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BEFORE YOU START AN APPLICATION, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE APPLICATION TYPE.
New Students (Applicants who have completed their bachelor level education must apply as new applicants)
AUS’s minimum admission requirements depend on the applicant’s type of education program and certificate.
To make sure you have all the information and documents needed to submit your application, click here.
Transfer Students (Applicants enrolled in other universities, colleges or any institution of higher education prior to submitting an application must apply as transfer applicants)
Transfer applicants may transfer up to six graduate credit hours from recognized graduate schools with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 on a scale of 4.00 or its equivalent.
Transfer of credit will be subject to AUS academic rules and regulations. For more information, refer to Transfer of Credit Hours section in the Graduate Catalog.
Returning Students are required to fill a Returning Student Form. Readmission will be subject to AUS academic rules and regulations. For more information, refer to Returning Student section in the Graduate Catalog.
Second Degree Students (Holders of a Doctoral degree must apply as new applicants)
Holders of a doctoral degree awarded by AUS or independently accredited university recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Affairs Division and by AUS may apply for admission to an AUS Doctoral degree program.
Graduate courses applied towards a previously earned doctoral degree may be considered for transfer of credit hours. For more information, refer to Transfer of Credit Hours section in the Graduate Catalog.
Non Degree Students (Applicants who wish to enroll in courses at AUS without pursuing a degree must apply as new applicants)
Applicants who intend to apply as Non-degree students, should notify Graduate Admissions at infodesk
Non-degree graduate applicants must meet the same minimum admission criteria established for full admission.
To make sure you have all the information and documents needed to submit your application, click here.
Exchange Students (Students who wish to take courses at AUS in the context of a semester exchange program must apply as exchange applicants)
An exchange student is not formally admitted to American University of Sharjah but is allowed to take courses at the university in the context of a semester exchange program.
Exchange students should check with their home institutions about the transferability of AUS credit hours to their programs.
For detailed information click here.
Transient Students (Applicants who have obtained their undergraduate or graduate degrees from AUS and have returned to take extra course(s) at AUS must apply as transient applicants)
Applicants must submit to the Office of the Registrar the complete Transient Student Application available here
In courses with enrollment limits, priority is given to AUS students. Normally, a student can register as a transient student for no more than one academic year.
For further information, please contact the Office of the Registrar at [email protected]
A visiting student is one who is not formally admitted to American University of Sharjah but is allowed to take courses at AUS for transfer back to the student’s home institution.
Visiting students should check with their home institutions about the transferability of AUS credit hours to their programs.
For detailed information click here.
Please note that other documents might be required based on specific program requirements.
All applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of AED 450.
Applicants who earned their undergraduate degrees from universities outside the UAE must present Certificate Equivalency.
*Uncertified scans will be accepted to start the application process. However, applicants will be required to show certified original documents in person before enrolling at AUS. Applicants graduating from universities outside the UAE are to certify (attest) documents from the country of origin: certification is required by the authorized educational authority, the country’s ministry of foreign affairs and the UAE Embassy. Applicants graduating from UAE universities are required to certify (attest) documents from the UAE Ministry of Education. Visit attestations for more information. Applicants who have graduated recently and have not received their graduation certificates can submit a Letter from the Office of the Registrar confirming their graduation date. This letter does not replace the required attested graduation certificate which must be presented, once available, to be able to register for courses.
For full admission to a doctoral degree program at AUS, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
hold a master’s degree from an independently accredited university recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Affairs Division and by AUS. have attained a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 on a scale of 4.00 or its equivalent in the master's degree as required by the program.
Please note that other documents might be required based on specific program requirements.
All applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of AED 450
* Uncertified scans will be accepted to start the application process. However, applicants will be required to show certified original documents in person before enrolling at AUS. Applicants graduating from universities outside the UAE are to certify (attest) documents from the country of origin: certification is required by the authorized educational authority, the country’s ministry of foreign affairs and the UAE Embassy. Applicants graduating from UAE universities are required to certify (attest) documents from the UAE Ministry of Education. For more information, refer to Required Attestations
**Applicants not residing in the UAE who have applied for Certificate of Equivalency, but who have not concluded the equivalency process by the time of registration, would be given the chance to register for the first semester provided that they sign the Graduate Admission Contract. Applicants selecting this option must present a copy of the MOE Application Receipt. For more information, refer to UAE Certificate of Equivalency.
For transfer admission to a doctoral degree program at AUS, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
Applicants enrolled in other universities, colleges or any institution of higher education prior to submitting an application must apply as transfer applicants (Student Type: Transfer). Transfer of credit will be subject to AUS academic rules and regulations. The decision regarding credits awarded is made solely by the appropriate academic division dean/department head at AUS. See the AUS Graduate Catalog for more information.
In addition to the documents required for the general application, transfer applicants are required to arrange for an official university transcript to be sent in a sealed envelope directly from their college/university, along with course descriptions.
For information about the credit transfer policy, see the AUS Graduate Catalog for more information.
To be eligible to apply as a transfer applicant, applicants must:
Transfer applicants are required to pay a non-refundable transcript evaluation fee of 400 AED (deductible from tuition upon joining AUS).
*A graduate student may transfer up to six graduate credit hours from recognized graduate schools at independently accredited universities recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Affairs Division. Only graduate-level courses completed with a grade of B or higher will be evaluated for transfer credit. Courses completed more than five years from the start date of the first semester of study of the current graduate degree program at AUS are not transferable
English Language Proficiency Tests
Applicants are requested to submit valid score reports from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Emirates Standardized Test (EmSAT Achieve).
TOEFL and IELTS score reports are valid for two calendar years
IELTS Academic/ IELTS Indicator |
||||
6.5 |
80 |
550 |
176 |
1550 |
English Language Proficiency Tests Exemption
Applicants who completed their Master's degree program at AUS are exempted from English proficiency tests.
Decisions regarding exemptions are made by the Office of Enrollment Management- Graduate Admissions committee on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants who earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees from universities outside the UAE must present a Certificate of Equivalency for their graduation certificates from the UAE Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Affairs Division. Applicants who earned their degrees from universities inside the UAE may be required to present Certificate of Equivalency for their graduation certificates from the UAE Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Affairs Division. In such cases, Graduate Admissions will notify the applicants.
Please note that AUS is not involved in the equivalency process or decisions. Issuing of Certificate Equivalency is controlled fully by the UAE Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Affairs Division.
If you are applying to a PhD program offered by AUS you are required to submit three reference letters to the Office of Enrollment Management–Graduate Admissions along with your doctoral application using the required online template.
To request the reference letter follow the below steps:
At least two of the reference letters must be from an academic advisor or faculty member familiar with the applicant’s background.