American University of Sharjah (AUS) was ranked as the best private university in the Gulf region offering an MBA degree, according to a study published recently by Forbes Middle East in its February issue. The university ranks second best among private universities offering MBA degrees in the entire Middle East and North African (MENA) region, according to the same study.

Dr. Peter Heath, AUS Chancellor, expressed satisfaction over the results and congratulated His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, UAE Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of AUS, as well as other members of the AUS Board of Trustees, the dean, the faculty and the staff of the School of Business and Management (SBM), on this achievement.

 "The high ranking of our MBA program by Forbes is not a surprise to us, but comes as a logical crowning of the series of achievements by AUS in general and its School of Business and Management in particular," he said.

Programs of the university's School of Business and Management have recently earned international accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The new AED 90-million, state-of-the-art SBM building was opened soon thereafter, Dr. Heath added.

The six criteria used by the study to assess the top 37 private MBA programs in the MENA region included accreditation, number of majors, length of the program, cost, minimum GPA requirements and availability of Academic advisors.

Meanwhile, in an interview published on the occasion, Dr. Heath told Forbes Middle East that AUS maintained an educational standard equal to that of renowned US universities. He attributed the university's success to the support of its president, board of trustees' members and the dedication of its faculty and staff.

Forbes also quoted AUS MBA graduate Mishal Kano, Vice President of the Kanoo Group as saying that AUS had given him "the ability to consider different investment viewpoints and distinguished business policies." Another MBA graduate, Nadia Kamali, Head of the IT Department at Dubai World, described the AUS faculty as "excellent and always there to take care of me."

The AUS MBA was ranked the best in the Gulf region and second in a listing of the 37 best private universities in the MENA region offering MBA programs. A separate listing was also done to cover the 32 best government universities in the region offering MBA programs.