Introduction

American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah, who envisioned AUS as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region. American University of Sharjah is an independent, not-for-profit, coeducational institution. Although consciously based upon American institutions of higher education, AUS is expected also to be thoroughly grounded in Arab culture and to be part of a larger process of the revitalization of intellectual life in the Middle East.

American University of Sharjah has succeeded in building a multicultural education environment that brings together people from diverse nations and backgrounds. AUS strives to instill in its students the importance of appreciating and understanding diversity, global issues and their own roles in society.

AUS is emerging as a leading comprehensive coeducational university in the Gulf, serving students from the Gulf region and around the world. AUS students are introduced to a culture of high aspiration and achievement to aid them in leading productive and meaningful lives. AUS is also dedicated to the preservation of the physical environment, free from pollution and neglect. This sense of environmental responsibility is passed on to AUS graduates in order to create ecologically aware citizens.

In keeping with its mission, AUS offers students an education that will enable them to comprehend the dynamism and complexity of contemporary global processes. Through the integration of liberal studies and professional education, students are given both breadth of knowledge and specialization in their chosen fields. Education at AUS runs the gamut from art, poetry and religions from past civilizations to the latest skills and technologies of today’s information age. These are all presented to students in order to produce future leaders with a firm understanding of how society has reached its present state. The combination of traditional and innovative teaching methods provides an educational environment in which students can realize their individual potential and pursue their goals.

AUS is well qualified to meet the challenges inherent in preparing its students for life in the age of electronic communication, global economies, social pluralism and political interdependence.

The university offers 22 bachelor’s degrees, 39 minors and eight master’s degrees through the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Architecture and Design, and School of Business and Management.

While Arabic is the official language of the United Arab Emirates, the language of instruction at AUS is English. All classes and administrative functions are conducted in English.

Islam is the official religion of the state, and Arab Islamic culture predominates in the UAE. The nation is also distinguished by its tolerance toward its large expatriate communities, which comprise diverse nationalities, cultures and religious beliefs. Following in this spirit of understanding and acceptance of all peoples, AUS admits students solely on the basis of their academic qualifications regardless of race, color, gender, religion, disabilities, age or national origin. The university’s mission is to create a multicultural, international academic community in order to prepare its students to become lifelong learners equipped to adapt to the needs of our changing world.

AUS was established as an “American” university not only in its formal academic and organizational characteristics but also in the recognition that the total culture and philosophy of the educational community is as significant as the formal program of studies. Students learn the lessons of the classroom and the lessons of life in a coeducational, multicultural and multinational environment. From its inception, AUS was envisioned as a place that would “feel” like an American campus.

Accreditation and Licensure

American University of Sharjah is licensed in the United States by the Department of Education of the State of Delaware. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA, 215 662 5606). AUS is also licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and all programs are recognized by the ministry and have been awarded either full or initial accreditation status. All bachelor’s degree programs in the College of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. (111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202 USA, 410 347 7700).

NOTICE: The AUS Undergraduate Catalog 2007-2008 is available in PDF. Click here to view.