reinforce
grammar, reading speed, vocabulary building, and study skills.
Grading System
In the Faculties of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, Health Sciences, School of Business and School of Nursing, the following grading system is used. See grading systems in the section for the Faculty of Medicine.
90 � 100 | Outstanding | I | Incomplete | 85 � 89 | Excellent | P | Pass | 80 � 84 | Very Good | PR | In Progress | 75 � 79 | Good | W | Withdrew | 70 � 74 | Fair | X | No Grade Reported | 60 � 69 | Weak | | | Below 60 | Fail | | |
All final grades are expressed in multiples of one.
Graduation
Requirements
Students are strongly advised to prepare their registration schedules with their advisers to
ensure graduation requirements are fulfilled. Failure to do so may mean that a student has to
spend an additional semester, or more, to complete graduation requirements.
Commencement Exercises
Commencement exercises are held at the end of the academic year. Students who graduate in
October or February may participate in the commencement exercises. Graduates of October
or graduates of February who wish to participate in the July commencement exercises should
notify the Office of the Registrar of their intention by completing Form CE1 and submitting it
to the Office of the Registrar no later than June 10.
Students who graduate in June have places reserved for them in the June commencement
exercises. July graduates who opt not to participate in the commencement exercises should
complete Form CE2 and submit it to the Office of the Registrar no later than June 10. July
graduates who do not receive their degrees during the commencement exercises and who
have submitted Form CE2 within the above-indicated deadline can receive their diplomas at
the Office of the Registrar at a date subsequent to commencement.
Names on diplomas and degrees
Names on diplomas and degrees are spelled exactly as they appear on passports or identity
cards. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Education, names of Lebanese students should
include first name, father�s name, and family name. Names on AUB diplomas and degrees
appear both in Arabic and English. If a name on a passport or an identity card does not appear
in both languages, then the name that does not appear in one language will be spelled on
AUB diplomas and degrees according to the personal preference of the student.
Graduation with Distinction and High Distinction
To graduate with distinction a student must
�
be recommended by his/her department for distinction.
To graduate with high distinction a student must
have an average of 90 or higher in all work which has been done in her/his final academic semesters including summers: (two summer sessions are equivalent to one semester) during which 60 credits or more (65 credits or more in the Faculty of Health Sciences) have been completed at AUB, and must be recommended by his/her department for high distinction.
When a student repeats a course, all grades shall enter into the computation of the student �s overall average for purposes of graduation with distinction or high distinction
Incompletes
A student who receives an incomplete grade for a course must petition the appropriate faculty
committee within two weeks from the date of the scheduled final exam for permission to
complete the course. Coursework must be completed within one month of the start of the
next regular semester. In exceptional circumstances, the appropriate faculty committee may
decide to give the student additional time to complete a course.
Incomplete course work is reported as an �I.� In the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, �I� is
followed by a numerical grade reflecting the evaluation of the student available at the end of
the semester. This evaluation is based on a grade of zero on all missed work and is reported in
units of five. If the work is not completed within the period specified, the �I� is dropped and
the numerical grade becomes the final grade.
Majorless Status
A student in good academic standing, who has not yet chosen a major or is in the process of selecting a new major, will be given the status of �Majorless.� A student who is asked, or opts, to change his/her status to �Majorless �must communicate this decision to the student affairs officer in the Office of the Dean. A student should be admitted to a major by the end of the junior year.
Students seeking eligibility for admission to the Faculty of Medicine must complete the
premedical requirements detailed on p. 528, 529 in the 2006-07 Catalogue.
Probation
Placement on Academic Probation
A student is placed on academic probation if the student �s overall average is less than 68 at the end of the 2nd regular semester, if the semester average is less than 69 at the end of the 3rd or 4th regular semester, or if the semester average is less than 70 in any subsequent semester, excluding the summer term.
For evaluation purposes, the minimum number of credits at the end of the 2nd regular semester should be 24, and 12 in each subsequent fall or spring semester.
Courses/credits taken during a summer term are counted towards the semester average of the next regular semester. If the number of credits taken in any one regular semester is less than 12 (for approved reasons), courses/credits taken during that semester are counted towards the semester average of the next regular semester.
Credit for incomplete courses will be included in the semester in which the incomplete courses were taken. The evaluation for that semester will be carried out as soon as the grades for the incomplete courses have been finalized.
Removal of Probation
Probation is removed when the student attains a semester average of 69 or more in the 3rd or 4th regular semester, or a semester average of 70 or more in any subsequent regular semester.
Probation should be removed within two regular semesters, excluding summer, after the student is placed on probation, or when the student completes his or her graduation requirements (see Graduation Requirements).
Recognition of AUB Degreesby the Lebanese Ministry of Education
The Lebanese Ministry of Education recognizes all the degrees awarded by the American University of Beirut provided students are admitted on the basis of the Lebanese Baccalaureate or its equivalent as determined by the Lebanese Ministry of Education.
Degrees granted by AUB
Lebanese equivalent of these degrees
BA, BS, BBA
License
BA or BS plus the teaching diploma and on condition
License d�Enseignement
that the semester credit hours earned at the sophomore
class level and above add up to not less than 118
MA, MS, MBA
Dipl�mes d�Etudes Sup�rieures
PhD Doctorat
The Ministry of Education also recognizes degrees in medicine, engineering and architecture, and agriculture as equivalent to the corresponding degrees awarded or recognized by the Lebanese University.
It is the responsibility of students themselves to ensure that the degrees they receive from AUB are duly evaluated by their respective governments.
Registration
Requirements
Before proceeding to registration, new students must ensure that all requirements for
registration are met, particularly conditions detailed in the admission letter from the director
of admissions. These conditions include 1) the English Language Proficiency Requirement
(see pp. 37, 38); 2) evidence of having received the diploma, certificate, degree, or level of
university education on the basis of which the student applied and admission was granted
(see Requirements of Admitted Students for Registration, p. 43).
A registration guide is distributed to every student before registration begins. Subsequent
to confirmation that all conditions have been met, students should follow the steps in this
guide.
Students can introduce final adjustments to their schedules during the add/drop period. The
add/drop period normally extends for two days and begins one week after the first day of
classes.
Cross-Registration
Students Enrolled at AUB Taking Courses at Other Universities
A student studying at the American University of Beirut may be allowed to cross-register for a course at other institutions (such as the Balamand, Haigazian, LAU, NDU, or NEST) if all of the following conditions are met:
The course is required by AUB. The course is not offered at AUB during the semester at the end of which the student expects to graduate. The course in which the student intends to cross-register is equivalent to a course that AUB offers. (The number and title of each of the two equivalent courses should be clearly indicated.). The chairperson of the department in which the student is majoring sends to the registrar a written statement confirming that all of the conditions listed above have been met. The registrar authorizes the student to cross-register; the student submits authorization to the concerned institution.
Students Enrolled at Other Universities Taking Courses at AUB
For purposes of cross-registration, students studying at Balamand, Haigazian, LAU, NDU, or NEST who wish to take courses at AUB, must
secure the permission of their institutions to take specified courses at AUB, secure the permission of the dean of the faculty concerned at AUB, present the above permissions at the Office of the Registrar, and register in accordance with the instructions specified in the registration guide, copies of which are sent to the above -named institutions.
Special Instructions for Arts and Sciences Students Regarding Course Schedules
In preparing their course schedules, Arts and Sciences students should take into consideration that
students who lack freshman courses must register for these courses during the sophomore year, if these courses are offered; students who have failed a required course are obliged to repeat that course during the following semester, if the course is offered, and that no student will be allowed to register for a course unless its prerequisites have been completed.
Repeating Courses
A student may repeat any course for which he/she received a grade of less than 70.A student who fails a required course must repeat the course at the earliest opportunity. No course may be taken more than three times. When a course is repeated, the highest grade will be considered in the calculation of the cumulative average. All course grades will remain a part of a student�s permanent record.
Residence Requirements
Students transferring to AUB must earn the last 45 credits1 while in residence at AUB. An AUB student in good academic standing, who did not transfer to AUB from another university and wishes to study abroad, may spend up to one year and earn up to 30 credits at another university. An AUB student must spend his/her final semester at AUB. Also see "Study Abroad/Student Exchange" in the Office of Student Affairs section.
Students In Transition
A student in transition is a student who is dismissed from a particular faculty or school at the end of the semester and is allowed to register for the following regular semester so that s/he can arrange for transfer to another major at AUB or to another institution.
Transfer of Major within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Students who wish to transfer from one major to another in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
may do so only after completion of at least one full semester of work in their current major.
Special transfer forms are available at the Office of the Registrar. The transfer form must
be submitted to the chairperson of the prospective department at least three weeks before
the end of a semester. If approved, the transfer becomes effective at the beginning of the
following semester. Students must follow the following transfer procedures:
� complete the transfer form
� attach grades to the transfer form
� submit the form to the chairperson of the current department (who will make his/her
recommendation to the chairperson of the prospective department)
The chairperson of the prospective department presents the form to the arts and sciences
admissions committee. The decision of the committee is communicated to the student by
the registrar.
Transfer from One Faculty to Another within the University
Students who wish to transfer from one faculty to another must complete the application for transfer form available at the Office of the Registrar. Transfer applicants must include with their applications their AUB grades. Applications to transfer from one faculty to another must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar at least three weeks before the end of the semester.
Tutorials
A student can register for a single tutorial of up to three credits during his/her final year at AUB. For the Faculty of Arts and Sciences see Directed Study in this section.
Withdrawal from Courses
(also see Attendance)
A student can withdraw from only one required course per semester. Students who wish to withdraw from more than one required course in any given semester must petition the appropriate faculty committee for permission to do so.
A student may withdraw from elective courses, down to a minimum of 12 credits, not later than 10 weeks (five weeks in the summer term) from the start of the semester. A student will receive a grade of �W � for the course.
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