American University of Beirut

In implementation of the General Education Requirements for all faculties, all FAS students should show competence in the basic intellectual approaches of fields of learning in four major disciplinary fields and should take, 9 credits in Cultures and Histories, 3 credits in Human values, 6 credits in Societies and Individuals, and 9 credits in Understanding the World and Quantitative Reasoning, with at least 3 credits from each. In addition, all FAS students are required to take 6 credits in Understanding Communication - English (9 credits for students placed in ENGL 102) and 3 credits in Understanding Communication - Arabic. Refer to the General Education Requirements section in the General University Academic Information section of this catalogue for more information.

All students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences must take 6 credits of Understanding Communication – English courses as determined by their placement (9 credits for students placed in ENGL 102). A student must enroll in the required course in her/his first term and continue without interruption until s/he has completed all courses through ENGL 204. For example, a student placed in ENGL 102 must take three consecutive terms of English (ENGL 102, ENGL 203, and ENGL 204: 9 credits) whereas a student placed in ENGL 203 must take two consecutive terms (ENGL 203 and ENGL 204: 6 credits). Students whose test scores do not qualify them to be placed in ENGL 102 are required to take the Intensive English Course (IEC). For more information on the IEC, refer to the Admissions section of this catalogue.

All Arabic-speaking students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences must fulfill the Arabic language requirement. These students are required to take, in addition to the Arabic course required of freshmen, one Arabic language or literature course. The Arabic Placement Test (APT) is mandatory to students who think they may be too weak to follow coursework higher than the basic language course (ARAB 201). Such students may sit for the APT to ascertain if their level of proficiency in Arabic is (not) appropriate for a higher course. This will be further ascertained during the course itself.

All students in the FAS are required to take 9 credits of General Education Cultures and Histories courses and 3 credits of Human Values. All students who wish to register in these courses should have demonstrated English language skills, which placed them in ENGL 203 or above. A minimum of 3 credits must be taken in History of Ideas: CHLA. For details, refer to the Critical Humanities and Liberal Arts section under General University Academic Information. For a current list of General Education courses, see the Office of the Registrar’s website. One elective for all majors should cover the theme of Social Inequalities.

A student must complete elective credits outside his/her major department as per the program requirements, exclusive of the university course requirements stated above and beyond those of the normal freshman program.

Grades of C+ or above in at least 50 credits of courses numbered 200 or above for students entering at the sophomore level are required. Students entering at the freshman level must obtain grades of C+ or above in at least 12 additional credits of courses numbered 100 or above.

Transfers

Students may transfer to majors within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences from outside the university, from another faculty within the university, or from one department to another within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Applicants from outside AUB wishing to transfer to a major in FAS with junior standing should note the following conditions and requirements:

• The applicant must have completed the equivalent of 24 sophomore credits at the university from which the applicant is transferring.
• The applicant must submit an application to the university Admissions Office along with all the course syllabi taken at the applicant’s previous university or universities.
• Transfer admission is competitive and limited by the number of spaces available. Normally, successful applicants will have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 or its equivalent.
• Courses successfully completed at a previous university or universities are transferred provided the student earned a grade equivalent to the AUB grade of C+ in each of the courses for which transfer credit is requested.
• For placement in (or exemption from) the Communication Skills Program, a student may petition for course equivalence by presenting relevant documents to the Department of English. If a student has not taken any courses equivalent to those offered within the Communication Skills Program, the student should be placed in the appropriate course based on the student’s test scores (EEE, TOEFL, or SAT Writing), according to the same guidelines normally followed for newly admitted non-transfer students.
• Students who have transferred must spend the final three terms and complete at least 45 credits at AUB out of which a minimum of 21 credits should be in their major department for fulfillment of graduation requirements.

AUB students from other faculties wishing to transfer to a major in FAS should note the following conditions and requirements:

• The applicant must have completed at least two full terms (minimum 24 credits) of coursework at AUB.
• The applicant must have attained a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+.
• The applicant must have attained a minimum average of 2.3 or C+ in all courses taken in FAS (must be at least 15 credits).
• The applicant must have met the requirements for the applicant’s prospective major (see Table 4 below).

AUB students wishing to transfer from one major to another in FAS should note the following conditions and requirements:

• The applicant must have completed two full terms (minimum 24 credits) of work in the applicant’s current major.
• The applicant must have met the requirements for the applicant’s prospective major (see Table 4 below).

AUB Non-Degree Students (NDS) wishing to apply for regular status should note the following conditions and requirements:

• The applicant must submit an application to the Office of Admissions.
• The applicant must have completed the equivalent of the sophomore year at the college or university from which the applicant is transferring (24 credits or the equivalent).
• Grade requirements for transferred courses offered by other faculties at AUB follow the guidelines set by the relevant faculty. All final admissions decisions will depend on the availability of places in the major to which the student applies.
• Courses successfully completed at AUB by a non-degree student may be considered for admissions purposes. Once the student is admitted, the credits for those completed courses may be transferable towards the student’s regular degree (required courses with a minimum grade of C+ and elective courses with a minimum grade of D.
• Courses successfully completed at a previous university or universities are transferred provided the student earned a grade equivalent to the AUB grade of C+ in each of the courses for which transfer credit is requested.

Double Major

Refer to Double Major/concentration section under General University Academic Information.

Double major applicants must meet the transfer requirements for their prospective majors specified in Table 4.

Dual Degree

Refer to Dual Degree section under General University Academic Information.

Dual degree applicants must meet the transfer requirements for their prospective majors specified in Table 4

Second Degrees

Refer to Second Degree section under General University Academic Information.

Normally, successful second degree applicants who obtained their first degree from outside AUB will have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 or its equivalent in their first degree.

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 department that opts to drop a student from the student’s major must communicate this decision to the Student Services Office in the Office of the Dean. A student who opts to change status to majorless must communicate this decision to the Student Services Office in the Office of the Dean through the student’s academic advisor and/or department chair. All students should be admitted to a major by the end of their junior year. A student who wishes to join a new major must also submit a Change of Major petition to the Office of the Dean, provided the student meets the requirements for admission to the new major.

For further details concerning individual departmental requirements, refer to the relevant sections of this catalogue.12

Minors

For the university’s general requirements for a minor field of study, refer to the Minor section under General University Academic Information. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences offers disciplinary and interdisciplinary minors, which require the completion of a number of courses before graduation as specified below:

American Studies requires 15 credits: All American Studies minors are required to take the core course, AMST 215 and one other 3 credit AMST course (220, 230, 240, 265/266, 275/276), plus three elective courses with American Studies content or relevance from other departments (ARCH 023, ENGL 209, 215, 216, 219, 222, 224, 225, 226, 241, HIST 200, 271, 272, 273, 274, 278/279, MCOM 201, 204, 219, 222, 290E, MEST 315M, PHIL 263A, PSPA 220, 237, 251, 293D, SOAN 215). Students can petition to apply a new or special topics course with American Studies content from a different department, and this must be approved first by the CASAR director, then by the FAS Curriculum Committee.

nthropology requires 15 credits: one core course (SOAN 203 or SOAN 212) and 4 electives from the following: SOAN 203, SOAN 212, SOAN 215-218, SOAN 220–227, SOAN 236, SOAN 237, SOAN 250-252, and SOAN 290 (if selected topic is in Anthropology).

Applied Mathematics requires 18 credits: MATH 201, MATH 210, either MATH 218 or MATH 219, and 9 more credits in mathematics courses numbered MATH 202, MATH 211 or above, and statistics courses numbered 230 or above. Note: A student can opt for a minor in mathematics or a minor in applied mathematics, but not both.

Arabic and Near Eastern Languages requires 15 credits: ARAB 211 or ARAB 212 (or an equivalent language course), at least one course in classical Arabic literature (ARAB 224, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 241, 243, 244, 247, 249, 257, 290), at least one course in modern Arabic literature (ARAB 223, 225, 226, 237, 238, 239, 240, 245, 246, 253, 254, 258), plus two other courses in the department.

Archaeology requires 15 credits: Five courses numbered 200 and above, including one of the following: AROL 211, AROL 212, AROL 233, AROL 234, AROL 291, or AROL 292.

Art History requires 15 credits: 6 credits chosen from AHIS 203, AHIS 207, AHIS 208, AHIS 209, AHIS 210 or equivalents; 6 credits from AHIS 221, AHIS 224, AHIS 225, AHIS 226, AHIS 227, AHIS 249, AHIS 263, AHIS 281; and 3 credits from AHIS 250, AHIS 251, AHIS 252, AHIS 284, or approved alternate.

Biology ​requires 15 credits of BIOL courses. The courses are BIOL 201 (4 credits), BIOL 202 (4 credits), plus at least two courses (provided the prerequisites of these courses are satisfied) to complete the 15 credits required for the minor, except BIOL 200, BIOL 209, BIOL 210, and BIOL 293.

Chemistry requires 16-17 credits: CHEM 201, one lab course from the following list (CHEM 201L, CHEM 203, CHEM 209 or CHEM 210) and a minimum of 12 credits from courses selected from at least three of the below four chemistry divisions:

• Analytical: CHEM 215, CHEM 219, CHEM 234
• Inorganic: CHEM 228, CHEM 229
• Organic: CHEM 207, CHEM 208, CHEM 211, CHEM 212
• Physical: CHEM 217, CHEM 218, PHYS 212, [CHEM 204 and MECH 310]

Typical choice of minors for different majors:

• Biology: 201, 201L/210, 211, 212, 215, 228 (16/17 credits)
• Physics: 201, 201L/209/210, PHYS 212, 215/217, 208/211/212/228 (16/17 credits)
• Geology: 201, 201L/209, 208, 215, 228, 229 (16/17 credits)
• Chemical Engineering: 201, 201L/209, 207, 219, (204 and MECH 310) (16/17 credits)

Civil Society, Citizenship, and the Nonprofit Sector requires 15 credits. The requirements are PSPA 222 and PSPA 272 and three electives from the following list of courses: PSPA 202, PSPA 203, PSPA 233, PSPA 235, PSPA 254, PSPA 257, PSPA 260, PSPA 263, PSPA 289G, PSPA 299, ECON 232, ECON 237, MCOM 217, MCOM 252, SOAN 225, SOAN 226, SOAN 240, and SOAN 245. No more than 12 credits can be taken from the same department. No more than 12 credits can be taken from the same department. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.

Cognitive Science (Suspended as of Fall 2020-21) requires 18 credits: PSYC 237 is required. PSYC 237 cannot be counted as a psychology course for the purpose of this requirement. The remaining 15 credits must be chosen from the following courses: BIOL 240, 243, 244, CMPS 201, 211, 261, 262, EDUC 215, 221, ENGL 227, 228, 232, 284, 294, PHIL 211, 220, 221, 222, 223, 257 or 258 (but not both), PSYC 210, 222, 224, 226, 229, 280, on condition that the 15 credits chosen span at least three disciplines. A student may choose a special topics course not listed above (e.g., 290 course codes), provided the topic is within the purview of cognitive science, upon approval of the course coordinator. For single major students, only 3 credits of the 15 credits taken for the minor may count toward the major.

For double major students, 6 credits taken for the minor may count toward the majors, with no more than 3 credits per major. Students are encouraged to take PSYC 237 early in the minor.

Computational Sciences an interdisciplinary minor, requires 15 credits (excluding prerequisite courses): CMPS 202, CMPS 251, CMPS 254, plus 6 credits from the following: MATH 211 (or CMPS 211), CMPS 214, CMPS 220, DCSN 200, PHYS 222, or a tutorial course in either PHYS 231 or PHYS 232, or a chemistry course which has computational contents. New computational courses will be introduced by various departments as future electives for this minor.

Computer Science requires 18 credits: CMPS 201, CMPS 202, CMPS 211 (or MATH 211), CMPS 214, and 6 additional credits from the following: CMPS 215, CMPS 220, CMPS 231, CMPS 240, CMPS 244, CMPS 270, and CMPS 271. [Note: This minor is not open to students from the ECE Department]

Creative Writing requires 15 credits. Three courses chosen from ENGL 239, ENGL 249, ENGL 250, ENGL 251, ENGL 252, ENGL 253, 254, and ENGL 264. Two 200-level courses chosen from the offerings in Literature, including ENGL 236 (Creative Writing) or any course in creative writing offered by the Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages.

Data Science ​(not for Computer Science majors and students from the ECE Department) requires 18 credits: CMPS 201, CMPS 244, CMPS 261, CMPS 297 - Data Science, one of the following (STAT 230, STAT 201, STAT 210, EDUC 227 or ECON 213), and MATH 218 or MATH 219.

Economics requires 15 credits: ECON 211, ECON 212, one of ECON 214 or ECON 239 or ECON 243, at least one of ECON 217 or ECON 227, and at least one elective other than ECON 213 chosen from the available offerings, provided their prerequisite (or equivalent) has been satisfied.

Education requires 15 credits: EDUC 211 or EDUC 216, EDUC 215 or EDUC 225, EDUC 230, and one elective from the following courses: EDUC 219, EDUC 221, EDUC 223, plus a general elective in education (3 credits).

English Literature requires 15 credits: Two core courses from ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 209 (formerly ENGL 201), plus three other courses: one comparative literature course (ENGL 240 243), and any two courses from the different categories of the literature curriculum.

English Language requires 15 credits: ENGL 227 and four other courses chosen from the department’s Language offerings.

Environmental and Aquatic Sciences requires in addition to BIOL 202 or BIOL 200, a total of 15 credits chosen from the following three lists: one course from BIOL 252, BIOL 250, BIOL 256; one course from BIOL 266, BIOL 246, BIOL 267, BIOL 255; the remaining credits are completed by choosing from the following: CHEM 202, PHIL 209, PSPA 288F, BIOL 240, BIOL 241, BIOL 245, BIOL 246, BIOL 250, BIOL 252, BIOL 254, BIOL 255, BIOL 256, BIOL 258, BIOL 259, BIOL 266, BIOL 267, BIOL 281, BIOL 286, AGSC 215, LDEM 230, AGSC 284, AGSC 295, LDEM 211, LDEM 215, LDEM 203, ENHL 220, CIVE 350, CIVE 450.

A minimum of three courses should be taken outside the student’s major field of study and should be chosen from two different disciplines.

Film and Visual Culture requires 15 credits: two of the following core courses (ENGL 219 , MCOM 206, MCOM 222); two electives from the following: ENGL 241A, ENGL257 (A….Z), MCOM219, MCOM220, MCOM221, MCOM 223, MCOM 225, MCOM 230, SOAN 236, SOAN 250, or other classes/special topics courses approved by the coordinator of the minor program; and one elective from the following: ENGL 239, ENGL 254A, MCOM 245, MCOM 246 or special topics courses approved by the coordinator of the minor program.

Gaming for students majoring in Computer Science, Engineering, or other Sciences: 18 credits are required as follows: CMPS 202, CMPS 285, CMPS 288, two courses from ENGL 264, ENGL 297, MCOM 291P, and one of ENGL 245G or EDUC 275.

For students majoring in Social Sciences or Humanities: 18 credits are required as follows: CMPS 201, CMPS 204, GRDS 141, two courses from ENGL 264, ENGL 297, MCOM 291P, and one of ENGL 245G or EDUC 275.

Geology requires 15 credits: Core course GEOL 201, and any four courses of the following: GEOL 209, GEOL 211, GEOL 213, GEOL 222, and GEOL 227.

History requires 15 credits: five courses numbered 200 and above. All minors, especially those considering graduate work in history, are encouraged to take HIST 287 as one of the five courses.

Human Rights and Transitional Justice, an interdisciplinary minor requires 15 credits: SOAN 245, SOAN 240 or PSPA 235, and three electives from the following: SOAN 221, MCOM 216, MCOM 217, SOAN 232, SOAN 242, PSYC 212, PHIL 216, PHIL 252, PSPA 222, PSPA 232 any special topics course in SOAN, PSYC, PHIL, PSPA, which will fit with the minor topic, upon the approval of the respective department chair and the coordinator of the minor program. Students majoring in sociology-anthropology should take at least three courses other than SOAN courses.

International Law For non-PSPA majors requires 15 credits: PSPA 213 and PSPA 225; plus three upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 226, PSPA 228, PSPA 232, PSPA 233, PSPA 235, PSPA 239, PSPA 288 (if related to the minor’s emphasis and approved by the PSPA Department), PSPA 293B, 293C, 293F, PSPA 299 (if approved by the PSPA Department) and SOAN 245.

Political Studies majors choosing to minor in International Law are required to take a minimum of 15 credits. The requirements are PSPA 225, and four upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 226, PSPA 228, PSPA 232, PSPA 233, PSPA 235, PSPA 239, PSPA 288 (if related to the minor’s emphasis and approved by the PSPA Department), PSPA 293B, 293C, 293F, PSPA 299 (if approved by the PSPA Department) and SOAN 245. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.

Marine Sciences and Culture requires 15 credits: MSCU 201, MSCU 202, and MSCU 203, plus any two electives from the following: MSCU 204, MSCU 211, AROL 211, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, BIOL 246, 255, GEOL 201, 210, 214, and 222.

Mathematics requires 18 credits: MATH 201, MATH 210, either MATH 218 or MATH 219; and 9 more credits in mathematics courses numbered 202, 211, or above; and statistics courses numbered 230 or above. Note: A student can opt for a minor in mathematics or a minor in applied mathematics, but not both.

Media and Communication requires 15 credits: two requirements from the following: MCOM 201, MCOM 202, MCOM 203 or MCOM 204; two List A electives from: MCOM 205, MCOM 206, MCOM 215 to MCOM 239, MCOM 290 - MCOM 292; one List B elective from MCOM 240 to MCOM 259, MCOM 293.

Music requires 15 credits:

• 6 credits from: MUSC 220, 221, 230, 235, 239, 250.
• 6 credits from: MUSC 200, 205, 231.
• 3 credits from: MUSC 262, 263, 265, 266, 269.

Philos​ophy requires 15 credits from courses numbered 200 and above, including at least two of the following courses: PHIL 211, PHIL 213, PHIL 214, and PHIL 225.

Physics requires 18 credits: PHYS 212, 221L and one of the following three courses (PHYS 210, PHYS 211 or PHYS 214), plus 9 credits selected from PHYS 217, PHYS 220, PHYS 226, PHYS 235, PHYS 236 or a special topic course.

Political Studies For non-PSPA majors, 15 credits are required as follows: PSPA 201; one of the following three: PSPA 210, PSPA 211, or PSPA 213; and any three upper level courses from the following list: PSPA 214, PSPA 215, PSPA 216, PSPA 217, PSPA 218, PSPA 219, PSPA 221, PSPA 222, PSPA 223, PSPA 225, PSPA 228, PSPA 229, PSPA 231, PSPA 232, PSPA 233, PSPA 234, PSPA 235, PSPA 236, PSPA 237, PSPA 238, PSPA 239, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA 252, PSPA 253, PSPA 254, PSPA 255, PSPA 256, PSPA 286, PSPA 288, PSPA 290, PSPA 291, PSPA 292, and PSPA 299. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.

Public Administration majors choosing to minor in Political Studies, 15 credits are required as follows: one of the following courses: PSPA 210, PSPA 211 or PSPA 213; and any four upper level courses from the following list: PSPA 214, PSPA 215, PSPA 216, PSPA 217, PSPA 218, PSPA 219, PSPA 221, PSPA 222, PSPA 223, PSPA 225, PSPA 228, PSPA 229, PSPA 231, PSPA 232, PSPA 233, PSPA 234, PSPA 235, PSPA 236, PSPA 237, PSPA 238, PSPA 239, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA 252, PSPA 253, PSPA 254, PSPA 255, PSPA 256 or PSPA 288. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.

Psychology requires 15 credits: PSYC 101 or PSYC 201, PSYC 280; plus three electives from PSYC 210–236. A minimum cumulative average of 3.0 is required.

Public Administration: For non-PSPA majors, 15 credits from the following are required: PSPA 202, PSPA 212, plus three upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 222, PSPA 257, PSPA 258, PSPA 259, PSPA 272, PSPA 273, PSPA 275, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 288, PSPA 297, or PSPA 298. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.

For Political Studies majors choosing to minor in Public Administration, 15 credits are required as follows: PSPA 212; plus four upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 222, PSPA 257, PSPA 258, PSPA 259, PSPA 272, PSPA 273, PSPA 275, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 289, or PSPA 297. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.

Public Policy requires 15 credits: PSPA 202, PSPA 260 and PSPA 276; plus two upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 225, PSPA 238, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA 252, PSPA 259, PSPA 261, PSPA 262, PSPA 263, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 297, or PSPA 298. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major
or minor. Political Studies majors choosing to minor in Public Policy are required to take a minimum of 15 credits as follows: PSPA 260 and PSPA 276; plus three upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 225, PSPA 238, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA 252, PSPA 259, PSPA 261, PSPA 262, PSPA 263, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 297, or PSPA 298. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.

Reporting in the Digital Age requires 15 credits: Three core courses (MCOM 226, MCOM 240 and MCOM 246), and two additional electives from the following: MCOM 215, MCOM 225, MCOM 241, MCOM 244 (a to z), MCOM 245, MCOM 247, MCOM 250, MCOM 251 and any new or related special topics courses as approved by the Program.

Semitic Studies requires 15 credits: ARAB 213/214 or Syriac 215/216; a second Semitic language other than Arabic (ARAB 213 or 215); ARAB 222; and one of the following: ARAB 211 or 212, ARAB 216, ARAB 227 or ARAB 228, AROL 293/294, AROL 217, AROL 218, AROL 219/220, AROL 226, AROL 227, AROL 228, AROL 231.

Social and Political Thought requires 15 credits: PSPA 210 or PHIL 216, one senior seminar, and three courses from: ENG 222, ENG 235, ENG 240, ENG 243, ENG 247, PHIL 210, PHIL 225, PHIL 251, PHIL 252, PSPA 214, PSPA 215, PSPA 216, PSPA 217, PSPA 218, PSPA 219, PSPA 221, PSPA 290A, PSPA 290B, PSPA 290C, SOAN 213, SOAN 221, SOAN 223, SOAN 290 (after securing the approval of the SPT Committee), ARCH 021, ARCH 022, ARCH 037, ARCH 039 and GRDS 020. No more than 9 credits can be taken from the same department; no more than 3 credits can be counted toward the student’s major; no more than 6 credits can be taken from the student’s home department.

Sociology requires 15 credits: SOAN 101 or SOAN 201, SOAN 213, SOAN 214, plus two electives from the following: SOAN 210, SOAN 220, SOAN 222, SOAN 223, SOAN 224, SOAN 225, SOAN 232, SOAN 240–242, SOAN 245 and SOAN 290 (if selected topic in Sociology).

Software Development and Design This minor can be attained by any AUB student except Computer Science, Computer and Communications Engineering (CCE), and Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) students. It requires 18 credits and has no prerequisite courses to get started. The following 5 courses are mandatory: CMPS 201, 202, 244, 270 and 271. The remaining course can be chosen from the following: CMPS 278, CMPS 279 or CMPS 288.

Statistics can be pursued via one of two options:

• Option 1: MATH 201, MATH 218 or MATH 219, STAT 231, STAT 233, STAT 234 and
  STAT 235.
• Option 2: MATH 201, MATH 218 or MATH 219, STAT 230, STAT 234, STAT 235 and one additional advanced course in statistical sciences to be selected with the approval of the department chair.

Studio Arts requires 15 credits: Twelve credits taken from the following courses according to sequence and following prerequisites: SART 200, SART 201, SART 202, SART 203, SART 204, SART 206, SART 207, SART 208. Three credits in art history taken from AHIS 203, AHIS 204, AHIS 207, AHIS 208, AHIS 209, AHIS 221, AHIS 222, AHIS 224, AHIS 225, AHIS 226, AHIS 227, AHIS 249, or approved alternative.

Theater requires 15 credits:One of the following options, representing 6 credits, is required: THTR 259 or THTR 250 and THTR 258. Remaining credits may be taken from among the following courses: ARAB 240, CHLA 263, ENGL 212, ENGL 216, ENGL 251, ENGL 297, or any course that significantly addresses theater, performance, or dramatic literature, with approval of the chair.

Translation requires 15 credits: two core courses: ARAB 225 and ENGL 233. Three courses from the following list: ARAB 211, ARAB 212, ARAB 226, ARAB 227, ARAB 228, ENGL 221, ENGL 231, ENGL 240-243, ENGL 247, ENGL 255 - any letter, ENGL 262– any letter, or any course offered by the Department of English with a significant translation studies component, with approval of the Chair of the department.

Women and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary minor, requires 15 credits from the following courses: ENGL 234 (Gender and Language), ENGL 258 (any letter) (Gender and Sexuality), EPHD 334 (Reproductive Health), HIST 262 (Gender in Classical Islamic Society), HPCH 202 (Sexuality and Public Health), SOAN 225 (Gender and Culture) Or Special Topics, seminars, and/or course sections with emphases on Gender, Sexuality, and/or Women’s Studies – with approval by the Chair of the Department of English.

Students who opt for a minor (one or more) must do so while working toward their undergraduate degree at AUB. To graduate with a minor, a student must meet the requirements specified in the Minor section under the General University Academic Information.

Students who have completed the requirements for a minor in any department should fill the Completion of minor petition and submit it through the Online Petitions and Forms System (OPFS) after the grades are out and within the deadline set by the Registrar’s office. The transcript of the student shall indicate the minor(s) chosen.

FAS Diplomas

Diplomas and Teaching Diplomas: Refer to Department of Education in this catalogue.

Diploma in Development Studies: Refer to Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Media Studies in this catalogue.

Directed Study

A student with an average of at least 3.7 in her/his major at the beginning of the senior year may elect to pursue a course of directed study. Students with averages below 3.7 may be admitted to directed study at the discretion of the department.

Students who elect a course of directed study choose their subject of directed study in consultation with a faculty member selected by the student with the department’s approval. The directed study may consist of independent research, original creative compositions, or directed reading, and it includes the presentation of a report or thesis.

Tutorials

Students can register for a single tutorial of up to 3 credits during their final year at AUB after securing the permission of their department. Grades for tutorials are either P (Pass) or NP (No Pass).

Dean’s Honor List

To be placed on the dean’s honor list at the end of the term, a student must:

• be carrying at least 12 credits,
• not be on probation,
• have passed all courses and attained a term average of 3.7, or be ranked in the top 10 percent of the class and have an overall average of 3.3,
• have no failing or incomplete grades in courses that carry credits,
• not have been subjected to any disciplinary action within the university during the term,
• and be deemed worthy by the dean to be on the honor list.

Attendance and Withdrawal from Courses

For information on Attendance and Withdrawal from Courses refer to the General University Academic Information of this catalogue.

Examinations and Quizzes

Students who miss an announced examination or quiz must present an excuse considered valid by the instructor of the course. Unless stated otherwise in the course syllabus, the course instructor should then require the student to take a makeup examination. Makeups for quizzes and midterms as well as class assignments must be completed before the final grade of the course is issued at the end of the term. Only medical reports and/or qualified professional opinions issued by an AUB employee, AUB Medical Center (AUBMC) doctor, or by the University Health Services will be accepted. If there is a question about the validity of any excuse presented by the student, the matter will be referred to the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee. Instructors should make sure that there is no time conflict between an exam and a regularly scheduled course.

Grading Policies, Incomplete Grades and Makeup Examinations

For information on the Grading System, refer to General University Academic Information.

All faculty members in FAS are to submit their final course grades electronically no later than 72 hours after the final examination.

The work for a course in FAS must be completed by the date on which the term ends. Students who have completed all the course work but missed the final exam or failed to submit papers or projects in lieu of the final exam (depending on course requirements) may be given an incomplete grade upon submission of a valid excuse to the course instructor. The procedures related to such cases are as follows.

Incomplete course work is reported with an “I” followed by a letter (or numeric) grade that reflects the evaluation of the student by the end of the term. This evaluation should be based on a grade of zero for all missed work. Typically, an incomplete grade ranges from IF (or I40) to IC+ (or I70). The “W” option is not available to faculty members; all course withdrawals should be entered by the Office of the Registrar. The grades “X”, “blank” or “I” without a letter grade should not be reported. Only the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee can grant permission to make up for missed final exams, papers or projects in lieu of the final exam. To obtain permission to complete the work in a course, a student must submit a petition via the Online Petition and Forms System (OPFS). Whenever possible, medical excuses should be issued by the University Health Services (UHS) or the AUB Medical Center (AUBMC). If the reason for the incomplete work is considered valid by the course instructor, the student’s incomplete request is forwarded through the petition workflow for approval. Incomplete requests must be submitted via the OPFS within two weeks of the scheduled date of the missed final exam/paper of the course in question. Late requests will not be entertained without a valid justification.

Once the petition is approved by the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee (USAAC), the student will be permitted to complete work for the course no later than four weeks of the start of the next regular term (excluding summer, since summer is not considered a regular term). After consulting with the student involved, the course instructor sets the time and date of the makeup/due date of the final course work within this specified period. It is the responsibility of the student to find out from her/his instructor the specific dates by which the work should be completed. If the student’s incomplete request is not approved by USAAC, the course instructor is not entitled to give the student any makeup exams or assignments.

After the course work is completed and evaluated by the instructor, the latter should report the grade in a timely manner via OPFS. Once the change of grade is approved by USAAC, it will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar and the new grade will be reflected on the student’s transcript. If the reporting of the grade is late, then it will be considered by USAAC and either approved or declined. Failure to complete incomplete work within the period of four weeks will result in dropping the “I” on the reported course grade and the available letter grade (or numeric grade) becoming the final grade in the course. If the incomplete request petition is not submitted in due time (two weeks after the scheduled date of the final exam) or if the request is turned down by the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee, the “I” on the reported course grade will be dropped. The available letter (or numeric) grade becomes the final grade in the course.

The procedure to be followed in requesting to change a grade that was erroneously reported on the AUB SIS is as follows. The “change of grade” request found on OPFS should be submitted by the course instructor immediately when the error is found. The request will then be forwarded to the Chair of the department offering the course and afterwards to the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee. The course instructor should specify the nature of the error made on the form and attach a copy of the original class list with all grades given and the detailed course grading scheme. The Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee will take note of this change of grade, which will be immediately reported to the Office of the Registrar. Requests for change of grade will not be considered after a period of four weeks from the beginning of the next regular term.

Academic Probation

Departmental Probation and Dismissal from a Department​​

Students will be placed on departmental probation if their average in major courses drops below 2.3 or C+ in their first two terms in the major. Departments will drop students from their major in case they have an average below 2.3 or C+ in the major courses at the end of their third regular term in the major.

• Students entering AUB at the freshman level are placed on academic probation if their:
  • overall average is less than 2.0 at the end of their second regular term.
  • term average is less than 2.1 at the end of their third or fourth regular term.
  • term average is less than 2.2 at the end of their fifth or sixth regular term.
  • term average is less than 2.3 in any subsequent term excluding the summer term.
• Students entering FAS at the sophomore level are placed on academic probation if their:
  • overall average is less than 2.1 at the end of their second regular term.
  • term average is less than 2.2 at the end of their third or fourth regular term.
  • term average is less than 2.3 in any subsequent term excluding the summer term.
• Students entering FAS as transfers at the junior level from other recognized institutions of higher learning are placed on academic probation if their cumulative average is less than 2.2 at the end of their second regular term in FAS or if their term average is less than 2.3 in any subsequent term excluding the summer term.
• It is to be understood that the term in which the student is considered to be ‘on probation’ is the term that immediately follows the term in which the student has earned the grades leading to that placement.
• For evaluation purposes, the minimum number of credits at the end of the second regular term at the university should be 24 including all repeated courses and 12 in each subsequent fall or spring term including all repeated courses. Students carrying a reduced schedule of less than 12 credits are not subject to probation regulations until they have accumulated a minimum of 12 credits including the summer session.
• Courses/credits taken during a summer term are counted toward the term average of the next regular term. If the number of credits taken in any one regular term is less than 12 (for approved reasons), courses/credits taken during that term are counted toward the term average of the next regular term (the highest grade for repeated courses is considered in computing the average).
• Credit for incomplete courses will be included in the term in which the incomplete courses were taken. The evaluation for that term will be carried out as soon as the grades for the incomplete courses have been finalized.
• If a student on probation drops the entire term, then that term is not counted for continued probation purposes.
• Students who register in intensive English for one term are not subject to probation during that term.

Removal of Probation

Probation is removed when the student attains a term average that exceeds the applicable averages indicated above. The student is off probation during the term following the one in which such grades are earned.

Probation Duration: Probation should be removed within two regular terms, excluding summer after the student is placed on probation or when the student completes her/his graduation requirements (see Graduation Requirements on page 153). Students on probation are advised to repeat courses for which they have obtained failing or low grades.

Credit Load for Students on Academic Probation: The load of a student who is in her/his first term on probation shall not be fewer than 12 or more than 17 credit hours. The load of a student who continues on probation beyond one term shall neither be fewer than 12 nor more than 13 credit hours. During a summer session, all students on probation shall carry loads of no more than 7 credits.

Dismissal from the Faculty

A student is dismissed from the faculty for any of the following reasons:

• if the student’s overall average is less than 1.0 at the end of the second regular term
• if the student fails to clear academic probation within two regular terms, excluding the summer term, after being placed on probation
• if the student is placed on academic probation for a total of four regular terms (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

Application for Readmission

When, in accordance with university regulations, a student is dropped, the implication is that s/ he is not qualified to continue her/his education at AUB. Consideration for readmission is given only if, after spending at least one year at another recognized institution of higher education, the student is able to present a satisfactory record with no failure. The student must have achieved a grade equivalent to the AUB grade of C+ in each of the courses for which transfer credit is requested. Transfer credit is considered after departmental evaluation of a student’s coursework.

The foregoing regulations on readmission also apply to students dropped from other AUB faculties who apply for admission to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Readmission of students dropped from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences by the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee requires the approval of the latter committee, whereas readmission of students dropped from other AUB faculties to Arts and Sciences requires the approval of the Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Admissions Committee. Before action is taken on any application for readmission, the committee concerned will seek the recommendation of the prospective department.

Students who withdraw voluntarily for more than two years are required to submit a readmission form with all necessary documents for approval by the Undergraduate Admissions Committee.

Students who were dropped from the faculty for poor academic performance and who have spent one year at another university will be readmitted on strict academic probation on the conditions that they take 12-13 credits and remove probation by achieving a term average of 2.3 or more at the end of the term in which they were readmitted. Failure to meet any of the conditions above will lead the student to be permanently dropped from the faculty.

Failure

If a student fails a course, no re-examination is permitted. If a course is required for graduation, a student failing the course must repeat it.

A student may not register for a course more than three times, including withdrawals. For the third registration, permission from the student’s academic advisor and the academic unit concerned is required.

The Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee may consider a fourth registration under special circumstances.

A student who at the end of her/his senior year fails to attain a cumulative average of 2.3 in her/ his major field is required to take additional courses in that field or to repeat courses in which the student has scored low grades, provided s/he is permitted to continue at the university.

Summer Session

Maximum Load

The maximum academic load during a regular summer session is 9 credits (7 credits for students on probation).

Degree Courses

The degree courses offered during the summer session are identical in standard and content to those offered during the fall and spring terms.

For information on Non-Degree Courses and Summer Orientation Programs, refer to the sections on Department of Education and AUB Extension Programs in this catalogue.

Courses

FAS Numbers Preceding Course Titles

• Freshman Courses: They are numbered from 101 to 199, are ordinarily taken during the freshman year and may be counted toward graduation but only as part of the freshman program.
• Introductory Courses: They are from 200 to 209 and may be counted toward graduation whenever taken but cannot be considered as part of the 30 credits above 210 required in the major field.
• Advanced Undergraduate Courses: They are from 210 to 299 and may be counted as credits in the major field.
• Graduate Courses: They are from 300 to 499 (available to senior undergraduates in good standing and upon securing the consent of the department). Odd-numbered courses are normally offered during the fall term whereas even-numbered courses are normally offered during the spring term.

Numbers Following Titles of Courses

The first number following the title of a course indicates the number of class hours given each week.

The second number indicates the laboratory or practice hours required each week. The third number indicates the number of credit hours applied toward graduation. The credit assigned to each course is stated for the term. Each hour of laboratory is considered a 1/3 to 1/2 credit hour.

Courses marked annually are offered at least once during each academic year. Other courses marked alternate years and each term are given accordingly. When frequency of offering is not indicated, the course is offered at the discretion of the department.

Course Descriptions

For those requiring additional information, more detailed course descriptions are available in the individual department sections of this catalogue.

Courses Offered by Other Faculties

Students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences may also take, for credit, elective courses offered in other faculties. However, FAS students cannot be given academic credit for the following courses: NFSC 220, AVSC 279, and AVSC 280. With regard to courses taken in other Faculties, all prerequisites must be satisfied. Some courses may require prior approval from the faculty concerned.

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