Office of Admissions

Dean
Ali Shuhaimy

American University of Sharjah places particular emphasis on quality education. Applicants are considered based on their qualifications regardless of race, color, gender, religion, disabilities, age or national origin. The most qualified candidates are selected to fill the seats available in any college or school.

The medium of instruction is English and a good command of the language, both oral and written, is essential for students to be successful at AUS.

For admission consideration, secondary school grades and university grade point averages (if applicable) must meet the minimum established standards as set by the university.

Furthermore, applicants with previous college/university experiences applying to AUS as first-year students will be considered only if they were in good academic standing in their previous college/university.

The university requires regular attendance at all classes, lectures, studios, laboratory sessions and seminars. Students are not permitted to pursue AUS degrees through correspondence or by merely passing university examinations. AUS does not offer any degrees by distance education.

The Office of Admissions is responsible for admitting students to all divisions of the university. All inquiries, requests for application forms and subsequent correspondence should be addressed to:  

Minimum Admission Requirements

The university’s minimum admission requirements depend on the applicant’s type of secondary education program and certificate. In all cases, for non-vocational certificates only subjects classified as academic are accepted for admission consideration and the calculation of averages. Admission to the university is competitive, and the actual required minimum average for admission consideration and to guarantee a seat will depend on:

• secondary education certificate or school average
  
• SAT scores (as applicable)
  
• number of qualified applicants
  
• number of available seats

However, the minimum required average for accepting an application is the equivalent of 80 percent or more in the final year (national exams only) of secondary education, or 80 percent or more in the best two out of the last three years. Other program-specific requirements or restrictions may also apply.

Furthermore, applicants must obtain a score of at least 197 on the Computer-Based TOEFL (CBT) or 71 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) in order to be admitted to an AUS college/school. Scores are only valid for two calendar years. Students who score below the minimum required TOEFL score but who otherwise meet AUS admission standards may be admitted to the Intensive English Program (IEP) at AUS upon meeting the minimum required IEP placement test score. They must study for at least one semester in IEP and score the required 197 CBT/71 iBT on TOEFL to be eligible to matriculate into their chosen field of study.

Note: The AUS TOEFL code is 0526.

Recognized Secondary School Certificates

AUS recognizes secondary school certificates awarded by ministries of education and by private secondary schools that are recognized by their host country. The university also accepts certificates awarded by recognized qualification authorities, and national and international boards. Some countries award two levels of secondary school certificates. In this case, the university recognizes the higher certificate.

Examples of Secondary School Certificates

Following is a list of some common certificates and the corresponding minimum levels of performance required for accepting an application at AUS. These certificates and levels of achievement serve as guidelines for admission to AUS and may differ from other institutions or the standards that are generally accepted in an applicant’s native country. The university may consider other types of secondary school certificates.

• National General Secondary School Certificates (Arts or Science): minimum required average is the equivalent of 80 percent or more in the final year national exam, or 80 percent or more in best two years
  
• American-style High School Diploma: minimum 3.0 CGPA (or equivalent) on a 4.0 scale (only subjects classified as academic are considered in the calculation of the CGPA)
  
• International Baccalaureate (IB):  must complete any six subjects, with at least three at the higher level
  
• Lebanese Baccalaureate:  completion of Part II required
  
• French Baccalaureate or equivalent:  completion of Part II required
  
• Pakistani Board(s) Certificates: Higher Secondary School Certificate (Part II) required
  
• Indian Board(s) Certificates: Senior Secondary School Certificate (12th Standard) required
  
• Iranian Certificate: completion of pre-university year required
  
• German Abitur: minimum average of three required
  
• IGCSE, GCSE, GCE: 
  - Minimum of 11 years of schooling; School Leaving Certificate must be provided showing last grade (year) completed.
  - Minimum of eight different IGCSE/GCSE subjects. Moreover, to accept an application, an applicant must have a minimum of four C grades and four B grades, or higher. Preference in admission considerations will be given to applicants with higher grades.
  - Students who complete advanced supplementary level (AS-level) and/or advanced level (A-level) are given preference in admission considerations and selection of majors.
  - Subjects must be from at least four different subject groups. Also, only subjects classified as academic (including arts and creativity subject group) will be accepted for admission consideration.

Procedures for Applying

There are three types of admission procedures: early, regular or transfer. Regardless of the type of admission, all applicants must submit all documents needed to meet the general admission requirements.

General Documents Required for Admission to AUS

Every applicant is required to submit the following documents:

1. an application for admission with every item completed
   
2. an official secondary school certificate certified by the appropriate authorities
   
3. official grade reports from the last three secondary school years certified by the appropriate authorities
   
4. SAT scores (as applicable)
   
5. four recent passport-size photographs
   
6. a photocopy of the applicant’s passport
   
7. a non-refundable application fee of UAE Dirhams 200
   
8. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, if available at the time of applying
   
9. The appropriate documents for the type of admission sought (early, regular or transfer)

Early Admission

A student in his/her final year of secondary school may apply for early provisional admission by submitting official transcripts from at least the two years previous to the final year of secondary school and SAT scores (as applicable). Early admission is offered only to highly qualified applicants and is not considered final until students submit a recognized and official secondary school certificate, or equivalent, showing the successful completion of a secondary education and all items as requested in the applicant’s letter of admission. Students cannot register for courses until the admissions process has been completed.

Regular Admission

A student who has completed his/her secondary school education and has a secondary school certificate may apply using the regular admission procedure. To do so, a student must submit the following documents in addition to the general documents required for admission to AUS as listed above:

1. A recognized and official secondary school certificate, or equivalent, and the grades of the last three years of secondary schooling showing grade averages and class rank, if available, must be provided.
   
2. Students who sat for national secondary school exit (final) exams must provide certified documentation of their results.

Deadlines for Regular Admission

All applications must be on file in the Office of Admissions by the following dates:

Fall Semester 2007                     July 15, 2007
Spring Semester 2008              December 16, 2007

Students who need visas should apply at least one month before the established deadlines.

Transfer Student Admission

Depending on available seats, candidates transferring from institutions of higher education may be considered for admission subject to the following conditions:

1. They are in good academic standing (i.e., not on probation or dismissed from the institution from which they are transferring). The required minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) depends on the institution the applicant is transferring from. Please contact the Office of Admissions for specific CGPA requirements.           
   
2. They are transferring from a recognized and accredited institution of higher education offering learning experiences equivalent to those offered at AUS and have successfully completed one or more semesters in that institution.
   
3. Prior to their admission to the institution from which they are transferring, they met the AUS requirements for admission.
   
4. They meet the English language proficiency requirements of AUS.
   
5. They submit official transcripts of their high school and college/university records along with the syllabi for and descriptions of courses they seek to transfer.
   
6. They achieved at their institutions a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) as required by AUS for that type of institution.
   
7. They pay a non-refundable credit transfer evaluation fee of UAE Dirhams 300. However, this fee is deductible from tuition once the applicant joins AUS.

The complete transfer policy is available from the Office of Admissions.

In addition to the official transcript and the syllabi and descriptions for courses students seek to transfer, some programs may require students to submit samples of their work, assignments and/or examinations. Students who seek transfer credits for studio courses are advised to provide a portfolio of completed course work in photographic, digital or original format. No engineering or computer science courses will be transferred from academic programs not recognized by ABET, Inc. (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

Transfer applicants from four-year colleges/universities with a similar mission to AUS may be awarded transfer credits. The minimum required course grade(s) to be considered for credit transfer will depend on the institution from which the applicant is transferring.
Courses identified as equivalent in content and level to AUS courses will be transferred as the equivalent AUS course.

Other appropriate university-level courses may be transferred as free electives or as unassigned courses in the relevant area of the general university requirements. The decision regarding credits awarded is made solely by the appropriate academic division dean/head at AUS. Transcripts will be evaluated once only. Transfer students must complete their transfer file and be awarded transfer credits before the end of their first semester at AUS.

Courses completed more than five years prior to matriculation as an undergraduate student at AUS are not transferable. Furthermore, at the time of graduation, no course can be more than eight years old if it is to be counted toward the awarding of a degree. No more than 50 percent of the credits required to earn a degree from AUS may be transferred from another institution. In addition, transfer students must satisfy the university’s graduation residence requirements as outlined in the Academic Policies and Regulations section of this catalog.

Deadlines for Transfer Applicants

All transfer applications along with materials for evaluation of transferable courses must be on file in the Office of Admissions by the following dates:

Fall Semester 2007                     June 21, 2007
Spring Semester 2008              December 6, 2007
Summer Session 2008                    May 1, 2008

Courses will not be evaluated for transfer until the official transcript, syllabi and requested work samples are submitted to the Office of the Registrar. The deadline for admitted students to submit these documents to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation is:

Fall Semester 2007                       July 1, 2007
Spring Semester 2008             December 13, 2007
Summer Session 2008                   May 8, 2007

Upon receipt, AUS will investigate the authenticity and accuracy of all submitted transcripts and supporting documents/materials.

Non-degree Admission

Non-degree status is the designation used for students who are enrolled in credit courses at AUS but who are not currently pursuing a degree program. Some students begin their studies in non-degree status while others do not wish to pursue a degree program. To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet the same minimum admission criteria established for regular admission and must submit a regular student application with all the required documents to the Office of Admissions on the dates assigned for regular full-time students. American University of Sharjah students who have not completed their degree programs and students who have been dismissed from the university cannot register for non-degree status.   

Visiting, Study Abroad and Transient Student Admission

Visiting students, study abroad students and transient students apply for admission through the Office of the Registrar. For information on admission and registration procedures for these types of students, please see the Academic Policies and Regulations section of this catalog.

Applicants with Disabilities

Depending on available facilities, the university provides special services to applicants with certain disabilities. Those who have special needs are requested to contact the Office of Student Affairs. This information will be treated confidentially.

The Offer of Admission 

The offer of admission, regardless of type, is valid only for the semester for which a student applies. If an applicant is granted admission for a certain semester and for some reason fails to register in that semester, the applicant may request, in writing, deferring admission for the following semester only. Admission consideration for the following semester will depend on available seats and the applicable admission criteria.

Admission Deposit

All admitted students, regardless of type, are required to pay a seat reservation deposit of UAE Dirhams 5,000 and a residential hall room reservation deposit (if applicable) of UAE Dirhams 500. Both deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable to others and must be paid before the established deadline indicated in the letter of admission.

These deposits are deductible from the student’s bill once the applicant joins AUS. If a student requests to defer admission to the following semester and the request is approved, both deposits will be applied to the following semester’s invoice.

Program Admission Requirements

Certificate Requirements

Certain types of secondary school certificates are accepted only for specific programs at AUS.

• Literary Certificates: Holders may be admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences (except for the chemistry and environmental sciences majors), the School of Architecture and Design (except for the architecture and interior design majors) and any major offered by the School of Business and Management.
  
• Scientific Certificates: Holders may be admitted to any major in any of the colleges/schools.
  
• Technical and Vocational Secondary School Certificates: Highly motivated and academically qualified students may be admitted to a major that corresponds to the nature of the technical or vocational secondary school program.
  
• Advanced Standing: Students who achieve a minimum grade equivalent to B in the IB Higher Levels, GCE A-Levels, the Lebanese Baccalaureate, the French Baccalaureate, the German Abitur or the American Advanced Placement tests may be awarded course credits for some courses.

Placement Tests

All freshman applicants who attain the minimum score or higher on the TOEFL are required to sit for placement tests appropriate for their intended majors as shown in the following chart. Those who do not sit for the placement tests will be required to take the corresponding preparatory course. No student is allowed to sit for a placement test more than once. The sole exception is for the mathematics placement test if a student is changing programs and the mathematics level is different in the two programs.

Preparatory Courses

Students who score low on a particular placement test are enrolled in an appropriate preparatory course (i.e., XXX 001, XXX 002, XXX 003). The course’s final grade counts toward the cumulative grade point average, but the course’s credits do not count toward degree credits. A failing grade in a preparatory course cannot be changed in the student record by passing the placement test later. Students are allowed to repeat a preparatory course up to Sophomore I (less than 45 credits).