Advisors
Academic advising is a collaborative process built upon personal responsibility, regular interaction, and positive rapport between students and faculty. The American University of Beirut will provide students with an advising experience that facilitates personal development, enhances academic performance, and ensures progress towards graduation.
Each student is assigned an advisor who mentors the student in course selection. Names of advisees and their respective advisors are available through the Student Information System AUBsis.
Categories of Students
Full-Time Students
To be considered full-time, students must carry a minimum load of twelve (12) credits per regular term (Fall or Spring terms).
Part-Time Students
The category of part-time students is restricted to the following students:
- AUB staff members who are working toward a degree.
- Diploma students.
- Degree seeking students who need fewer than the minimum credit load and are granted permission through an online petition by the appropriate faculty committee for one of the following reasons:
- Potential graduation/curriculum restrictions.
- Health issues.
Non-Degree Students
The category of non-degree students is restricted to those students who are not working for a degree. Students in this section could be visiting, cross-registered, exchange, study abroad, special not working for a degree and auditing students.
Auditing Students
Students who wish to attend individual classes without receiving credit may apply as auditing students. AUB students can apply to audit a course through the online petitions system (OPFS). Non AUB students must email
regist@aub.edu.lb to obtain approval. An applicant is eligible to audit a course if the following requirements are met:
- Baccalaureate II or its equivalent, or a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognized academic institution.
- Approval from the instructor of the course.
- Payment of the tuition charge at the Comptroller’s Office (student accounts section).
- Registration as an auditor at the Office of the Registrar.
Applicants are not eligible to audit laboratory, studio, or seminar courses.
Because 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.
Majorless Status
Students who have been admitted as majorless and not yet chosen a major or is in the process of selecting a new major are given the status of majorless. Students must be admitted to a major at least one term before graduation through the transfer process.
Students can be considered majorless based on the recommendation of the faculty due to the inability to follow a study path successfully or intention to change major. Such students must be accepted into a major by the third term of being majorless or risk being dismissed from the University.
English Proficiency
Grades on papers (term papers, essays, or examinations) or a final course grade may be lowered for the quality of writing alone.
The Intensive English Course (IEC), ENGL 100 A/B, is intended for students who have been admitted but have not met the Readiness for University Studies in English (RUSE). The minimum scores for placement in IEC is 25 on AUB-EN, 52 on TOEFL (IBT), or 5.5 on IELTS.
IEC is an integrated skills course that develops students' linguistic and communicative competence in preparation for a full-time university program. A broad range of activities and readings in various disciplines exposes students to campus culture and universitylevel discourse. Through regular practice in oral and written activities, students develop appropriate and effective expression in English.
Students enrolled in IEC may register for only one or two regular university courses (a maximum of 6 credits), thus earning credits toward a degree while working on achieving the level of English needed for carrying a full course load in the regular program. Such courses are restricted to Arabic and mathematics/statistics/computer literacy courses (maximum 6 credits) in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and equivalent courses in statistics in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, and the Faculty of Health Sciences. Students who successfully complete their IEC will automatically be placed in their class and major and will be required to complete ENGL 102.
Students who fail to pass IEC by the end of the second term are dismissed from the university. Students in IEC are subject to the same attendance requirements as all other AUB students.
General Education Requirements
Refer to the General Education Requirements Section under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences section.
Premedical Requirements
The minimal premedical requirements are summarized below:
A bachelor’s degree in any field of study is required. Historically, the vast majority of applicants to the Faculty of Medicine have been holders of bachelor’s degrees in biology or chemistry. In an effort to diversify the pool of applicants, graduates from other majors are strongly encouraged to apply as long as they complete the premedical core courses required for admission to the Faculty of Medicine. Students can take some of the premedical courses as electives in their respective majors.
Premedical core course requirements
As of 2024-2025, the minimal course requirements for admission to the MD program at AUBFM will be as listed below (the courses in parentheses are AUB courses that fulfill the requirements), irrespective of the track followed in high school or the Lebanese Baccalaureate.
Biology: 7 credits: one course in general biology with laboratory (BIOL 201, 4 credits) and one course in biochemistry (BIOL 220, 3 credits)
Chemistry: 8 credits: 3 credits in general chemistry (CHEM 201, 3 credits); 5 credits in organic chemistry with lab (CHEM 208, 3 credits; CHEM 209, 2 credits). Biology and Chemistry majors will take CHEM 210, 211 and 212 to fulfill the requirements of organic chemistry.
Computer Science: 3 credits in introductory programming (CMPS 203, 3 credits).
English: 6 credits in academic English (ENGL 203 and 204)
Physics: 4 credits in a physics course for the life sciences with laboratory (PHYS 206 and 206L, 4 credits). Biology and Chemistry majors may take other courses as dictated by their majors in lieu of PHYS 206 (e.g. Biology majors will take PHYS 204, 204L, 205 and 205L and Chemistry majors will take PHYS 211 and PHYS 211L).
Psychology: 3 credits in general psychology (PSYC 201, 3 credits)
Sociology: 3 credits in general sociology (SOAN 201, 3 credits)
Humanities: 6 credits. Any two courses recognized by the university as fulfilling the “humanities” requirements may be taken, excluding some courses listed under point 2 below. At AUB, students are encouraged to consider minoring in the medical humanities. The following possibilities are recommended - but not mandatory - to fulfill the humanities requirements:
- Any 2 CVSP/CHLA courses
- One CVSP/CHLA course and a one English or Arabic literature humanities course, excluding those listed below:
- ENGL 227: Introduction to Language
- ENGL 228: Phonetics
- ENGL 229: History of the English Language
- ENGL 233: Introduction to Translation
- ENGL 211/212: Survey of Arabic Grammar
- ENGL 213/214: Introductory Biblical Hebrew
- ENGL 215: Introductory Syriac
- ENGL 224: Arabic Stylistics and Metrics
- ENGL 227: Arabic Linguistics
- ENGL 228: Arabic Linguistics
- One CVSP/CHLA and one philosophy course from the following:
- PHIL 210 Introduction to Ethics
- PHIL 214 Modern Philosophy
- PHIL 216 Political Philosophy
- PHIL 221 Philosophy of mind
- PHIL 222 Philosophy of Science
- PHIL 224 Philosophy of Religion
- PHIL 225 History of Moral Philosophy
- PHIL 230 Philosophy of Plato
MCAT: A competitive score in the MCAT, which may be taken twice only, is required. If taken twice, the higher score is considered. The MCAT score must be available at the time the application is submitted. The MCAT has sections on the biological sciences, chemical and physical sciences, social, psychological and behavioral sciences, and critical analysis and reasoning skills . Students are encouraged to review the content of the MCAT and plan their studies accordingly.
Applicants expecting to receive a bachelor’s degree after the deadline for application should be aware of the following:
- Applicants must be in their senior year.
- The cumulative GPA of 70 credits or more (at the time of application) should be equal to or higher than 3.0 for students from AUB or its equivalent for those from other universities. All required core courses must have been completed by the end of the fall term of the senior year with GPA of at least 3.0. The cumulative GPA in the major courses completed by the end of the fall term of the senior year must also be equal to or greater than 3.0.
- Admission to medical school is contingent upon completion of graduation requirements and obtaining the bachelor’s degree, which should be achieved by the end of the spring term of the student’s senior year.
For more information on admissions to the Faculty of Medicine check 2024-25 Graduate Catalogue.
Double Major
Students may, upon approval of the relevant faculty/school, earn one degree with a double major within the same faculty as long as both majors share the same degree structure (e.g., both lead to BA, BS or BE degrees). In such cases, one degree will be issued with both majors indicated. The student must complete the requirements for both majors before the degree can be awarded. To be eligible to apply for a double major, the applicant must:
- have completed at least 24 sophomore credits,
- be in good academic standing, minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3,
- meet the major requirements as described in the respective faculty section.
Students enrolled in double majors must satisfy the requirements of both majors and must complete at least 15 credit hours over and above the requirements of the first major. The General Education requirements of one major must be completed.
Students interested in earning double majors must complete an online petition through the OPFS (Online Petition Form System) within the announced deadlines for change of major and transfer applications for the fall or spring terms. The application must be approved by the receiving department and the Admissions Committee of the faculty/school.
Dual Degree
Students may, upon approval of the relevant faculty/school, complete the requirements for another simultaneous degree while registered in another faculty/school at AUB as long as the degree structures are distinct. Within the same faculty, a dual degree is allowed for distinct degree structures (e.g. BS in Mathematics and BA in Economics, or BS in Biology and BA in Political Studies or History). In such cases, the student will be granted two degrees upon graduation. If tuition differs, students pay the higher rate. To be eligible to apply for a dual degree, the applicant must:
- have completed at least 24 sophomore credits,
- be in good academic standing,
- have achieved a minimum overall cumulative average of no less than 2.3,
- meet the major requirements as described in the respective faculty section.
Dual degree admissions are competitive and depend on available places in the faculty concerned.
The student interested in a dual degree must submit a dual degree petition form through OPFS. Students must refer to the university calendar for further information on deadlines.
Students enrolled for a dual degree must satisfy the full requirements of both degrees and complete at least 30 credit hours over and above the requirements of the greater credit hours required for either degree. They must satisfy the General Education requirements of both degrees. In addition, they may withdraw from either degree up to one term before graduation by completing the relevant petition in the OPFS.
Dual degrees must be completed concurrently and must have the same graduation date.
Second Degree
Students working towards completion of their undergraduate major degree who wish to obtain a second degree in the same or another faculty after completion of their first degree can apply for a second degree as follows:
Students who apply for a second degree during the last year of study of the first degree or within two years of completion of the first degree can do so by completing an internal application form posted on the Office of the Registrar website at
https://www.aub.edu.lb/Registrar/Documents/pdfdoc/second-degree-form.pdf. The second degree application can be in the same faculty as the first degree or in another faculty. The second-degree applications will be considered by the faculty/school concerned following the same internal procedure for change of major (same faculty) or transfer (another faculty) applicants, and the concerned faculties/schools will send their decisions to the Office of the Registrar.
Students holding a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by AUB can apply for a bachelor degree in a major different from the first degree. Advanced standing transfer applications are available at the Office of Admissions website.
Students enrolled in a second degree must meet the University residency requirement of at least two regular terms with at least 30 credits of major requirements and has to meet all faculty and departmental requirements for the degree. Non AUB degree holders may be required to satisfy the AUB General Education requirements depending on the University of origin of the first earned degree.
Minor
Students declare their intention to pursue a minor by submitting the online petition “intention to fulfill a minor”.
Students are required to submit the “completion of minor” petition such that it is received by the Office of the Registrar in sufficient time to meet the deadlines indicated on the Office of the Registrar webpage.
Most departments in faculties/schools offer several minor fields of study. University minimum requirements for a minor are as follows:
- A minimum of 15 credit hours earned on the basis of regular graded courses (not tutorial or special project type courses); refer to the requirements of each faculty/ school.
- At least 9 credit hours of coursework must be completed at AUB.
- Each minor must have at least 6 credits exclusive to it, 9 credits may be common with the program requirements of the major field(s) of study.
- In case of multiple minors, no more than 6 credits can be used to complete the requirements of another minor in the case of a 15-credit minor or 9 credits in the case of an 18-credit minor.
- Minor courses may not be taken on a pass/fail basis at AUB.
Students should refer to the relevant catalogue section for each faculty/school for more information on each minor’s requirements. To graduate with a minor, students must attain a Minor GPA of 2.3 or more and meet the faculty/school minor requirements. The minor will appear on the student’s transcript but not on the degree.
Registration
Requirements
Before registering, new students must ensure that all requirements for registration have been met, particularly the conditions detailed in the acceptance email and checklist received from the Office of Admissions. Students who do not meet the conditions listed in the checklist cannot register.
The registration guide is posted on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage. After attending orientation and confirming that all checklist conditions have been met, new students must follow the steps provided in the registration section of their orientation.
Continuing students must follow the steps received in the email announcing the opening of the registration they receive from the Office of the Registrar.
In both cases, students may refer to the “Registration Instructional Video” available on the Office of the Registrar webpage.
Students can introduce final adjustments to their schedules during the change of schedule (drop and add) period. This period normally extends for one week starting the second day of classes.
Freshman students will be promoted to their sophomore year only when they complete all their freshman courses and secure the Lebanese Baccalaureate II Equivalence from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Freshmen who lack up to four credits to complete the Freshman Program may register these four credits during a third regular semester along with sophomore-level courses. Failure in these credits will entail their repetition with an approved underload for these credits only in the following term.
Details can be found on the Office of the Registrar webpage.
No student is allowed to register for a course unless its prerequisite(s) have been met.
Cross-Registration
Students Enrolled at AUB Taking Courses at Other Universities in Lebanon
Students studying at the American University of Beirut may be allowed to cross-register for a course at other recognized academic institutions if all the following conditions are met:
- the course is a program requirement at AUB,
- the course is not offered at AUB during the graduation term. Official grade must be received by AUB two weeks prior to the senate vote, or graduation will be postponed to the following term,
- 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 student completes the cross-registration form, secures the chairperson’s approval, and sends it to the Office of the Registrar,
- the Office of the Registrar authorizes the student to cross-register; the student submits authorization to the concerned institution and secures their consent,
Students will be registered for the course manually at the Office of the Registrar upon presenting the signed form; and must earn a C+ or its equivalent in the cross registered course in order to transfer the credits.
Students Enrolled at Other Universities Taking Courses at AUB
For purposes of cross-registration, students studying at recognized academic institutions who wish to take courses at AUB must do the following:
- secure permission from their institutions to take specified courses at AUB,
- secure permission from the chairperson of the concerned department at AUB,
- present the above permissions to the AUB Office of Registrar, and
- settle the fees at AUB upon registration by the Office of the Registrar.
Withdrawal from Courses
Full time students can withdraw from courses to a minimum of twelve (12) credits per regular term by the withdrawal deadline specified on the University calendar. Students receive a grade of ‘W’ for the course. Students who withdraw from a course will not be reinstated in that course and are not allowed to take the final exam. At least 40% of the overall course assessment is expected to be issued by the instructor before the last day of withdrawal.
Tutorials and Directed Study
Students can register for a single tutorial of up to three (3) credits during their final year at AUB.
Study Abroad for Undergraduate Students
AUB undergraduate students may choose to study abroad in their junior year in an approved program of study, without losing their status at AUB. They may apply for an established program at a university that has an exchange agreement with AUB or initiate their own proposal for study abroad at a university of their choice recognized by AUB.
In both cases, an application and approval from the faculty and the Office of International Programs (OIP) are required. More information regarding study abroad options and procedures is available at the following link:
www.aub.edu.lb/oip/AubAbroadCourses
Credit Load
Full time students in good academic standing can normally register for up to 17 credits per regular term, up to 9 credits during the summer term and up to a maximum of 3 credits during winter session. Students in the following categories must submit an overload petition to the appropriate faculty committee for permission to register for course loads above these maximum credit loads:
- Freshman students intending to go into medicine or engineering, and who have an average of at least 3.3 in the first term, may take an additional course in the second term.
- 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 term (a maximum of 19 credits per regular term in MSFEA and FHS).
- Other students on a case-by-case basis.
- Students on second consecutive, third non-consecutive or strict probation (see probation).
If full-time students wish or are forced to reduce their load to fewer than 12 credits, they must
submit an underload petition to the appropriate faculty committee.
Repeating Courses
No course may be taken more than three times including withdrawals from the course. When a course is repeated, the highest grade is considered in the calculation of the cumulative average. All course grades remain in the student’s permanent record and are used for the calculation of academic standing.
Students are not allowed to repeat a course in which they have an incomplete grade, otherwise the course will be dropped.
If a transferred course is repeated at AUB, the credits and grade earned at AUB prevail.
Attendance
Classes and Laboratories
- Students are expected to attend all classes, laboratories or required fieldwork. The student is responsible for all course material and for any announcements made during class time, lab time or fieldwork.
- Students who miss more than one-fifth of the sessions of any course prior to the withdrawal deadline can be withdrawn from the course by the instructor.
- Students who withdraw or are withdrawn for excessive absence from a course receive a grade of “W.”
- An instructor who withdraws students from the course because of excessive absence must have stated in the syllabus that attendance will be taken.
- Students who do not withdraw or cannot be withdrawn for excessive absence from a course will receive a grade of F.
- Students may not withdraw from a course if the withdrawal results in being registered for fewer than twelve (12) credits for regular terms without having an approved underload petition.
Examinations, Quizzes and Class Assignments
Students who miss a scheduled examination (including midterms, quizzes, or other class assignments) must present an excuse considered valid by the course instructor. Make-up exams, quizzes, and class assignments will be administered according to the course syllabus and 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 Medical Center (AUBMC) doctor, or by the University Health Services may be 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. Instructors will make sure there is no time conflict between an exam and a regularly scheduled course.
Residency Requirements
Students who transfer to AUB must earn their final forty-five (45) credits while in residence (physically present) at AUB. Students transferring within AUB faculties must also meet specific residency requirements.
AUB students in good academic standing who did not transfer to AUB from another university, and who wish to study abroad may spend up to one year and earn up to thirty (30) credits at another university. AUB students must spend their last term in residence at AUB.
The MEHE requires the following to be met:
- A minimum residency of six regular terms at AUB for three-year bachelor programs, 8 terms for four-year programs and 9.5 terms for MSFEA.
- Students admitted as freshmen need two additional terms to meet the residency requirement.
- Two Summer sessions can be counted as one regular term only once except for engineering disciplines where this can be done twice.
Grades
Grading System
For new students registered at the University starting fall term 2019-20, AUB uses a 4.3 letter grade system according to the following table:
The GPA is capped at 4.0
Course Letter
| Grade Quality Points
|
A+
| 4.3
|
A
| 4.0
|
A-
| 3.7
|
B+
| 3.3
|
B
| 3.0
|
B-
| 2.7
|
C+
| 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
C-
| 1.7
|
D+
| 1.3
|
D
| 1.0
|
F
| 0.0 |
I
| Incomplete
|
P
| Pass
|
PR
| In Progress
|
W
| Withdraw
|
GPA calculation:
GPAs calculated using letter grades are actually weighted. This means that the letter grade you receive for a course is weighted by the course’s credit value. For example, if you receive a B+ in a course that is a three credit-hour course, your B+ is equivalent to a quality point value of 3.3, and this 3.3 is multiplied by three credit hours for a total of 9.9. If you take a four credit-hour course at the same time, and earn an A-, this A- is equivalent to 3.7 quality points, and when multiplied by four credit hours results in a total of 14.8. For simplicity’s sake, let us say that these were the only courses you took in this particular term, so your GPA would thus be (9.9 + 14.8) / 7 or 3.53. Had your A- course been a three-credit course, the calculation would have been (9.9 + 11.1) / 6 or 3.50. The weighting of the course for which you earned an Aenhances your GPA in the first example. At AUB, GPAs are capped at 4.0.
Calculation of GPA in Tabular form:
| Grade
| Quality
Points
| Credits
| Total
Quality
Points
| GPA
|
Course 1
| B+
| 3.3
| 3
| 9.9
| |
Course 2
| A-
| 3.7
| 4
| 14.8
| |
| | | | 7 (a)
| 24.7 (b)
| 3.53 (b/a)
|
For students registered at the University prior to fall term 2019–20, AUB uses a numeric
system with an Equivalent Grade Point Average according to the following table.
Cumulative
Average
| GPA
| Cumulative
Average
| GPA
| Cumulative
Average
| GPA
| Cumulative
Average
| GPA
|
<60
| 0
| 67
| 1.86
| 75 | 2.73
| 83
| 3.46
|
60
| 1
| 68
| 1.98
| 76
| 2.82
| 84
| 3.54
|
61
| 1.13
| 69
| 2.09
| 77
| 2.92
| 85
| 3.63
|
62
| 1.26
| 70
| 2.2
| 78
| 3.02
| 86
| 3.7
|
63
| 1.38
| 71
| 2.31
| 79
| 3.11
| 87
| 3.78
|
64
| 1.5
| 72
| 2.42
| 80
| 3.2
| 88
| 3.86
|
65
| 1.63
| 73
| 2.52
| 81
| 3.29
| 89
| 3.93
|
66
| 1.74
| 74
| 2.62
| 82
| 3.38
| >=90
| 4
|
I
| Incomplete
|
P
| Pass (Normally Used for Theses and Projects)
|
PR
| In Progress
|
W
| Withdraw
|
Change of Grade Policy
After grades are posted on the AUB Student Information System (AUBSIS), a change of grade is not allowed unless a demonstrable mistake was made in the correction of the final examination or in the calculation of the grade. In such a case, the instructor must initiate a Change of Grade petition for approval along with supporting evidence for the mistake warranting the change of grade. The chairperson of department offering the course and the appropriate faculty committee must approve the petition.
No change of grade will be accepted and processed after the lapse of one regular term.
Students have the right to access their corrected exams, including final exams, without penalty, and to request review of their exams in case mistakes have been made in calculating grades or in corrections. The student’s request to review the course grade must be made to the course instructor within one week of the posting of course grades. In case the review by the instructor results in a change of course grade, the instructor must initiate the Change of Grade petition.
If a dispute regarding the change of a grade continues, the student must discuss the issue with the chair of the department. If the student is still not satisfied, s/he must submit a petition to the faculty Academic and Curriculum Committee requesting further consideration.
Incomplete grades
Students who receive an incomplete grade for a course must complete the final course work within maximum one month of the start of the next regular term.
Incomplete coursework is reported as “I” followed by a grade reflecting the evaluation of the student based on the grade calculated as per the course syllabus where a grade of zero is computed for all missed work. If the work is not completed within the period specified, the “I” is dropped and the attached grade becomes final.
A grade of “I” may be assigned by the appropriate faculty committee in cases where it extends the incomplete beyond the normal reporting period based on an approved petition.
Correct Use of Language
English is the language of instruction at the University. Papers (term papers, essays or examinations) that are poorly written, no matter what the course, may receive a lower grade for the quality of writing alone.
The final grade in any course may be lowered for consistent substandard written or oral expression. In extreme cases, a failing grade may be given for this reason alone.
Credit Transfer
For students returning from study abroad
Upon completion of the Study Abroad Program, students must make sure that the earned credits are transferred toward their degree requirements as follows:
- The relevant academic departments at AUB have pre-approved the courses through the study abroad online petition system.
- Achieving a minimum passing grade equivalent to the required AUB grade in each of the courses as accepted by the student’s Faculty.
- Credits received on study abroad and exchange programs are considered to be transfer credits and will show as pass/fail on the AUB transcript. These credits will not be part of the calculation of the GPA.
- The host university provides an official transcript of record directly to the Office of International Programs.
- The Office of International Programs transmits the official transcript to the Office of the Registrar for credits to be transferred.
- None of the courses taken are online but up to 25% taken may be hybrid.
- Certificate of Physical Attendance is required.
For students admitted as transfer students from other institutions
Upon completion of registration for their first term at AUB, students must make sure credits earned at other institutions that count toward program requirements at AUB are transferred as follows:
- Students must submit the course equivalence petition and attach the following,
- the syllabi (including course learning outcomes if available) of all courses completed at the other institution,
- the official transcript of the courses issued by the institution,
Students are strongly encouraged to seek approval of credit transfer within one month of the start of their first term.
- Approval of credit transfer is contingent upon achieving a minimum passing grade equivalent to AUB’s grade of C+ (2.3) in each course as determined by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee of the relevant faculty.
- Credits transferred from other institutions will show as ‘Pass’ on the AUB transcript and will not be part of the calculation of the GPA.
- Transferred major credits may not exceed 50% of the total major requirements.
Transfer within the University
Transfer within the same faculty – intra-faculty transfer
Students who wish to transfer from one major to another in the same faculty may do so only after completion of at least 24 credits taken within two full terms of work in their current major by completing a change of major petition. Refer to the respective faculty section for faculty requirements.
Transfer from one faculty to another – interfaculty transfer
Students who wish to transfer from one major to another in a different faculty may do so only after completion of at least 24 sophomore credits taken within two full terms of work in their current major by applying through the transfer dashboard available on AUBsis according to the deadlines specified in the University calendar.
Refer to the appropriate program section in the catalogue for more information on relevant transfer requirements.
Students who transfer will be required to follow the program requirements of the catalogue effective in the term they start their new major.
Dean’s Honor List
To be placed on the dean’s honor list at the end of a regular term, students must:
- earn at least 12 credits,
- have passed all courses and attained a term average of GPA 3.7 or be ranked in the top 10 percent of the class and have an overall average of GPA 3.3
- not have been subjected to any disciplinary action within the university during the term,
- be deemed worthy by the Dean to be on the honor list.
No student will be placed on the Dean’s Honor List retroactively.
Probation
Placement on Academic Probation
Students are placed on academic probation if the student’s overall average is less than GPA: 2.1 at the end of the second regular term, if the term average is less than GPA: 2.2 at the end of the third or fourth regular term, or if the term average is less than GPA: 2.3 in any subsequent regular term. If students on probation withdraw (W) the entire term, then that term is counted for continued probation purposes. The term in which the student is considered to be ‘on probation’ is the term that immediately follows that in which the student has earned the grades leading to probation.
Students are evaluated when the minimum number of credits at the end of second regular term is twenty-four (24) GPA hours. and twelve (12) GPA hours in each subsequent fall or spring term.
GPA hours earned during a summer or winter term are counted towards the term average of the next regular term. If the number of GPA hours taken in any regular term is less than twelve (12) GPA hours, it will be counted toward the term average of the next regular term.
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.
For implementation purposes, the academic standing of students is represented by two attributes (a, b).
- The first attribute (a) represents the student’s current academic status as follows:
- 0: clear status
- 1: student is currently on probation but was not on probation in the immediately preceding regular term
- 2: student is currently on probation and was on probation in the immediately preceding regular term.
- The second attribute (b) represents the probation history of a student, i.e., the number of times the student has been placed on probation.
Students who are placed on probation are not eligible to receive financial aid.
Students who are placed on second continuous probation (2,2) or third non-continuous probation (1,3 or 2,3) will have their credit load limit reduced to 13 credits in a regular term and 6 credits in summer term.
Removal of Probation
Probation is removed when the student attains a term average of GPA 2.2 or more in the third or fourth regular term or a term average of GPA 2.3 or more in any subsequent regular term. The student is off probation during the term following the one in which such grades are earned.
Probation should be removed within two regular terms after the student is placed on probation.
Reactivation
Students in good standing who withdrew voluntarily shall be granted reactivation to their former faculty if the period between the end of the term or session of withdrawal and the beginning of the term for which readmission is sought is not more than four regular terms. The reactivation petition is available online (
https://epetitions.aub.edu.lb/) and must be submitted to the concerned Faculty Dean’s Office one month prior to the beginning of the term or summer session to which readmission is sought. Readmission is then automatic.
Dismissal
Students may be dismissed from the University 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, i.e., the student’s academic status is (2,2) or (2,3), and the student has failed to remove the probation.
- if the student is placed on academic probation for a total of four regular terms (students can be dismissed for this reason even if it›s their final year at AUB); i.e., the student’s academic status is (0,3) or (1,3), and the student is again placed on probation.
- if the student is deemed unworthy by the faculty to continue for professional or ethical reasons.
Refer to the admission’s section on readmission if the student left the University for more than two years.
Readmission/Reactivation after dismissal
Students are normally considered for readmission/reactivation only if, after spending a year at another recognized institution of higher education and successfully completed a minimum of 24 credits, students are able to present a satisfactory record and recommendation through an online reactivation petition
https://epetitions.aub.edu.lb. These students will be readmitted on strict probation. Transfer of credit is considered after departmental evaluation of a student’s coursework.
- Students who have left the University while on probation remain on probation for one term and are required to take 12 or 13 credits only in regular terms and 6 credits only in summer term. If students do not remove probation at the end of that term, they are dropped from the faculty.
- No reactivation or readmission for winter sessions will be considered.
Academic Misconduct
Students who fail to properly credit ideas or materials taken from another commit plagiarism. Putting your name on a piece of work—any part of which is not yours— constitutes plagiarism, unless that piece is clearly marked and the work from which you have borrowed it is fully identified.
Other types of academic misconduct specified in the code of conduct include cheating, in class disruption, and dishonesty.
Disclosure of Student Records
Graduation
Requirements
Students are strongly advised to prepare their registration schedules with their advisors to ensure graduation requirements are fulfilled. Failure to do so may mean students have to spend an additional term or more at AUB to complete graduation requirements.
Student are considered a candidate for graduation after fulfilling the following criteria:
- applied for graduation online
- completed all the program requirements
- achieved the minimum major GPA as per the concerned faculty
- met the AUB residence requirements
- attained an overall GPA of 2.3
The University graduates students who complete graduation requirements at the end of Fall (February), Spring (June) and Summer (October) terms. Students who complete their graduation requirements in the Winter session are considered Spring graduates.
Graduation with Distinction and High Distinction
For graduating students with distinction and high distinction, the University uses an honors cumulative GPA (HCGPA) from his/her final academic terms during which sixty (60) GPA credits or more have been completed at AUB. No partial counting of GPA hours is allowed. The HCGPA does not appear on the transcript and is only calculated for the purpose of distinction and high distinction.
To graduate with distinction, students must:
- have an honors cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher
- and be recommended by her/his department for distinction
To graduate with high distinction, students must:
- have an honors cumulative GPA of 4.0 or higher
- and be recommended by her/his department for high distinction.
For purposes of graduation with distinction or high distinction, when students repeat a course, all the attempted courses that fall within the last 60 or more GPA hours are used in the calculation of the honors cumulative GPA (HCGPA). For transfer students, if the number of credits completed at AUB is less than 60, then the student will not be considered for graduation with distinction.
Graduation with Distinction and High Distinction for a Double Major
Refer to the previous section.
Graduation with Distinction and High Distinction for a Dual Degree
For each program within a dual degree, the calculation of honors cumulative GPA involves considering the minimum last 60 GPA hours that apply separately to fulfill the degree requirements of each program.
Starting with the last attended term and working backward:
- Every course that is utilized to satisfy both degree requirements, including General Education courses, is included in the calculation of each program's Honors Cumulative GPA (HCGPA).
- Courses that are specifically applied to fulfill the requirements of one of the two programs are exclusively considered for that program in its respective Honors Cumulative GPA (HCGPA).
- Courses taken additionally to meet the minimum 30-credit requirement for earning dual degrees contribute to the computation of the HCGPAs for both programs.
This process continues until a minimum of 60 credits is achieved for each major, with no partial counting of GPA hours permitted.
Refer to the previous section for information regarding repeated and transferred courses.
Names on Diplomas and Degrees
Names on diplomas and degrees are spelled exactly as they appear on passports or official identity cards. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher 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 official 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. Once a degree is issued the name cannot be changed. All AUB degrees issued for the same student must have the same spelling in both English and Arabic.
Commencement Exercises
Commencement exercises are held once per year at the end of the Spring term. Students who graduate in Spring or in the immediately previous Summer and Fall terms may participate in the commencement exercises.
Students who lack three credits or fewer for graduation and are registered for them in the summer term are eligible to march in the yearly commencement exercises provided that they apply online and get approval. The online petition type is “Intention to March in the Commencement Ceremony”.
Students are allowed to march in the commencement exercises only once per degree.
Recognition of AUB Degrees by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE)
The Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) recognizes 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 and Higher Education.
The MEHE requires a minimum number of credits at or beyond the sophomore level to be completed after the freshman equivalence date. This number is determined by subtracting 30 required freshman or articulated credits from the total required credits.
The MEHE does not yet recognize online degrees/diplomas.
It is the responsibility of students to ensure the degrees they receive from AUB are duly evaluated by their respective governments.
The AUB degrees are registered with the State of New York and will be recognized by it through a process managed by AMIDEAST. For details refer to the website of the Office of the Registrar.