Undergraduate Studies

Undergraduate Programs

Academic Regulations

Academic advising is an essential element of the educational process. The American University of Sharjah requires advisor-student conferences at least once per semester. Students are assigned academic advisors who help them in selecting their courses of study and in planning their schedules. Their advisors also approve their schedules each semester. However, students are responsible for selecting their courses, meeting course prerequisites and adhering to university policies and procedures. The advisor assists the student in obtaining a well-balanced education and in interpreting university policies and procedures. Students may also consult faculty members, department or program chairs, program coordinators and deans.

Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for their behavior, academic or otherwise, at the American University of Sharjah. The university expects that students, as mature members of the academic community, will adhere to the highest standards of personal and academic integrity and propriety. Students are expected to adhere to the laws of Sharjah and the UAE. Failure to do so may result in the immediate dismissal of the student.

All official university communications are distributed through the AUS-issued e-mail address. These are considered official notifications.Students are responsible for checking their AUS e-mail accounts and for responding to or acting upon messages accordingly.

Students should keep their own records of all transactions with the university (e.g., registration schedules and forms, grade reports, payment records, etc.). It is also advisable to keep copies of all tests, digital files, papers and so forth submitted in fulfillment of course work.

Courses and Class Schedules

Every course in each discipline or field of study offered by the universityis represented by a three-letter prefix followed by a number indicating the level of the course content. Below is an example:

BIO 230 Ecosystems Management (3-0-3)

In this example, BIO is the course prefix(which represents biology)and 230 is the course number. This particular course is a second-level course in biology (denoted by the 200 level). This course is more advanced than 100-level introductory courses such as BIO 103 Introduction to Life Sciences. The numbers in parentheses following the title of a course indicate the contact hours and course credit information.

Below is another example:

PHY 101 General Physics I (3-3-4)

In this example, the first digit in parentheses refers to the number of class contact hours per week the course requires (three contact hours), the second digit denotes the number of laboratory or practice hours required weekly (here also three hours), and the third digit refers to the number of credits the student will receive upon successfully completing the course (four credits). The biology course above (BIO 230) has three contact hours per week, no lab or practice hours, and the student who successfully completes the course receives three credits.

Courses are offered at the discretion of the department. Students should check with the respective academic departments for information on when courses will be offered.

Certain courses also have prerequisites, co-requisites, prerequisites/concurrent and/or other criteria that are noted immediately following the course description listed in this catalog.

Course Value

All courses are valued in credits. Normally, each credit represents 50 minutes of class instruction per week each semester, 120 to 180 minutes of laboratory experience per week each semester, or one or two 50-minute recitation sessions per week each semester. A semester is 16 weeks.

Class Periods

Except for laboratory, workshop and specialized design and studio courses, classes ordinarily meet three days per week in 50-minute sessions or two days per week in 75-minute sessions. The university operates on a five-day schedule from Sunday through Thursday. University administration offices are closed for the weekend on Friday and Saturday.

Independent reading or research courses, study projects, internships, practicums and similar kinds of study opportunities meet according to the special arrangements of the college/school, department or faculty members concerned.

Course Descriptions and Syllabi

Descriptions of courses currently in the university curricula are listed by course subject and code by college/school in another section of this catalog and on the university website.

Non-recurring topics courses are published on the website each semester in the schedule of classes. Course syllabi are available from the individual course instructor, department or program offices. They include course goals and objectives, content and topics, instructional material and resources, the method of evaluation, the meeting time and place, credit hours and prerequisites.

Course Prerequisites

Many courses above the introductory level require a minimum background of knowledge, as indicated by prerequisite courses cited in individual course descriptions. Titles and numbers are those of the American University of Sharjah courses. Equivalent courses satisfactorily completed at other institutions may also meet prerequisite requirements by transfer credit. Students should consult the chair of the appropriate department for more information. In general, courses should be taken in an order of increasing difficulty.

Credit may not be awarded for an introductory course after a more advanced course in that subject has been successfully completed. Students are responsible for having the required competence when entering a class. Courses for which a grade below C- was received do not satisfy prerequisite requirements.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

In order to be considered in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.0 out of 4.0. A student must be in good standing to be eligible for graduation.

Grading System

The grade point average (GPA) is based on a four-point scale. The following grading system is used at the American University of Sharjah:

Grades not calculated in the grade point average are:

The quality points earned in a course are calculated by multiplying the grade point value of the letter grade by the number of credits the course is worth. The grade point average is calculated by dividing the sum of the quality points of the courses taken by their total credits. The grades obtained in non-credit courses are not included in the computation of a grade point average. Effective June 2004, only the last grade of the repeated course is counted in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. Credits for repeated courses are only counted once.

Student Academic Load

A student admitted to and enrolled in a degree program usually registers for 15 to 19 credits each semester. The required minimum load for all students is 12 credits per semester, and the maximum load is 19 credits per semester. Under special circumstances, a student with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher may secure the permission of his/her dean to register for up to 21 credits in any one semester. All credits exceeding 16 credits will require a supplemental fee. A student can register for up to seven credits (two courses) in the summer session.

The minimum graduation requirements for a bachelor’s degree vary from 120 to 172 credits depending on the program of study. Proposed study plans are provided in this catalog for each program. The degree programs have been designed to be completed in four years, except for architecture, which is a five-year program. However, some students may require additional time.

Freshman Academic Load

Freshmen are restricted to fivecoursesto allow time for their adjustment to the learning environment of AUS. Exceptions must be approved by the dean. Freshman students enrolled in two or more preparatory courses (e.g., MTH 001, WRI 001, etc.) may register for up to 13 credits.

Residence Requirements

Candidates for the bachelor’s degree are expected to complete their last year in residence at the university unless registered in an AUS recognized Study Abroad program. Transfer students must complete at least 50 percent of the required credits for a degree in residence at AUS. A minimum of 36 credits of 300- and/or 400-level course work must be successfully completed in residence at AUS to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

Categories of Students

Full-Time Students

To be considered on full-time status, a student must carry a minimum course load of 12 credits per semester, with the normal load being 15.
Under special circumstances,students may be allowed to drop below 12 credits.

Part-Time Students

Enrollment as a part-time student is restricted to the following:
• American University of Sharjah staff members who are pursuing a degree (approval of the employee’s director or Vice Chancellor is required)
• Those who need fewer than 12 credits to complete an undergraduate degree (approval of the academic advisor is required)
• Those who are enrolled as auditing, non-degree or visiting students

Transient Students

Transient student status covers those who have obtained their undergraduate or graduate degrees from AUS and come back to take extra course(s), those who hold degrees from universities other than AUS who want to take course(s) not toward a degree, and AUS faculty/staff and spouses of faculty/staff who want to take course(s) for reasons other than seeking a degree. One can be a transient student for not more than one academic year. Transient Student Applications are available from the Office of the Registrar and on the university website.

Time Limit on Duration of Study

Regardless of the catalog by which the student’s academic career is governed, all degree requirements must be completed within eight years of admission to AUS as an undergraduate student, inclusive of any leave. A student in good academic standing is allowed no more than one semester of leave. A student who is out for two consecutive semesters must submit a new application for admission to the Office of Admissions.

University Guidelines for Lateness and Attendance

Attendance and participation in all class, studio, workshop and laboratory sessions are essential to the process of education at the American University of Sharjah. Students benefitfromthelectures and discussions with their instructors and fellow students. For this reason, students are expected to attend class regularly. Lateness or absence hinders progress for the individual and the class and affects the student’s grade.
University guidelines for lateness and attendance are as follows:

• Any absence may affect the student’s grade.
• Instructors need not give substitute assignments or examinations to students who miss classes.
• Three occasions of lateness count as one absence. Lateness is defined by the individual instructor.
• Faculty members may automatically assign students a grade of F for excessive absence or no show. In the event a student misses 15 percent of the sessions in a class for any reason, the instructor may initiate withdrawal of the student from the course. Instructors are to keep attendance records and to draw students’ attention to attendance requirements noted in the course syllabus. The specificapplication of the attendance guidelines is at the instructor’s discretion.

Examinations

Final and common examination schedules are published by the Office of the Registrar in advance of examination week. If a student is scheduled for more than two examinations in one day, or has a time conflictwithcommonexaminations,then the student must report to his/her associate dean by the end of week 11 to make the necessary adjustments to his/her schedule.

Incomplete Grades and Make-Up Examinations

The work for a course must be completed by the end of the final examday for that course. No incomplete grade (I) is given as a finalgradeinany course unless there is a compelling medical or other such emergency certified in writing by a medical or other professional. In the case of unexcused incomplete work, an F grade is given for the missing work with the course grade computed accordingly. Only in exceptional cases (such as the emergencies noted above), with written approval of the instructor, chair and the dean, is a student allowed to make up incomplete work. All incomplete work must be submitted before the end of the second full week of classes of the next regular semester. An I grade pending beyond this time limit will revert into an F grade.

It is the responsibility of the student to find out from his/her professor the specific dates by which requirements must be fulfilled.The dead line for the instructor to submit incomplete grades for a course is within 72 hours after the make-up period exam day.

Placement on Academic Probation

All students are placed on academic probation at the end of a semester in which the cumulative GPA falls below C (2.0 CGPA).

A full-time student on probation for the first time is allowed to carry a load of five courses with a maximum of 16 credits. A full-time student who is on a second consecutive probation may only register for four courses with a maximum of 13 credits. Thereafter, a student must be in good academic standing (CGPA of 2.0) to continue at AUS.
Students in the Intensive English Program (IEP) will be placed on academic probation at the end of any semester in which their grade point average is below 2.0. IEP students on probation will have one semester in which to achieve a GPA (non-cumulative) of 2.0 or higher. If they do so in the subsequent semester, they will be removed from academic probation. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.

Removal of Probation and Dismissal

Probation will be removed at the end of any semester in which the student attains a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students on probation are advised to repeat courses in which they have obtained failing grades.

A student who fails to remove his/her probation by the end of the second semester on probation is academically dismissed and will not be allowed to continue as a student at AUS. Actions involving academic probation and dismissal are entered on the student’s permanent record.

Reinstatement

Any student who leaves AUS in good academic standing for one semester must submit a written request for reinstatement to the Office of the Registrar. Courses taken at another institution during this interim period may not be transferable. Any student who leaves AUS for two or more consecutive semesters must submit a new application for admission to the Office of Admissions.

Repeating Courses

A student may repeat any course, pending seat availability, up to two times without the approval of the student’s academic dean. Students are allowed to repeat a preparatory course up to Sophomore I standing (less than 45 credits). Effective June 2004, only the last grade of the repeated course is counted in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.

Study Abroad

AUS offers students the opportunity to study abroad at other institutions and gain full AUS course credit. To study abroad, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and have completed at least 59 credits (junior standing) of undergraduate courses in residence at AUS. Interested students must submit an AUS Study Abroad Program form available from the Office of the Registrar. Please visit the AUS website for more information.

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