American University of Beirut

• The student submits a petition for course exemption attaching the syllabus and official university transcript from the other university/program.
• The course instructor decides if the course can be exempted based on the course syllabus and/or a test.
• If an exam is required, the student is asked by the Graduate officer to sit for the exam either prior to the start of the term when the course is offered or before the deadline of the drop and add period.
• As per the course instructor’s decision, the petition is approved/rejected and forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee then the Registrar’s Office at AUB.

Policy on Partial Practicum Waiver

No exemption is granted from the Practicum experience. The Practicum must be completed while a student is enrolled in the MPH program with no exceptions. However, a partial waiver of hours can be granted on a case-by-case basis. Students with the required level of experience prior to joining the MPH program may request a partial waiver to complete 150 hours of practicum work (instead of 300 hours), if they offer enough evidence of fulfilment of the practicum waiver criteria*.4

Students granted partial waiver register for a 1-credit practicum course (HMPD/HPCH/EPBS 366). The waived practicum credit should be replaced with a one-credit elective.

Policy on Transfer of Credits

A transfer of credits may be considered when the student has satisfactorily completed a graduate course with a minimum grade of B+ or equivalent at a recognized university*.5 Credits counted toward another graduate degree at AUB or another institution cannot be transferred if they have already been used to satisfy requirements for another awarded graduate degree. In this case, students might be considered for exemption from course not credits.

The transferred credits are accepted after seeking approval of the course instructor

Transfer of course credits from graduate academic and professional diploma programs at AUB to a graduate degree program is allowed following the academic rules and regulations specified by the American university of Beirut. However, the number of course credits that can be transferred is up to 12 credits for graduate academic diplomas and up to 6 credits for graduate professional diplomas (in reference to AUB policy on transfer of credits).

Transfer of credits from graduate programs that are jointly offered with FHS at AUB is possible before the completion of the degree in the event that the student wants to change major. The number of credits that can be transferred from joint programs cannot exceed 12 credits of comparable courses at FHS. However, the maximum number of transferrable credits from non-CEPH accredited programs is 6 core or concentration credits.

Request for transfer of credits for MPH/MS students is only possible if the student has completed the course within the previous 5 years of the transfer request date.

To transfer credits, the candidate submits a course equivalence petition through the online petition system and attaches the following official documents after consulting with the academic and registration advisors:

• a detailed description of course content and syllabus
• an official statement of records/grades earned for the course(s)

For transfer of credits, the Graduate Officer verifies that the transferring university has comparable academic standards* to those of the American university of Beirut.

The instructor of the specific course reviews the syllabus and recommends on the equivalence of the course.

The online petition passes through a chain of approvals until the final decision is taken by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Probation

A student is placed on probation if one of the following occurs:

• s/he fails in any graduate course taken for credit (passing grade is C+)
• s/he fails to obtain a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 in graduate courses

Part-timers can only be evaluated after completion of at least 10 credits. Their cumulative average is evaluated every term thereafter.

A student with an admission score (major and cumulative GPA) of at least 3.0, but less than 3.3 will be admitted on probation.

A full-time student will be removed from probation at the end of a term if s/he has passed all courses and attained an overall GPA of 3.3.

Part-timers are first evaluated after completion of at least 10 credits. Their overall GPA is evaluated every term thereafter.

A student on probation may be dismissed upon the recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee if one of the following occurs:

• s/he fails to be removed from probation after one term or its equivalent for part–timers (10 credit hours)
• placement on probation more than once (not counting the probation at admission time)
• The student attains a cumulative average of less than GPA 2.3 after completion of 10 credits or fails two courses in one term.
• The student attains a cumulative average of GPA 2.3 or above but less than GPA 3.3 in any term, and fails one course in that term (This rule does not apply to the first term of study).
• In the judgment of the GSC, is not making satisfactory academic progress, or has behaved in contempt of the norms and values upheld by the Faculty. Additional information about personal circumstances and general academic performance will be sought. GSC will make their decisions based on all the above points.

Responsible Code of Conduct (RCR) Requirements

All newly admitted graduate students are required to successfully complete an online course on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) from the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program). The course “covers core norms, principles, regulations, and rules governing the practice of research.” It consists of the following modules: Research Misconduct, Data Management, Authorship, Peer Review, Mentoring, Using Animal Subjects in Research, Conflicts of Interest, Collaborative Research and Research Involving Human Subjects. FHS requires the completion of the following additional two modules, Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research Course, as well as Students - Class Projects.

Curriculum

The Master of Public Health (MPH) curriculum is composed of three principal elements which include core courses, concentration courses and public health experience courses. Core courses emphasize critical public health competencies. Concentration courses provide students with an opportunity to specialize in a chosen discipline of public health. The public health experience courses provide an opportunity to practice the knowledge and skills acquired from the coursework (core and concentration courses) into hands-on experience that is then synthesized and linked to core and concentration competencies.

Students enrolled in the MPH program may choose to specialize in one of three different disciplines of Public Health which are Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Promotion and Community Health, and Health Management and Policy.

I. Core Courses (Required of all MPH Students)

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II. Concentration Courses

Master of Science in Epidemiology (MS-EPID)

Admission Requirements

For full details on admission requirements to the Master of Science in Epidemiology, see the Admissions section of this catalogue. Mid-year admissions are only accepted for part-time students.

Graduation Requirements

For information regarding graduation requirements, refer to the General University Requirements in this catalogue.

Credit requirements for the MS in Epidemiology are tabulated below:

Credit Load

A full-time student must carry a minimum load of 9 credits per term. Students can register for up to 12 credits per term. Students who wish to register for more than 12 credits must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for approval.

For full information on academic rules and regulations and general requirements for the Master of Science in Epidemiology and Master of Science in Environmental Sciences (Major: Environmental Health), refer to the General University Policy section in this catalogue.

Responsible Code of Conduct (RCR) Requirements

All newly admitted graduate students are required to successfully complete an online course on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) from the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program). The course “covers core norms, principles, regulations, and rules governing the practice of research.” It consists of the following modules: Research Misconduct, Data Management, Authorship, Peer Review, Mentoring, Using Animal Subjects in Research, Conflicts of Interest, Collaborative Research and Research Involving Human Subjects. FHS requires the completion of the following additional two modules, Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research Course, as well as Students - Class Projects.

Curriculum

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences
(Major: Environmental Health)

Admission Requirements

For full details on the admission requirements for this interfaculty program, see the Admissions section of this catalogue and the admission policies for the Interfaculty Graduate Environmental Sciences Program IGESP (page 39).

Graduation Requirements

For information regarding graduation requirements, refer to the General University Requirements in this catalogue.

Credit requirements are tabulated below:

Credit Load

A full-time student must carry a minimum load of 9 credits per term. Students can register for up to 12 credits per term. Students who wish to register for more than 12 credits must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for approval.

For full information on academic rules and regulations and general requirements for the Master of Science in Epidemiology and Master of Science in Environmental Sciences (Major: Environmental Health), refer to the General University Policy section in this catalogue.

Responsible Code of Conduct (RCR) Requirements

All newly admitted graduate students are required to successfully complete an online course on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) from the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program). The course “covers core norms, principles, regulations, and rules governing the practice of research.” It consists of the following modules: Research Misconduct, Data Management, Authorship, Peer Review, Mentoring, Using Animal Subjects in Research, Conflicts of Interest, Collaborative Research and Research Involving Human Subjects. FHS requires the completion of the following additional two modules, Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research Course, as well as Students - Class Projects.

Curriculum

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Epidemiology

Mission

The mission of the PhD Program in Epidemiology is to provide advanced training in epidemiology, statistical skills and cutting-edge research methods. Graduates of the program acquire competencies to undertake high quality independent research, to assume professorial positions at universities, and to obtain leadership positions in research units in Ministries of Health and health care institutions in Lebanon, the region and beyond.

Program Goals

The PhD in Epidemiology aims to:

• graduate epidemiologists with advanced training that allows them to teach advanced courses and lead independent epidemiological research.
• fill a major gap in the Arab region where there is limited production and dissemination of regional evidence to address major public health challenges.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the PhD program, a candidate must:

• Hold a master’s degree in Epidemiology or a relevant discipline such as public health, nursing, statistics and health informatics, pharmacy, biological sciences and others, from AUB or other recognized institution of higher learning. A minimum cumulative course GPA of 3.7 or its equivalent, is required for admission.
• Have achieved an acceptable score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general component taken in the last five years, with a minimum score of 152 in Quantitative and 151 in Verbal.
• Demonstrate English proficiency as stipulated in the university Graduate Catalogue for requirement for admission into PhD studies, check AUB’s English requirements here.
• Submit a complete application to the Office of Admissions that includes the following items: (1) Official transcripts and certified copies of degrees and certificates from previous universities, (2) official GRE scores on the general component, (3) letters of recommendation (a minimum of three letters), (4) personal statement outlining interest in the program of study focusing on research interests and experience, and (5) an updated CV.

Following the review of applications, shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Financial Support

The department offers, on a selective basis, substantial support which fully covers tuition and includes a monthly stipend. There are also some funds available to support participation in international conferences; these funds are awarded on a competitive basis. In return, students help in teaching (preparing and delivering) introductory courses, proctoring, and correcting exams among other related tasks.

Program Requirements

The PhD in Epidemiology Program requires the completion of 27.5 credit hours of coursework beyond the master’s degree and 24 credit hours of thesis work. The coursework consists of 5-4 credits of pre-specified masters level courses in epidemiology and biostatistics, 16 credits of core PhD-level epidemiology and biostatistics courses, 1.5 credit course of research ethics, and 6-5 credits of pre-approved elective courses. For the Thesis, primary data collection is highly encouraged.

Thesis Qualifying Exam: Parts 1 and 2

After taking and passing all core and required courses, students should register in two zero credit courses, the thesis proposal preparation and the comprehensive exam. They should pass both parts of the PhD Qualifying Exam: Part 1 which is the written comprehensive exam, administered by the department; and Part 2 which is the oral exam involving defense of the thesis proposal, administered by the thesis committee (please refer to the AUB Graduate Studies catalogue for details about the PhD Qualifying Exam).

Thesis Defense

Students have to defend their thesis within at most three years following passing Part 2 of the PhD Qualifying Exam.

Teaching Requirements

One of the competencies of the PhD program is for doctoral students to develop experience in teaching. This is accomplished by: (a) serving as a Teaching Assistant in one or more courses (minimum of 3 credits in total) taught by departmental faculty, and (b) registering, and successfully completing the requirements of two zero-credit courses-EDUC 401 and EDUC 402, as required by the Graduate Council.

Residency Requirements

The program completion time frame for the regular track is 3 to 5 based on AUB residency requirements. Extension requires Graduate Council approval upon recommendation by the faculty Graduate Studies Committee. Authorized leaves of absence, approved by the PhD Program Committee/Department are the only means of waiving the residency and registration requirements. Policies concerning statute of limitations (for program completion) and leaves of absence are identified in the General Policies and Procedures section of the AUB Graduate Studies catalogue.

Core courses of the program should be taken at AUB, while further required or elective courses could be taken at a recognized institution of higher learning, preferably CEPH accredited, amounting to at most 12 credits that are transferable upon departmental approval. Courses are eligible for transfer only if they are taken beyond master’s degree requirements and fulfill the criteria for type of eligible courses as outlined in the General University Academic Information section of the catalogue for PhD transfer of credits. Students will be encouraged to spend a full term or a shorter duration in a School of Public Health in the US, Canada or Europe to take courses or engage in research.

To fulfill the minimum residence requirements for the PhD degree, a student must register for at least six terms beyond the completion of the master’s degree.

Interdisciplinary Courses

• Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Graduate Courses
  

Interdepartmental Courses

• Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Graduate Courses



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