The Faculty of Arts and Sciences was established in 1866, the same year in which the Syrian
Protestant College, now the American University of Beirut, was established. On December
13, 1866, the first class was held, attended by sixteen students, and in 1870 the first five students graduated. Arabic, which was the language of instruction since the inception of the
college, was replaced by English in 1882. The university in general, and the Faculty of Arts
and Sciences in particular, have survived many crises since 1866, including two world wars,
regional and local wars, student strikes, and economic crises. In spite of all these hardships,
the faculty has continued to develop and to maintain its high academic standards.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences embodies AUB’s core commitment to the liberal arts and
sciences. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, humanities, social, natural, and mathematical sciences, and is dedicated to advanced research in all these domains. Through its freshmen and general education programs, it is the University’s principal
gateway to higher studies and professional education. The faculty, through its teaching and
research, promotes free inquiry, critical thinking, academic integrity, and respect for diversity
and equality.
Building upon its rich tradition, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences is determined to position
itself at the heart of free inquiry in the Middle East. Free and critical thinking is central to
the faculty’s teaching, its research, its engagements with the wider community, and its commitment to the thoughtful transformation of all of its activities and structures. The faculty’s
enhanced undergraduate programs will graduate innovators with a breadth of vision who
can be agents of positive change wherever they live and work. The faculty will strategically
expand its graduate offerings, especially in areas where it can make a distinctive contribution, and will educate graduate students who are themselves producers of knowledge. The
faculty will be recognized internationally for the quality of its research and creative activities
in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematical sciences, and interdisciplinary areas, whether undertaken in response to regional and global needs or to human curiosity and imagination. The faculty will provide a vital forum for open discussion and engage
contemporary issues in ways that resonate far beyond our campus walls.
Undergraduate Programs
Students entering the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as freshmen, except those admitted as
special students or auditors, select one of the following programs:
Preparation for majors offered in Arts and Sciences
Preparation for Business Administration, Health Sciences, Engineering
and Architecture, or Agricultural and Food Sciences
Students entering the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as sophomores select one of the following two programs; for each program a period of three years of study is normally required:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
There are four major divisions in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Their distribution according to degree-offering departments is as follows:
- Humanities: Arabic, English, Fine Arts and Art History, History and Archaeology, and Philosophy
- Social Sciences: Economics, Education, Political Studies and Public Administration, Psychology and Sociology, Anthropology and Media Studies
- Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics
- Quantitative Thought: Computer Science and Mathematics
Admission
For complete and detailed information regarding admission to the university, including certificates recognized, see the Admission section of this catalogue. The specific requirements for
admission to the freshman or sophomore class are found under Applications for the Freshman Year and Applications to the Sophomore Year and All Other Undergraduate Programs
under Admissions Office section.
Classification of Students
An undergraduate student shall be considered to have completed a class when s/he has
taken and passed 30 or more credits beyond the requirements for the previous class.
A student will not be granted a certificate stating that s/he has completed a class until s/he
has completed the specified courses in the regular program for that class and has acquired
the requisite number of credits. The credit requirements are as follows:
Major and
Faculty
| Freshman Standing
| Sophomore Standing |
For the
completion of
the freshman
class
| 30 credits
| -
| -
| -
|
For the
completion of
the sophomore
class
| 60 credits
| Cumulative
| 30 credits
| -
|
For the
completion of
the junior class
| 90 credits
| Cumulative
| 60 credits
| Cumulative
|
Full-time Students and Maximum Credit Loads
To be considered full-time, a student must carry a minimum load of 12 credits per term. A
full-time student who, for compelling reasons, is forced to reduce her/his load to fewer than
12 credits must first petition the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee for permission to do so. This should be done no later than 12 weeks after the start of the term (five
weeks in the case of summer school). Students in their first term at AUB may be allowed to
reduce their load to fewer than 12 credits by requesting permission from the Undergraduate
Student Academic Affairs Committee. Requests are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Students can normally register for up to 17 credits per term and 9 credits during the summer
term. English course requirements must be taken as of the first term at the university. Students who wish to register for more than 17 credits must petition the Undergraduate Student
Academic Affairs Committee for permission to do so. Requests are handled on a case-by-case basis. Students in the following categories will normally be granted permission by the
Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee to register for more than 17 credits:
- Freshman students intending to go into engineering or medicine,
and who have an average of at least 3.3 for the first term, may take
an additional course in the second term.
- Graduating senior students in their last term who are not on academic
probation and who have completed their English communication skills
requirements at the level required by their major departments may register
for a maximum of 18 credits.
Requirements for Premedical Study
For information on Premedical Requirements, refer to General University Academic Information.
Academic Rules and Regulations
For information on Academic Advisors, Categories of Students, Correct Use of Language,
Grading System, and Graduation with Distinction and High Distinction, refer to General University Academic Information of this catalogue.
Graduation Requirements
Degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
The following are the graduation requirements for the degrees of BA and BS:
Residency and Total Credit Requirements
- A maximum of eight calendar years is allowed for graduation of students who begin with the freshman class, six calendar years for sophomores, four calendar years for juniors, and two calendar years for seniors. A student who fails to complete her/his degree program within these specified times must petition the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee for an extension of time.
- A minimum of eight terms of residence is required beginning with the freshman class, or six terms beginning with the sophomore class. For purposes of this requirement, two summer sessions shall be considered equivalent to one term for one time only.
- Transfer students from other recognized institutions of higher learning must complete at least 45 credits at AUB, out of which a minimum of 21 credits should be in the major. For the purposes of this requirement, two summer sessions shall be considered equivalent to one term.
- A minimum of 120 credits for students who enter as freshmen (90 of which should be courses numbered 200 or above) and 90 credits (in courses numbered 200 or above) for students who enter as sophomores.
Departmental Requirements
The requirements are a minimum of 36 credits in the major department, in courses numbered
200 or above, of which a minimum of 30 credits must be numbered 210 or above. Also, a
cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in the major plus any additional requirements set by the
department. For the distribution of the requirements according to discipline, consult the matrices of the departments in each department entry.
A student must be admitted into her/his departmental major for at least the last term prior to
graduation.
Repeating Courses
For information on Repeating Courses, refer to General University Academic Information.
Faculty Requirements
General Education Requirements
Refer to the General Education Program section.
Other Requirements
A student must complete elective credits outside his/her major department as per the program requirements, exclusive of the university course requirements stated above and beyond those of the normal freshman program. Grades of C+ or above in at least 50 credits of
courses numbered 200 or above for students entering at the sophomore level are required.
Students entering at the freshman level must obtain grades of C+ or above in at least 12 additional credits of courses numbered 100 or above.
Study Abroad
Regular FAS students (non-transfer students) in good standing who have completed 24 credits at the sophomore level at AUB and wish to study abroad in an approved program of study,
may spend up to one year and earn up to thirty (30) credits at another university. Students
must spend their final term in residence at AUB. Transfer of credits will be considered on
a course-by course basis and is contingent upon achieving a grade equivalent to the AUB
grade of C+. For more information on study abroad and credit transfer, refer to Study Abroad
for Undergraduate Students and Credit transfer sections under General University Academic
Information.
Transfers
Students may transfer to majors within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences from outside the university, from another faculty within the university, or from one department to another within
the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
- Applicants from outside AUB wishing to transfer to a major in FAS with junior standing should
note the following conditions and requirements:
- The applicant must have completed the equivalent of 24 sophomore credits at the university from which the applicant is transferring.
- The applicant must submit an application to the university Admissions Office along with all the course syllabi taken at the applicant’s previous university or universities.
- Transfer admission is competitive and limited by the number of spaces available. Normally, successful applicants will have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 or its equivalent.
- Courses successfully completed at a previous university or universities are transferred provided the student earned a grade equivalent to the AUB grade of C+ in each of the courses for which transfer credit is requested.
- For placement in (or exemption from) the Communication Skills Program, a student may petition for course equivalence by presenting relevant documents to the Department of English. If a student has not taken any courses equivalent to those offered within the Communication Skills Program, the student should be placed in the appropriate course based on the student’s test scores (EEE, TOEFL, or SAT Writing), according to the same guidelines normally followed for newly admitted non-transfer students.
- Students who have transferred must complete at least 45 credits at AUB out of which a minimum of 21 credits should be in their major department for fulfillment of graduation requirements.
AUB students from other faculties wishing to transfer to a major in FAS should note the following conditions and requirements:
- The applicant must have completed at least two full terms (minimum 24 credits) of coursework at AUB.
- The applicant must have attained a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+.
- The applicant must have attained a minimum average of 2.3 or C+ in all courses taken in FAS (must be at least 15 credits).
- The applicant must have met the requirements for the applicant’s prospective major (see Table 1 below).
AUB students wishing to transfer from one major to another in FAS should note the following
conditions and requirements:
- The applicant must have completed two full terms (minimum 24 credits)
of work in the applicant’s current major.
- The applicant must have met the requirements for the applicant’s prospective
major (see Table 1 below).
AUB Non-Degree Students (NDS) wishing to apply for regular status should note the following conditions and requirements:
- The applicant must submit an application to the Office of Admissions.
- The applicant must have completed the equivalent of the sophomore year at the college or university from which the applicant is transferring (24 credits or the equivalent).
- Grade requirements for transferred courses offered by other faculties at AUB follow the guidelines set by the relevant faculty. All final admissions decisions will depend on the availability of places in the major to which the student applies.
- Courses successfully completed at AUB by a non-degree student may be considered for admissions purposes. Once the student is admitted, the credits for those completed courses may be transferable towards the student’s regular degree (required courses with a minimum grade of C+ and elective courses with a minimum grade of D.
- Courses successfully completed at a previous university or universities are transferred provided the student earned a grade equivalent to the AUB grade of C+ in each of the courses for which transfer credit is requested.
Double Major
Refer to Double Major/Concentration section under General University Academic Information.
Double major applicants must meet the transfer requirements for their prospective majors
specified in Table 1.
Dual Degree
Refer to Dual Degree section under General University Academic Information.
Dual degree applicants must meet the transfer requirements for their prospective majors
specified in Table 1.
Second Degrees
Refer to Second Degree section under General University Academic Information.
Normally, successful second degree applicants who obtained their first degree from outside
AUB will have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 or its equivalent in their first degree.
Majorless Status
Refer to Majorless Status section under General University Academic Information.
A student who wishes to join a new major must also submit a Change of Major petition to the
Office of the Dean, provided the student meets the requirements for admission to the new
major.
Table 1: Requirements for Interdepartmental
Transfer within FAS
Major
| Requirements
|
Applied Mathematics
| a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in MATH 201 and
other math courses if taken
|
Arabic language and
Literature
| a minimum grade of C+ in ARAB 201 or any other upper level
ARAB course
|
Archaeology
| a minimum grade of C+ in any two Cultures and Histories
courses, excluding Understanding Communication requirements
in Arabic and English
|
Art History
| a minimum grade of C+ in any two Cultures and Histories
courses
|
Biology
| a grade of B or above in each of BIOL 201 and BIOL 202, and a
cumulative BIOL average of 3.0 if additional courses are taken
(excluding FR courses); a grade of C+ or above in CHEM 201;
and a minimum overall average of 3.0. The aforementioned
requirements should be completed in 3 consecutive terms.
Transfer to Biology from other departments within the Faculty
of Arts and Sciences is competitive and requires departmental
approval
|
Chemistry
| a minimum grade of C+ in CHEM 201; a cumulative average
of 2.3 or C+ or more in any one of the following three
combinations: MATH 201 and MATH 202, or MATH 201 and
PHYS 211, or MATH 201 and CHEM 21
|
Computer Science
| completion of CMPS 211 (or MATH 211), a minimum grade of C+
in each of CMPS 201 and CMPS 202, and a cumulative average
of 2.3 or C+ in all Computer Science courses taken
|
Economics
| an overall average of 3.0 or more; a minimum grade of B in
each of ECON 211 and ECON 212; a minimum average of 2.3
or C+ in ENGL 203 and ENGL 204 (if ENGL 204 is taken); and
a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in MATH 201 and
MATH 202
|
Education
| a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in ENGL 203 and/or
ENGL 204; a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in EDUC
course(s) if taken
|
English Language
| a minimum grade of C+ in ENGL 203, 204, and 227
|
English Literature
| a minimum grade of C+ in ENGL 203, 204, and one of ENGL
205, 207, and 209 (formerly 201)
|
Geology
| a minimum grade of C+ in GEOL 201 and 203; an average of 2.3
or C+ is required in math and science courses - such courses
cannot be taken more than twice; a minimum overall average
of 2.3 or C+; completion of MATH 102 or its equivalent; and
completion of 10 credits of freshman science courses including
CHEM 101 and CHEM 101L, or their equivalents
|
History
| a minimum grade of C+ in any two Cultures and Histories
courses, excluding Understanding Communication requirements
in Arabic and English
|
Mathematics
| a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in MATH 201 and
other math courses if taken
|
Media and
Communication
| a minimum cumulative average of 3.0 in MCOM 201 and one
List A Elective (of the student’s choice), a minimum cumulative
average of 2.3 in all MCOM courses taken, a minimum grade
of B in ENGL 203, and a minimum cumulative average of 3.0 in
ENGL 203 and ENGL 204 if taken.
|
Petroleum
Geosciences
| a minimum grade of C+ in GEOL 201 and 203; an average of 2.3
or C+ is required in math and science courses - such courses
cannot be taken more than twice; a minimum overall average
of 2.3 or C+; completion of MATH 102 or its equivalent; and
completion of 11 credits of freshman science courses including
CHEM 102 and CHEM 102L, or their equivalents.
|
Philosophy
| a minimum grade of C+ in any two Cultures and Histories
courses, excluding Understanding communication skills
requirements in Arabic and English
|
Physics
| a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in PHYS 212, PHYS
214, and other physics courses if taken, and a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in MATH 201 and MATH 202
|
Political Studies
| a minimum grade of C+ in each of PSPA 201 and PSPA 202; and
a minimum combined grade average of 2.3 or C+ in ENGL 203
and ENGL 204
|
Psychology
| a minimum grade of B in PSYC 101 or PSYC 2011 and ENGL 204
and an overall average above 3.0 (PSYC 101 or PSYC 201 cannot
be repeated more than twice)
|
Public Administration
| a minimum grade of C+ in each of PSPA 201 and PSPA 202; and
a minimum combined grade average of 2.3 or C+ in ENGL 203
and ENGL 204
|
Sociology Anthropology
| minimum grade of C+ in ENGL 203 and ENGL 204, and a grade
of C+ or more in one of the following: SOAN 101, SOAN 103,
SOAN 201, or SOAN 203. If admission to SOAN is based on
SOAN 101 or SOAN 103, any additional SOAN or any social
science course is required.
|
Statistics
| a minimum cumulative average of 2.3 or C+ in MATH 201 and
other math courses if taken
|
For further details concerning individual departmental requirements, refer to the relevant
sections
of this catalogue.
Minors
For the university’s general requirements for a minor field of study, refer to the Minor section
under General University Academic Information. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences offers disciplinary and interdisciplinary minors, which require the completion of a number of courses
before graduation as specified below:
American Studies requires 15 credits: AMST 215 and one other 3 credit AMST course (220,
230, 240, 265/266, 275/276), plus three elective courses with American Studies content or
relevance from other departments (ARCH 023, ENGL 209, 215, 216, 219, 222, 224, 225, 226,
241, HIST 200, 271, 272, 273, 274, 278/279, MCOM 201, 204, 219, 222, 290E, MEST 315M,
PHIL 263A, PSPA 220, 237, 251, 293D, SOAN 215). Students can petition to apply a new or
special topics course with American Studies content from a different department, and this
must be approved first by the CASAR director, then by the FAS Curriculum Committee.
Anthropology requires 15 credits: one core course (SOAN 203 or SOAN 212) and 4 electives
from the following: SOAN 203, SOAN 212, SOAN 215-218, SOAN 220–227, SOAN 236, SOAN
237, SOAN 250-252, and SOAN 290 (if selected topic is in Anthropology).
Applied Mathematics requires 18 credits: MATH 201, MATH 210, either MATH 218 or MATH
219, and 9 more credits in mathematics courses numbered MATH 202, MATH 211 or above,
and statistics courses numbered 230 or above. Note: A student can opt for a minor in mathematics or a minor in applied mathematics, but not both.
Arabic and Near Eastern Languages requires 15 credits: ARAB 211 or ARAB 212 (or an equivalent language course), at least one course in classical Arabic literature (ARAB 224, 229,
230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 241, 243, 244, 247, 249, 257, 290), at least one course in
modern Arabic literature (ARAB 223, 225, 226, 237, 238, 239, 240, 245, 246, 253, 254, 258),
plus two other courses in the department.
Archaeology requires 15 credits: Five courses numbered 200 and above, including one of
the following: AROL 211, AROL 212, AROL 233, AROL 234, AROL 291, or AROL 292.
Art History requires 15 credits: 6 credits chosen from AHIS 203, AHIS 207, AHIS 208, AHIS
209, AHIS 210 or equivalents; 6 credits from AHIS 221, AHIS 224, AHIS 225, AHIS 226, AHIS
227, AHIS 249, AHIS 263, AHIS 281; and 3 credits from AHIS 250, AHIS 251, AHIS 252, AHIS
284, or approved alternate.
Biology requires 15 credits: BIOL 201 (4 credits), BIOL 202 (4 credits), plus at least two courses (provided the prerequisites of these courses are satisfied) to complete the 15 credits required for the minor, except BIOL 200, BIOL 209, BIOL 210, and BIOL 293.
Chemistry requires 16-17 credits: CHEM 201, one lab course from the following list (CHEM
201L, CHEM 203, CHEM 209 or CHEM 210) and a minimum of 12 credits from courses selected from at least three of the below four chemistry divisions:
- Analytical: CHEM 215, CHEM 219, CHEM 234
- Inorganic: CHEM 228, CHEM 229
- Organic: CHEM 207, CHEM 208, CHEM 211, CHEM 212
- Physical: CHEM 217, CHEM 218, PHYS 212, [CHEM 204 and MECH 310]
Typical choice of minors for different majors:
- Biology: 201, 201L/210, 211, 212, 215, 228 (16/17 credits)
- Physics: 201, 201L/209/210, PHYS 212, 215/217, 208/211/212/228 (16/17 credits)
- Geology: 201, 201L/209, 208, 215, 228, 229 (16/17 credits)
- Chemical Engineering: 201, 201L/209, 207, 219, (204 and MECH 310) (16/17 credits)
Civil Society, Citizenship, and the Nonprofit Sector requires 15 credits. The requirements
are PSPA 222 and PSPA 272 and three electives from the following list of courses: PSPA 202,
PSPA 203, PSPA 233, PSPA 235, PSPA 254, PSPA 257, PSPA 260, PSPA 263, PSPA 289G,
PSPA 299, ECON 232, ECON 237, MCOM 217, MCOM 252, SOAN 225, SOAN 226, SOAN
240, and SOAN 245. No more than 12 credits can be taken from the same department. No
more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.
Cognitive Science (Suspended as of Fall 2020-21) requires 18 credits: PSYC 237 is required.
PSYC 237 cannot be counted as a psychology course for the purpose of this requirement.
The remaining 15 credits must be chosen from the following courses: BIOL 240, 243, 244,
CMPS 201, 211, 261, 262, EDUC 215, 221, ENGL 227, 228, 232, 284, 294, PHIL 211, 220, 221,
222, 223, 257 or 258 (but not both), PSYC 210, 222, 224, 226, 229, 280, on condition that
the 15 credits chosen span at least three disciplines. A student may choose a special topics
course not listed above (e.g., 290 course codes), provided the topic is within the purview of
cognitive science, upon approval of the course coordinator. For single major students, only 3
credits of the 15 credits taken for the minor may count toward the major.
For double major students, 6 credits taken for the minor may count toward the majors, with
no more than 3 credits per major. Students are encouraged to take PSYC 237 early in the
minor.
Computational Sciences an interdisciplinary minor, requires 18 credits (excluding prerequisite courses): 12 required credits: (CMPS 201 or CMPS 203, CMPS 202, MATH/CMPS 251,
MATH 281 or CMPS 254), plus 6 credits from the following: MATH 211 (or CMPS 211), DCSN
200, PHYS 222, or a tutorial course in either PHYS 231 or PHYS 232, a course in bioinformatics, or a chemistry course which has computational contents. New computational courses will
be introduced by various departments as future electives for this minor.
Computer Science requires 18 credits: CMPS 201, CMPS 202, CMPS 211 (or MATH 211), CMPS
214, and 3 additional credits from the following: CMPS 215, CMPS 221, CMPS 231, CMPS 240,
CMPS 241, and CMPS 271, and 3 additional credits from CMPS courses numbered 214 and
above (except CMPS 297T). [Note: This minor is not open to students from the ECE Department]
Creative Writing requires 15 credits. Three courses chosen from ENGL 239, ENGL 249,
ENGL 250, ENGL 251, ENGL 252, ENGL 253, 254, and ENGL 264. Two 200-level courses
chosen from the offerings in Literature, including ENGL 236 (Creative Writing) or any course
in creative writing offered by the Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages.
Critical Humanities requires 15 credits: CHLA 204 or CHLA 206, CHLA 209, and three courses chosen from CHLA 210-214.
Data Science for non-CMPS majors and non-ECE majors requires 18 credits: CMPS 201 or
CMPS 203, CMPS 244, CMPS 261, CMPS 262, one of the following (STAT 201, STAT 210, STAT
230, STAT 233, BUSS 200, EDUC 227, ECON 213, or NURS 203), and MATH 218 or MATH 219.
Educational Psychology requires 15 credits: EDUC 215, EDUC 221, EDUC 223, EDUC 217,
and either EDUC 280 or EDUC 232.
Educational Administration and Policy requires 15 credits: EDUC 211, EDUC 212, EDUC 213,
either EDUC 215 or EDUC 225, and EDUC 230.
Economics requires 15 credits: ECON 211, ECON 212, one of ECON 214 or ECON 239 or
ECON 243, at least one of ECON 217 or ECON 227, and at least one elective other than ECON
213 chosen from the available offerings, provided their prerequisite (or equivalent) has been
satisfied.
English Language requires 15 credits: ENGL 227 and four other courses chosen from the
department’s Language offerings.
English Literature requires 15 credits: Two core courses from ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL
209 (formerly ENGL 201), plus three other courses: one comparative literature course (ENGL
240 243), and any two courses from the different categories of the literature curriculum.
Environmental and Aquatic Sciences requires in addition to BIOL 202 or BIOL 200, a total
of 15 credits: one course from BIOL 252, BIOL 250, BIOL 256; one course from BIOL 266,
BIOL 246, BIOL 267, BIOL 255; the remaining credits are completed by choosing from the
following: CHEM 202, PHIL 209, PSPA 288F, BIOL 240, BIOL 241, BIOL 245, BIOL 246, BIOL
250, BIOL 252, BIOL 254, BIOL 255, BIOL 256, BIOL 258, BIOL 259, BIOL 266, BIOL 267,
BIOL 281, BIOL 286, AGSC 215, LDEM 230, AGSC 284, AGSC 295, LDEM 211, LDEM 215,
LDEM 203, ENHL 220, CIVE 350, CIVE 450.
A minimum of three courses should be taken outside the student’s major field of study and
should be chosen from two different disciplines.
Film and Visual Culture requires 15 credits: two of the following core courses (ENGL 219
, MCOM 206, MCOM 222); two electives from the following: ENGL 241A, ENGL257 (A….Z),
MCOM219, MCOM220, MCOM221, MCOM 223, MCOM 225, MCOM 230, SOAN 236, SOAN
250, or other classes/special topics courses approved by the coordinator of the minor program; and one elective from the following: ENGL 239, ENGL 254A, MCOM 245, MCOM 246
or special topics courses approved by the coordinator of the minor program.
Gaming for CMPS majors, Engineering, or other Sciences requires 18 credits: CMPS 202,
CMPS 285, CMPS 288, two courses from ENGL 264, ENGL 297, MCOM 291P, and one of
ENGL 245G or EDUC 275.
Gaming for students majoring in Social Sciences or Humanities: 18 credits are required as
follows: CMPS 201, CMPS 204, GRDS 141, two courses from ENGL 264, ENGL 297, MCOM
291P, and one of ENGL 245G or EDUC 275.
Geology requires 15 credits: Core course GEOL 201, and any four courses of the following:
GEOL 209, GEOL 211, GEOL 213, GEOL 222, and GEOL 227.
History requires 15 credits: five courses numbered 200 and above. All students, especially
those considering graduate work in history, are encouraged to take HIST 287 as one of the
five courses.
Human Rights and Transitional Justice, an interdisciplinary minor requires 15 credits: SOAN
245, SOAN 240 or PSPA 235, and three electives from the following: SOAN 221, MCOM 216,
MCOM 217, SOAN 232, SOAN 242, PSYC 212, PHIL 216, PHIL 252, PSPA 222, PSPA 232 any
special topics course in SOAN, PSYC, PHIL, PSPA, which will fit with the minor topic, upon
the approval of the respective department chair and the coordinator of the minor program.
Students majoring in sociology-anthropology should take at least three courses other than
SOAN courses.
International Law for non-PSPA majors requires 15 credits: PSPA 213 and PSPA 225; plus
three upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 226, PSPA 228, PSPA 232,
PSPA 233, PSPA 235, PSPA 239, PSPA 288 (if related to the minor’s emphasis and approved
by the PSPA Department), PSPA 293B, 293C, 293F, PSPA 299 (if approved by the PSPA Department) and SOAN 245.
International Law for Political Studies majors requires 15 credits: PSPA 225, and four upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 226, PSPA 228, PSPA 232, PSPA
233, PSPA 235, PSPA 239, PSPA 288 (if related to the minor’s emphasis and approved by
the PSPA Department), PSPA 293B, 293C, 293F, PSPA 299 (if approved by the PSPA Department) and SOAN 245. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for
another major or minor.
Marine Sciences and Culture requires 15 credits: MSCU 201, MSCU 202, and MSCU 203,
plus any two electives from the following: MSCU 204, MSCU 211, AROL 211, 213, 214, 215, 216,
217, 218, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, BIOL 246, 255, GEOL 201, 210, 214, and 222.
Mathematics requires 18 credits: MATH 201, MATH 210, either MATH 218 or MATH 219; and
9 more credits in mathematics courses numbered 202, 211, or above; and statistics courses
numbered 230 or above. Note: A student can opt for a minor in mathematics or a minor in
applied mathematics, but not both.
Media and Communication requires 15 credits: two requirements from the following: MCOM
201, MCOM 202, MCOM 203 or MCOM 204; two List A electives from: MCOM 205, MCOM
206, MCOM 215 to MCOM 239, MCOM 290 - MCOM 292; one List B elective from MCOM
240 to MCOM 259, MCOM 293.
Music requires 15 credits: 6 credits from: MUSC 220, 221, 230, 235, 239, 250. 6 credits from:
MUSC 200, 205, 231. 3 credits from: MUSC 262, 263, 265, 266, 269.
Philosophy requires 15 credits from courses numbered 200 and above, including at least two
of the following courses: PHIL 211, PHIL 213, PHIL 214, and PHIL 225.
Physics requires 18 credits: PHYS 212, 221L and one of the following three courses (PHYS
210, PHYS 211 or PHYS 214), plus 9 credits selected from PHYS 217, PHYS 220, PHYS 226,
PHYS 235, PHYS 236 or a special topic course.
Political Studies for non-PSPA majors requires 15 credits: PSPA 201; one of the following
three: PSPA 210, PSPA 211, or PSPA 213; and any three upper level courses from the following
list: PSPA 214, PSPA 215, PSPA 216, PSPA 217, PSPA 218, PSPA 219, PSPA 221, PSPA 222, PSPA
223, PSPA 225, PSPA 228, PSPA 229, PSPA 231, PSPA 232, PSPA 233, PSPA 234, PSPA 235,
PSPA 236, PSPA 237, PSPA 238, PSPA 239, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA 252, PSPA 253, PSPA
254, PSPA 255, PSPA 256, PSPA 286, PSPA 288, PSPA 290, PSPA 291, PSPA 292, and PSPA
299. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.
Political Studies for Public Administration majors requires 15 credits: one of the following
courses: PSPA 210, PSPA 211 or PSPA 213; and any four upper level courses from the following list: PSPA 214, PSPA 215, PSPA 216, PSPA 217, PSPA 218, PSPA 219, PSPA 221, PSPA 222,
PSPA 223, PSPA 225, PSPA 228, PSPA 229, PSPA 231, PSPA 232, PSPA 233, PSPA 234, PSPA
235, PSPA 236, PSPA 237, PSPA 238, PSPA 239, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA 252, PSPA 253,
PSPA 254, PSPA 255, PSPA 256 or PSPA 288. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy
a requirement for another major or minor.
Psychology requires 15 credits: PSYC 201, PSYC 280; plus three electives from PSYC 210–
236. A minimum cumulative average of 2.7 is required.
Public Administration for non-PSPA majors requires 15 credits: PSPA 202, PSPA 212, plus
three upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 222, PSPA 257, PSPA 258, PSPA 259,
PSPA 272, PSPA 273, PSPA 275, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 288, PSPA 297, or PSPA 298. No
more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.
Public Administration for Political Studies majors requires 15 credits: PSPA 212; plus four
upper-level courses from the following list: PSPA 222, PSPA 257, PSPA 258, PSPA 259, PSPA
272, PSPA 273, PSPA 275, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 289, or PSPA 297. No more than 9
credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.
Public Policy requires 15 credits: PSPA 202, PSPA 260 and PSPA 276; plus two upper-level
courses from the following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 225, PSPA 238, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA
252, PSPA 259, PSPA 261, PSPA 262, PSPA 263, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 297, or PSPA
298. No more than 9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor. Political Studies majors choosing to minor in Public Policy are required to take a minimum
of 15 credits as follows: PSPA 260 and PSPA 276; plus three upper-level courses from the
following list: PSPA 223, PSPA 225, PSPA 238, PSPA 250, PSPA 251, PSPA 252, PSPA 259,
PSPA 261, PSPA 262, PSPA 263, PSPA 277, PSPA 278, PSPA 297, or PSPA 298. No more than
9 credits may be used to satisfy a requirement for another major or minor.
Reporting in the Digital Age requires 15 credits: Three core courses: MCOM 226, MCOM
240 and MCOM 246, and two additional electives from the following: MCOM 215, MCOM
225, MCOM 241, MCOM 244 (a to z), MCOM 245, MCOM 247, MCOM 250, MCOM 251 and
any new or related special topics courses as approved by the Program.
Semitic Studies requires 15 credits: ARAB 213/214 or Syriac 215/216; a second Semitic language other than Arabic (ARAB 213 or 215); ARAB 222; and one of the following: ARAB 211
or 212, ARAB 216, ARAB 227 or ARAB 228, AROL 293/294, AROL 217, AROL 218, AROL
219/220, AROL 226, AROL 227, AROL 228, AROL 231.
Social and Political Thought requires 15 credits: PSPA 210 or PHIL 216, one senior seminar,
and three courses from: ENGL 222, ENGL 235, ENGL 240, ENGL 243, ENGL 247, PHIL 210,
PHIL 225, PHIL 251, PHIL 252, PSPA 214, PSPA 215, PSPA 216, PSPA 217, PSPA 218, PSPA 219,
PSPA 221, PSPA 290A, PSPA 290B, PSPA 290C, SOAN 213, SOAN 221, SOAN 223, SOAN
290 (after securing the approval of the SPT Committee), ARCH 021, ARCH 022, ARCH 037,
ARCH 039 and GRDS 020. No more than 9 credits can be taken from the same department;
no more than 3 credits can be counted toward the student’s major; no more than 6 credits
can be taken from the student’s home department.
Sociology requires 15 credits: SOAN 201, SOAN 213, SOAN 237, plus two electives from the
following: SOAN 210, SOAN 220, SOAN 222, SOAN 223, SOAN 224, SOAN 225, SOAN 232,
SOAN 240–242, SOAN 245 and SOAN 290 (if selected topic in Sociology). If a student has
taken SOAN 101 and, therefore, cannot take SOAN 201, they should take SOAN 213, SOAN
237, and three of the electives listed above.
Software Development and Design This minor can be attained by any AUB student except
Computer Science, Computer and Communications Engineering (CCE), and Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) students. It requires 18 credits and has no prerequisite courses
to get started: CMPS 201, CMPS 202, CMPS 244, CMPS 271 and two of CMPS 270, CMPS
278, CMPS 279 and CMPS 288.
Statistics can be pursued via one of two options:
- Option 1: MATH 201, MATH 218 or MATH 219, STAT 231, STAT 233, STAT 234
and STAT 235.
- Option 2: MATH 201, MATH 218 or MATH 219, STAT 230, STAT 234, STAT 235
and one additional advanced course in statistical sciences to be selected
with the approval of the department chair.
STEAM Education requires 15 credits: EDUC 230, EDUC 220, EDUC 273, either EDUC 218 or
EDUC 231, and either EDUC 271 or EDUC 272.
Studio Arts requires 15 credits: Twelve credits taken from the following courses according
to sequence and following prerequisites: SART 200, SART 201, SART 202, SART 203, SART
204, SART 206, SART 207, SART 208. Three credits in art history taken from AHIS 203, AHIS
204, AHIS 207, AHIS 208, AHIS 209, AHIS 221, AHIS 222, AHIS 224, AHIS 225, AHIS 226,
AHIS 227, AHIS 249, or approved alternative.
Theater requires 15 credits: One of the following options, representing 6 credits, is required:
THTR 259 or THTR 250 and THTR 258. Remaining credits may be taken from among the
following courses: ARAB 240, CHLA 263, ENGL 212, ENGL 216, ENGL 251, ENGL 297, or any
course that significantly addresses theater, performance, or dramatic literature, with approval
of the chair.
Translation requires 15 credits: two core courses: ARAB 225 and ENGL 233. Three courses
from the following list: ARAB 211, ARAB 212, ARAB 226, ARAB 227, ARAB 228, ENGL 221,
ENGL 231, ENGL 240-243, ENGL 247, ENGL 255 - any letter, ENGL 262– any letter, or any
course offered by the Department of English with a significant translation studies component,
with approval of the Chair of the department.
Women and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary minor, requires 15 credits: ENGL 234 (Gender and Language), ENGL 258 (any letter) (Gender and Sexuality), EPHD 334 (Reproductive Health), HIST 262 (Gender in Classical Islamic Society), HPCH 202 (Sexuality and Public
Health), SOAN 225 (Gender and Culture) Or Special Topics, seminars, and/or course sections
with emphases on Gender, Sexuality, and/or Women’s Studies – with approval by the Chair
of the Department of English.
Students who opt for a minor (one or more) must do so while working toward their undergraduate degree at AUB.
To graduate with a minor, a student must meet the requirements specified in the Minor section under the General University Academic Information.
Students who have completed the requirements for a minor in any department should fill the
Completion of minor petition and submit it through the Online Petitions and Forms System
(OPFS) after the grades are out and within the deadline set by the Registrar’s office. The
transcript of the student shall indicate the minor(s) chosen.
FAS Diplomas
Diplomas and Teaching Diplomas: Refer to Department of Education in this catalogue.
Diploma in Development Studies: Refer to Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Media Studies in this catalogue.
Directed Study
A student with an average of at least 3.7 in her/his major at the beginning of the senior year
may elect to pursue a course of directed study. Students with averages below 3.7 may be
admitted to directed study at the discretion of the department.
Students who elect a course of directed study choose their subject of directed study in consultation with a faculty member selected by the student with the department’s approval. The
directed study may consist of independent research, original creative compositions, or directed reading, and it includes the presentation of a report or thesis.
Tutorials
Students can register for a single tutorial of up to 3 credits during their final year at AUB after
securing the permission of their department. Grades for tutorials are either P (Pass) or NP
(No Pass).
Dean’s Honor List
To be placed on the dean’s honor list at the end of the term, a student must:
- be carrying at least 12 credits,
- have passed all courses and attained a term average of 3.7, or be ranked in the top 10 percent of the class and have an overall average of 3.3,
- not have been subjected to any disciplinary action within the university during the term,
- and be deemed worthy by the dean to be on the honor list.
Attendance and Withdrawal from Courses
For information on Attendance and Withdrawal from Courses refer to the General University
Academic Information in this catalogue.
Examinations and Quizzes
Students who miss an announced examination or quiz must present an excuse considered
valid by the instructor of the course. Unless stated otherwise in the course syllabus, the
course instructor should then require the student to take a makeup examination. Makeups
for quizzes and midterms as well as class assignments must be completed before the final
grade of the course is issued at the end of the term. Only medical reports and/or qualified
professional opinions issued by an AUB employee, AUB Medical Center (AUBMC) doctor, or
by the University Health Services will be accepted. If there is a question about the validity of
any excuse presented by the student, the matter will be referred to the Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs Committee. Instructors should make sure that there is no time conflict
between an exam and a regularly scheduled course.
Grading Policies, Incomplete Grades and Makeup Examinations