Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut bases its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American liberal arts model of higher education. A teaching-centered research university, AUB has around 1,000 instructional faculty and a student body of around 8,000 students. The University encourages freedom of thought and expression and seeks to graduate men and women committed to creative and critical thinking, life-long learning, personal integrity, civic responsibility, and leadership.
The American University of Beirut (AUB) is an accredited institution by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The university was first accredited in June 2004. This accreditation was reaffirmed in 2009, 2014, and 2019. Includes seven faculties: Agricultural and Food Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Architecture (Maroun Semaan Faculty), Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing (Rafic Hariri School), and Business (Suliman S. Olayan School ).
AUB currently offers more than 140 programs leading to the bachelor's, master's, MD, and PhD degrees. The University became coeducational in 1922; its student body is 47 percent male and 53 percent female. The language of instruction is English (except for courses in the Arabic Department and other language courses).
American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo) in Pafos, Cyprus, is approved by MSCHE as a branch campus of the American University of Beirut. The campus began welcoming students in fall 2023. As AUB’s first campus outside Lebanon, AUB Mediterraneo is one major milestone in the realization of the Global AUB vision.