General Education Program

Liberal studies form the core component of an AUS education. The general education program encourages intellectual discovery and critical reflection, promotes an appreciation of the various modes of human inquiry, and develops the knowledge and skills to succeed in and contribute to the Arab Gulf region and the world at large. The program fosters personal development by providing the foundation for lifelong engagement with the questions that shape individuals and societies. General education at AUS complements professional programs by offering opportunities for students to reflect on a diverse and increasingly interdependent world and their place within it.

General Education Program Requirements

Information presented on this webpage pertains to the revised General Education Program requirements in effect from the Fall 2012 semester onward. Students following undergraduate catalogs prior to the 2012–2013 academic year must adhere to the general education requirements outlined in the graduation section of their respective catalog.

As of the 2020­–2021 undergraduate catalog, the core general education requirements have been reduced by three credit hours. The text below and the general education program advising worksheet linked below include information both for catalogs prior to 2020–2021 and for catalogs from 2020–2021 onward.

Students following catalogs in effect from Fall 2012 onward must use the General Education Program Advising Worksheet.

Every undergraduate student must complete a minimum of 42 credit hours (catalogs prior to 2020–2021) or 39 credit hours (2020–2021 catalog onwards) in core and non-core general education requirements (GERs) with a minimum grade of C- to graduate. In addition, students must successfully complete one course from each areas of the major-designated requirements.

Core Requirements

Students must successfully complete a minimum of 18 credit hours (catalogs prior to 2020–2021) or 15 credit hours (2020–2021 catalog onwards) in courses meeting the following core general education areas. Credits earned in these areas cannot be counted towards other general education requirements or other degree program requirements.

• History and Culture of the Arab World: three to six credits
• Culture in a Critical Perspective: three to six credits
• Arts and Literature: three to six credits
• Human Interaction and Behavior: six to nine credits (catalogs prior to 2020–2021) or three to six credits (2020–2021 catalog onwards)

Non-Core Requirements

Students must successfully complete a minimum of 24 credits in courses meeting the following non-core general education areas. Courses in these areas may also meet major requirements. In cases where a course is considered both a non-core general education requirement and a major requirement, credits for the course are counted only once towards the overall credits earned.

• Natural Sciences: a minimum of six credits
• Mathematics: a minimum of three credits
• Statistics: a minimum of three credits (for College of Engineering, please see degree program details)
• Communication: A minimum of 12 credits in 100-level writing (WRI) courses or 200-level or above English (ENG) courses. 

Major-Designated Requirements

Students must successfully complete one course from each of the following areas:

• Ethical Understanding
• Discipline-Specific Writing Intensive Course
• Oral Proficiency
• Information Literacy
• Computer Literacy

Students who transfer to AUS may satisfy general education requirements if the course(s) being transferred meet the outcomes of a general education area as defined by the general education program.

• Program Goals and Outcomes
• Program Areas and Courses
• General Education Program Advising Worksheet