Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut bases its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American liberal arts model of higher education. A teaching-centered research university, AUB has around 700 instructional faculty and a student body of around 8,000 students. The University encourages freedom of thought and expression and seeks to graduate men and women committed to creative and critical thinking, life-long learning, personal integrity, civic responsibility, and leadership.

The University, which was granted institutional accreditation in June 2004 by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in the United States and reaffirmed in June 2009, includes six faculties: Agricultural and Food Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, Health Sciences, Medicine (which includes the Rafic Hariri School of Nursing), and the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business.

AUB currently offers more than 120 programs leading to the bachelor's, master's, MD, and PhD degrees. The University became coeducational in 1922; its student body is 50 percent male and 50 percent female. The language of instruction is English (except for courses in the Arabic Department and other language courses).
The student faculty ratio is 13 to 1.

 

Research

The American University of Beirut is committed to fostering an intellectual community on campus where faculty are empowered by their own research and are encouraged to engage in collegial discourse and interdisciplinary innovation. This commitment supports the University’s mission “to participate in the advancement of knowledge through research” and enhances the educational experience of all AUB students.

Faculty and students – undergraduates, graduate students, and PhD students; working individually and collaboratively; with colleagues at the University and in partnerships with other institutions – are advancing our knowledge of a wide range of issues including the development of renewable energy resources, strategies for a sustainable environment in arid climates, peace mediation and dialogue, and treatments for human diseases.

AUB offers its students and faculty a constantly expanding number of resources and services through its libraries, laboratories, computing centers, and administrative offices that are conveniently located throughout the campus.

 

Outreach

The American University of Beirut has been providing for the healthcare needs of the people of Lebanon and the region since 1867. In addition to caring for patients, the men and women at its Medical Center pioneer medical procedures, are contributing to our knowledge and understanding of some of the most critical health issues in the region through research, and organize training programs for healthcare professionals from throughout the region.

AUB’s Office of Regional External Programs (REP) is one of the premier providers of continuing education, consulting services, and technical expertise in the Middle East region. It organizes continuing education classes for adult students of all ages; consults in the establishment of universities, schools, and hospitals; partners with clients from the corporate, governmental, and nonprofit worlds to tackle a wide range of issues; and trains journalists.

The Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service (CCECS) provides opportunities to encourage the members of the AUB community to get involved in addressing social and civic issues that are important in the communities in which we live and work.

 

Institutional Consutling

One of the ways that AUB serves the peoples of the Middle East and beyond is to harness its vast and deep institutional resources to address some of the most pressing issues in the world today related especially to education, medical care, and the environment. Most of these consulting and technical assistance arrangements are handled by the University’s Office of Regional External Programs (REP), its Continuing Education Center (CEC), and the AUB Medical Center’s Medical External Programs. Among the University’s many clients are local and national governments, institutions of higher education, medical centers, multinational corporations, and international organizations.

 

Budget

Operating Budget: $213 million