American Univesity of Beirut

​Officers of the Faculty

Faculty Administrative Support

Historical Background

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences was established in 1866, the same year in which the Syrian Protestant College, now the American University of Beirut, was established. On December 13, 1866, the first class was held, attended by sixteen students, and in 1870 the first five students graduated. Arabic, which was the language of instruction since the inception of the college, was replaced by English in 1882. AUB, in general, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, in particular, have survived many crises since 1866, including two world wars, regional and local wars, student strikes and economic crises. In spite of all these hardships, the faculty has continued to develop and maintain its high academic standards.

Mission    

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences embodies AUB’s core commitment to the liberal arts and sciences. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, humanities, and social, natural and mathematical sciences, and is dedicated to advanced research in all these domains. Through its freshman and general education programs, it is the University’s principal gateway to higher studies and professional education. The faculty, through its teaching and research, promotes free inquiry, critical thinking, academic integrity, and respect for diversity and equality.

Vision    

Building upon its rich tradition, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences is determined to position itself at the heart of free inquiry in the Middle East. Liberal and critical thinking is central to the faculty’s teaching, its research, its engagements with the wider community and its commitment to the thoughtful transformation of all its activities and structures. The faculty’s enhanced undergraduate programs will graduate innovators with a breadth of vision who can be agents of positive change wherever they live and work. The faculty will strategically expand its graduate offerings, especially in areas where it can make a distinctive contribution, and it will educate graduate students who are themselves producers of knowledge. The faculty will be recognized internationally for the quality of its research and creative activities in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematical sciences and interdisciplinary areas, whether undertaken in response to regional and global needs or to human curiosity and imagination. The faculty will provide a vital forum for open discussion and engage contemporary issues in ways that resonate far beyond our campus walls.

Graduate Study    

Admission to the graduate programs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences is competitively based on the applicant’s academic record, achievements and research interests. All applicants to graduate study need the recommendation of the academic unit concerned. Academic units may add additional requirements that could assist in their admission recommendations, such as a writing sample, GRE (or GMAT, in the case of the Department of Economics) scores and/or interview. The GRE is required from the following departments only: Biology, Economics, History and Archaeology and Psychology. FAS also offers an MS in Environmental Policy Planning (as part of an Interfaculty Graduate Environmental Sciences Program).
The following includes admissions information specific to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Additional requirements are described in the General section on Admissions in this catalogue.

RCR Requirement    

The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Requirement must be completed by all newly admitted degree-seeking graduate students. The requirement consists of a course that must be completed within the first month and is marked by a passing grade. Failure to fulfill this requirement in a timely manner results in a registration hold that is removed once the requirement has been fulfilled. The specific course/section to be taken is assigned by the student advisor. For more details on the requirement, please refer to page 52. Below is the RCR course listing of FAS.

• Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Graduate Courses
  

Admission as a Regular Graduate Student

An applicant is considered for admission as a regular student to a graduate program if s/ he meets the following minimum admission requirements:

An undergraduate average of at least 3.2 (or 80 percent) (or standardized equivalent from other institutions of higher learning) in the major field of study and a cumulative average of at least 2.7 (or 75 percent) (or standardized equivalent) for all work done at the undergraduate level leading to a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from AUB or another recognized institution of higher learning. Applicants to the Environmental Policy Planning specialization in the Master’s Degree Program in Environmental Sciences are required to have an average of at least 3.2 (or 80 percent) in the last two years of undergraduate study or its equivalent at AUB or other universities as determined by the faculty Graduate Studies Committee.

Further requirements for admission to graduate work are found in the General section on Admissions in this catalogue.

Admission as a Graduate Student on Probation

An applicant is considered for admission on probation if s/he meets the following minimum admission requirements:

An undergraduate average of at least 2.9 (or 77 percent) (or standardized equivalent from other institutions of higher learning) in the major field of study and a cumulative average of at least 2.7 (or 75 percent) (or standardized equivalent) for all work done at the undergraduate level leading to a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from AUB or another recognized institution of higher learning. Applicants to the Environmental Policy Planning specialization in the Master’s Degree Program in Environmental Sciences are required to have an average of 2.7 (or 75 percent) in the last two years of study or its equivalent at AUB or other universities as determined by the faculty Graduate Studies Committee.

Further requirements for admission to graduate work are found in the General section on Admissions in this catalogue.

Admission as a Prospective Graduate Student

Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in a major field of study, other than the one to which they are applying, and who do not have sufficient academic preparation in the field may be admitted as prospective graduate students who must complete specified undergraduate course requirements.

To be considered for admission as a prospective graduate student, the applicant must have attained an undergraduate average of 2.7 (or 75 percent) (or standardized equivalent) in all work done at the undergraduate level leading to a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from AUB or another recognized institution of higher learning.

Further requirements for admission to graduate work are found in the General section on Admissions in this catalogue: If an average of 2.9 to 3.2 (or 77-80 percent) is attained, the student may have her/his status changed to graduate student on probation pending departmental recommendation and approval of the faculty Graduate Studies Committee. The supplementary courses must be completed within four consecutive regular terms.

Transfer of Credits    

Transfer of Credits into a Master’s Degree Program

Please refer to the General University Academic Information on page “Transfer of Credits” on page 57.

Transfer of Credits from One Master’s Degree to Another

Graduate courses taken at AUB (or at other recognized institutions), in which the applicant has earned an equivalent grade of B+ (or 80) or above, may be transferred toward another master’s degree at AUB. No more than 9 credits are transferable provided they are not credits earned by an internship, thesis or practicum, and degree minimum residency requirement is maintained. Approval by the department or academic unit concerned and by the FAS Graduate Studies Committee is required for all transfers.

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