The Office of International Programs (OIP) promotes internationalization and diversity at
AUB by initiating, developing and administering institutional partnerships that foster both
incoming and outgoing student, faculty and staff mobility. Through its Study Abroad Program,
OIP promotes exchange opportunities and advises AUB students, faculty and staff wishing to
pursue international academic experiences that are academically challenging, professionally
relevant and personally engaging. OIP supports all international students at AUB, enabling
them to integrate into the community and enjoy a rich academic and cultural experience.
The Office of International Programs is located in West Hall, 3rd floor, Rooms 320, 322, 324.
Telephone: +961-1-374374 ext.3186,3176, 3146.
Email: oip@aub.edu.lb
Website: www.aub.edu.lb/oip
International Student Services
The Office of International Programs provides support to all international students studying
at AUB by providing the following services:
- Pre-arrival advice and visa assistance (following admission to AUB).
- On-site orientation, mentoring and intercultural activities. Explanation of public government services, processes, and procedures on campus.
- Assistance in obtaining student residence permits and/or following up on transactions at Immigration authorities.
- Support with reporting theft or loss of legal identification documents at local authorities.
- Forums (both electronic and in-person) for interaction with other AUB student populations.
- For international degree-seekers, advice on studying abroad as part of their AUB degree.
Visas and Residence Permits
International students joining AUB who do not hold a Lebanese passport or Lebanese
identity card must have their foreign passports valid for a period of no less than 12 months
from the date of joining the university. Non-Lebanese students should also check with the
nearest Lebanese Embassy or consulate in their country as to whether they require an entry
visa in order to legally enter Lebanon or are eligible to obtain an entry visa at the airport. The
OIP may assist students in securing their visas to Lebanon. Students who wish to benefit from
OIP visa assistance must indicate this in their Confirmation Letters upon acceptance. Further
information can be found on the OIP website.
Once registered at AUB, all students who do not hold Lebanese passports, and wish to stay
for longer than the duration of their visas, are required to obtain a residence permit before
the expiration of the entry visa they received. Students must apply for this permit within one
month of arrival in Beirut and ONLY after registering and paying AUB tuition fees.
The Office of International Programs, in coordination with the Office of the Registrar, helps
provide the necessary certificates for registered- non-Lebanese students in obtaining
residence permits from the Lebanese authorities. Information about obtaining a residence
permit is communicated at the beginning and throughout each term, and is posted on the
OIP website.
Study Abroad and Student Exchange for
Undergraduate Students
AUB undergraduate students may spend a year or a term abroad in an approved program
of study without losing their status at AUB. They may apply to an established program at a
university that has an exchange agreement with AUB or initiate their own proposal for study
abroad at an accredited university of their choice. In both cases, an application (see below),
approval of their faculty, as well as clearance from The Office of International Programs (OIP),
are required. Study abroad and exchange programs provide students with the opportunity to
travel to another country, experience a new culture, and build connections with students and
faculty members at host institutions. These in-person interactions form an integral part of the
experience. As such, only in-person study abroad and exchange programs are approved at
AUB.
Definitions
Exchange Students
Students on exchange programs at universities with which AUB has bilateral exchange
agreements, pay the usual AUB tuition rate appropriate to a 15-credit course load.
Study Abroad Students
Students on study abroad programs at universities with which AUB does not have a bilateral
exchange agreement will pay the host university fees at the receiving institution. However,
they must continue to pay the AUB miscellaneous fees as applicable. Summer abroad
students are waived the AUB miscellaneous fees.
Students wishing to go on exchange or study abroad programs must complete the AUB
Study Abroad Course Approval Petition and the host university’s application. Students are
responsible for the completion of both sets of application forms by the assigned deadlines.
Procedures for Study Abroad and Exchange
Students
To spend a term or up to a year abroad, all students must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Students must have completed 24 credits at the sophomore level at AUB to apply for up to a yearlong study abroad program, unless applying for a summer abroad program.
- Freshmen students may spend a summer abroad upon the completion of 24 credits.
- Students may earn a maximum of 30 credits in a study abroad program without losing their status as AUB students.
- Students must meet the AUB residence requirements as stipulated in the AUB Catalogue.
- Students may not exchange or study abroad during their final term at AUB.
- To be considered for exchange and study abroad programs, students should have a minimum cumulative average of 3.0.
Students will receive credit for all course work completed abroad as long as:
(a) the relevant academic departments at AUB have pre-approved the courses through the study abroad online petition system.
(b) the student has achieved 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.
(c) the host university provides an official transcript of record directly to the Office of International Programs. An official transcript from the host institution must be received by AUB in order for credits to be successfully transferred.
(d) None of the courses taken is online but up to 25% taken may be hybrid.
(e) Certificate of Physical attendance is required.
Note:
(a) Courses taken abroad may be accepted at AUB and need the approval of the chairperson of the academic department offering the course at AUB AND the Academic and Curriculum Committee of the student’s Faculty.
(b) Courses that may satisfy the AUB General Education (GE) Requirements must be approved by the GE committee. Students are required to submit a petition through their respective faculties for each course to be evaluated.
(c) The maximum academic load during a regular term abroad is equivalent to 17 AUB credits while the minimum is 12. Students who opt to take more than 17 or less than 12 AUB credits, must submit a petition to their faculty and provide OIP with proof of approval prior to going abroad. Nevertheless, no more than 30 credits can be transferred back to AUB.
(d) Students who decide to change one or more of their pre-approved courses once they are at the host university must contact their department chair by email and submit the Study Abroad petition for approval of the replacement or added course(s) within one month of the beginning of the AUB term; otherwise, the student risks not being granted the course transfer upon return to AUB.
Registration Process at AUB for Students who
are approved to go on study abroad or exchange
programs
To maintain their status as active students at AUB while abroad, students are required to:
- Submit the completed AUB Study Abroad Course Approval Petition by the assigned deadline.
- Attend a mandatory OIP pre-departure meeting.
- Complete the Final Confirmation and Clearance Form and submit it to OIP by the assigned deadline.
- Pay all fees due to AUB by the assigned deadline.
- Not register for classes at AUB or at any other institution of higher learning, either in-person or online where there is an overlap in time.
Once students complete all of the steps above, their registration status will appear as EXPR (Study Abroad) or EXCH (Exchange) depending on the type of program they wish to be enrolled in. Students will then be able to maintain access to AUBsis and online library resources. Study abroad and exchange students will have the same privileges as continuing students on campus.
Credit Transfer for students upon return from their term or year abroad
- Students should be sure to obtain an official transcript from the host university and request to have it sent directly to the Office of International Programs:
Hardcopy Official transcripts should be mailed to the following OIP Mailing Address: AUB/ Office of International Programs, West Hall, 3rd Floor, Room 320, 1107 2020, Beirut, Lebanon.
Electronic Official transcripts : If your host university only issues electronic transcripts, these must be certified by an official of the University with a certificate provided by a recognized security vendor or be encrypted and only accessible to the recipient and should be emailed to aubabroad@aub.edu.lb. - Submit an Exchange or Study Abroad Testimonial survey.
AUB facilitates several study abroad and exchange programs including Erasmus+ for undergraduate and graduate students. AUB’s growing number of international partner institutions include but are not limited to:
- Aarhus University, Denmark
- American University in Cairo, Egypt
- American University of Paris, France
- American University, USA
- Amherst College, USA
- Augsburg University, USA
- Bogazici University, Turkey
- Boston College, USA
- Boston University, USA
- California Institute of the Arts, USA
- Danish School of Media & Journalism, Denmark
- Ecole Polytechnique, France
- Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d’Angers, France
- EDHEC Business School, France
- EM Normandie Business School, FranceESADE Law School, Spain
- Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
- FGV Getulio Vargas Foundation, BrazilHanyang University, South Korea
- HEC Montreal, Canada
- Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), France
- IE University, Spain
- John Cabot University, Italy
- Koç University, Turkey
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany
- Luigi Bocconi University, Italy
- Lund University, Sweden
- Middle East Technical University, Turkey
- McGill University, Canada
- NEOMA Business School, France
- New York University – Stern School of Business, USA
- Paris School of Business, France
- Open University of Cyprus, Cyprus
- Pitzer College, USA
- Politecnico Di Torino, Italy
- Queen Mary University of London, UK
- Radboud University, Netherlands
- Reed College, USA
- Stanford University International Honors Program, USA
- The University of Sydney, Australia
- Temple University, USA
- Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Université de Genève, Switzerland
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
- University College Dublin, Ireland
- University College London, UK
- University of Bologna, Italy
- University of Bern, Switzerland
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
- University of Granada, Spain
- University of Kassel, Germany
- University of Montreal, Canada
- University of Pavia, Italy
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
- University of Pennsylvania, USA
- University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway
- University of Toronto, Canada
- University of Wisconsin- Platteville, USA
- University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Uppsala University, Sweden
- Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland
AUB has a number of Erasmus+ inter-institutional credit mobility agreements with several
universities in Europe. Examples include Aarhus University, Danish School of Media &
Journalism, University of Copenhagen in Denmark, Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris
(Sciences Po) in France, Freie Universität Berlin in Germany, Athens University of Economics
and Business in Greece, Politecnico Di Torino, University of Bologna in Italy, Amsterdam
University of Applied Sciences in Netherlands, Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, University
of Granada in Spain, Uppsala University in Sweden, Istanbul Sehir University, Koc University,
and Middle East Technical University in Turkey.
Undergraduate students are required to complete at least 24 credits at AUB before beginning
a period of study abroad, while graduate students are required to complete at least 6 credits
at AUB before studying abroad; additional academic policies and procedures also apply.
For a complete list of exchange and other study abroad options at AUB, or to review the
guidelines for study abroad, visit www.aub.edu.lb/oip or Room 320 in West Hall.
OIP Resources for Faculty
The Office of International Programs provides information for faculty on international
standards of practice for credit transfer and grade transfer upon request. In addition, OIP
maintains a current listing of institutions/consortia/universities with which AUB maintains
formal institutional agreements for purposes of student, staff and faculty mobility. Please
note that exchange agreements cannot be put into effect at AUB without the approval of the
Provost. Guidelines for setting up new international academic exchange agreements and
other institutional relationships are available by request from the Director.