English Language Requirements

Readiness for University Study in English (RUSE)

All teaching at AUB is carried out in English (with the exception of some language-specific teaching, especially in the Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages), and undergraduate as well as graduate applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient fluency in written and spoken English to cope with the language demands of their chosen field of study. Therefore, AUB requires all applicants, regardless of citizenship, to demonstrate English language proficiency or Readiness for University Study in English (RUSE).

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Due to COVID-19 and the unavailability of some tests, applicants who are unable to take tests in person, will be able to provide two new methods for meeting RUSE:

DUOLINGO English Test (DET)

For graduate applicants, the DET score required to meet RUSE is 120. A score of 110-115 places the student in English 300.
For undergraduate applicants, the DET score required to meet RUSE is 100. Undergraduate applicants with a DET score of 100 or above will need to register to take the Writing Placement Test, in order to be placed in English 102 or 203. While undergraduate applicants with scores less than 100 on the DET, further assessment by Communication Skills Program (CSP) will determine their placement in either 100A or 100B.

RUSE for undergraduate applicants

Demonstrating RUSE

Undergraduate applicants can demonstrate RUSE by submitting satisfactory and valid scores from one of several tests. A score is considered satisfactory if it meets or exceeds the minimum requirement set by AUB; it is considered valid if the test date is recent enough. Each test has its separate requirement for having satisfactory and valid scores, as detailed in the table below.

Demonstrating RUSE for undergraduate applicants
Test	Minimum Score	Validity
SAT (evidence-reading and writing)	530	2 years
TOEFL iBT	79	2 years
IELTS (Academic)	6.5 with no single component <6	2 years
AUB-EN	40	1 year
DUOLINGO English Test (DET)	100	2 years

When to demonstrate RUSE

All undergraduate applicants are requested to demonstrate RUSE as early as possible, upon receiving their admissions decision from AUB.

It is possible to take more than one test for the purpose of demonstrating RUSE, however, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that test scores are delivered to the Office of Admissions in time for decision-making and to be able to secure a place in the appropriate Communication Skills course.

The links below provide details about the different RUSE tests (formats, dates, location, registration requirements, etc.) and help with planning. While some of these tests can be taken more than once, each test specifies a period of time that has to elapse between test dates.

Placement of undergraduate students

As part of AUB’s General Education requirements, all undergraduate students are expected to complete at least 2 English writing courses in the Communication Skills Program at AUB.

Some students may also be required to take preparatory English courses before they are able to register in their first English writing course.

Important Notes:

All undergraduate applicants who are required to present SAT scores, are also required to submit scores for the SAT Essay for the purpose of placement in Communication Skills Courses.
Applicants who do not submit scores for the SAT Essay will be asked to take AUB’s Writing Placement Test (WT) for the purpose of placement in Communication Skills Courses.

For more information and details about placement of undergraduate students in Communication Skills Courses, please visit the Communication Skills Program Placement page.

Exemptions and exceptions

All undergraduate applicants for regular or early admissions are required to demonstrate RUSE. Some applicants are exempted from this requirement, if they fall in one of the following categories.

Applicant category	Condition for RUSE exemption
Transfer (Advanced Standing)	Applicant must have studied for 2 years at a recognized college or university in US/UK/Canada/Australia/New Zealand
Visiting, Exchange, or Non-degree	Applicants must have studied for 2 years at a recognized college or university in US/UK/Canada/Australia/New Zealand OR must have completed 2 years of higher education with English as the primary language of instruction OR must enroll ONLY in Arabic language courses
Diploma or Second degree	Applicant must have graduated from a recognized college or university in US/UK/Canada/Australia/New Zealand

RUSE for graduate applicants

Demonstrating RUSE

Master’s or PhD applicants including graduate diploma applicants can demonstrate RUSE by submitting satisfactory and valid scores from one of several tests. A score is considered satisfactory if it meets or exceeds the minimum requirement set by AUB; it is considered valid if the test date is recent enough.

Each test has its separate requirement for having satisfactory and valid scores, as detailed in the table below.

Demonstrating RUSE for graduate applicants
Test	Minimum Score	Validity
AUB-EN	40	1 year
TOEFL iBT	97	2 years
IELTS (Academic)	7	2 years
GRE (Verbal)	147	5 years
GMAT (Verbal)	25	5 years
DUOLINGO English Test (DET)	120	2 years

When to demonstrate RUSE

All graduate applicants are requested to demonstrate RUSE as early as possible, upon receiving their admissions decision from AUB.

It is possible to take more than one test for the purpose of demonstrating RUSE, however, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that test scores are delivered to the Office of Admissions in time for decision-making and, if needed, to be able to secure a place in a relevant preparatory English course.

Exemptions and exceptions

All graduate applicants are required to demonstrate RUSE. Master’s, MD, or PhD applicants who have graduated from AUB or from a recognized college or university in US/UK/Canada/Australia/New Zealand are exempted from demonstrating RUSE.

Pro-Green Diploma Applicants
Applicants to the Pro-Green Diploma may provide evidence for RUSE by submitting a satisfactory and valid score for one of the following tests: AUB-EN, TOEFL, or IELTS (Academic).

Test	Minimum Score	Validity
AUB-EN	33	1 year
TOEFL iBT	80	2 years
IELTS (Academic)	6.5	2 years

Important Note: applicants to Pro-Green who have graduated from a university where English is the primary language of instruction are exempted from demonstrating RUSE.

Graduate applicants without satisfactory and valid RUSE scores
In case a graduate applicant does not have a satisfactory and valid RUSE score, s/he has the option of registering in a 7-week intensive English summer preparatory program. Program details (description, learning outcomes, requirements, course registration and timeline) are available at the University Preparatory Program (UPP) - Graduate Course site.

Placement of graduate students

Graduate students who present RUSE scores below the satisfactory minimum score may be required by their program, school or faculty to take preparatory English courses.

Placement of graduate students in preparatory English courses is done based on scores from one of the following tests: AUB-EN, TOEFL, IELTS (Academic). GRE (verbal) and GMAT (verbal) scores cannot be used for the purpose of placement in preparatory English courses.

For information and details about placement of graduate students in preparatory English courses, please visit the Graduate Council page.

Useful links

The links below provide details about the different RUSE tests (formats, dates, location, registration requirements, etc.) and help with planning.

Last Update: ME 17-June-21

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