ACADEMIC RULES AND REGULATIONS

Freshmen Program

Graduation Requirements

Graduate Study

Highlights


  • Dean's Honor List

    To be placed on the Dean’s Honor List at the end of the semester, a student must:

  • be carrying at least 12 credits
  • not be on probation
  • have passed all courses and attained an overall average of 85 or be ranked in the top 10 percent of the class and have an overall average of 80
  • have no failing or incomplete grades in courses which carry credits
  • not have been subjected to any disciplinary action within the University during the semester
  • be deemed worthy by the Dean to be on the honor list

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    Attendance

    Classes and Laboratories

  • Students are expected to attend all classes, laboratories, or required fieldwork. All missed laboratory or fieldwork must be made up. A student is responsible for work done, and for any announcements made, during his/her absence.
  • Students who, during a semester, miss more than one-fifth of the sessions of any course in the first ten weeks of the semester (five weeks in the case of the summer term) will be dropped from the course. A faculty member who drops a student from the course for this reason must have stated in the syllabus that attendance will be taken.
  • Students who withdraw or are forced to drop a course will receive a grade of “W.”
  • A student cannot withdraw, or be withdrawn, from a course after the announced deadline unless approved by the administrative committee.
  • Students cannot withdraw, or be forced to withdraw, from a course at any time if this results in the student being registered for fewer than 12 credits without prior approval of the administrative committee.

    Examinations and Quizzes

    Students who miss an announced examination or quiz must present an excuse considered valid by the instructor of the course. The course instructor should then require the student to take a make-up examination.
    Medical reports and/or qualified professional opinions issued by an AUB employee, AUH doctor, or by the University Health Services will be accepted. Should there be a question about the validity of any excuse presented by the student, the matter should be referred to the administrative committee.

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    Incomplete Grades and Make-up Examinations

    The work for a course in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences must be completed by the end-date of the semester. The procedures involved are as follows:

  • Incomplete course work is reported as an “I” followed by a numerical grade reflecting the evaluation of the student available at the end of the semester. This evaluation is based on a grade of zero on all missed work and reported in units of five. Thus a grade could be “I 55” for example. Students who miss their final exam temporarily receive a maximum grade of “I 55” to be changed at a later stage.
  • For securing permission to complete work for a course, a student must submit a valid excuse to the instructor of the course. The course instructor then seeks approval from the administrative committee within two weeks from the date of the scheduled final exam for the course.
  • Students permitted to complete work for a course must do so within four weeks of the start of the next regular semester. After the incomplete work is done and evaluated by the faculty member, a grade change is considered by the dean of the faculty (upon recommendation of the appropriate faculty committee) and a new grade reported to the Office of the Registrar. If no change in grade is reported within the above period of four weeks, the transcript shows the reported grade as an “I.”
  • If no valid excuse is presented and the work, if permitted, is not completed within the time limit specified above, the “I” is dropped, and the numerical grade available becomes the final grade in the course. Medical excuses are considered valid only if issued by the infirmary or the AUB Medical Center.
  • For the purposes of averaging, the numerical grade is used, until changed through the procedure set above.
  • It is the responsibility of the student to find out from his/her instructor the specific dates by which requirements must be met. The deadline for submission of incomplete grades by the instructor is within 72 hours after a student has completed the course work.
  • Failure to complete the requirements for incomplete courses within the period of four weeks results in a grade of zero for the missing work, with the course grade computed accordingly.

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    Withdrawal from Courses

    A student can withdraw from only one course per semester, provided that they do not drop below 12 credits. Students with a valid excuse (severe health, family crisis, etc.) who wish to withdraw from more than one course in any given semester must petition the administrative committee for permission. A student may withdraw from elective courses, down to a minimum of 12 credits, no later than 10 weeks (five weeks in the summer term) from the start of the semester. A student receives a grade of “W” for the course.

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    Probation

    Placement on and Removal of Academic Probation

    Students entering AUB at the freshman level are placed on academic probation if their overall average is less than 67 at the end of their second regular semester, if their semester average is less than 68 at the end of their third or fourth regular semester, 69 at the end of their fifth or sixth regular semester, or if it is less than 70 in any subsequent semester excluding the summer term.
    Students entering FAS at the sophomore level are placed on academic probation if their overall average is less than 68 at the end of their second regular semester, if the semester average is less than 69 at the end of their third or fourth regular semester, or less than 70 in any subsequent semester excluding the summer term.
    Students entering FAS as transfers at the junior level are placed on academic probation if their cumulative average is less than 69 at the end of their second regular semester in FAS, or if their semester average is less than 70 in any subsequent semester excluding the summer term.
    For evaluation purposes, in all cases, the minimum number of credits at the end of the second regular semester should be 24, and 12 in each subsequent fall or spring semester.
    Students carrying a reduced schedule of fewer than 12 credits are not subject to probation regulations until they have accumulated a minimum of 12 credits including the summer session. The counting of accumulated credits starts from the beginning of the reduced schedule. In all cases, where 12 or more credits have been accumulated, probation regulations apply.
    Credit for incomplete courses will be included in the semester in which the incomplete courses were taken. The evaluation for that semester will be carried out as soon as the grades for the incomplete courses are finalized.

  • If a student on probation drops the entire semester, then that semester is not counted for continued probation purposes.
  • Students who join the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for the first semester, and students who join intensive English for one semester are not subject to probation during that semester. For probation purposes, the semester that follows is considered their first semester at the University.

    Removal of Probation

    Probation is removed when the student attains a semester average that exceeds the applicable averages indicated above.

    Probation Duration
    Probation should be removed within two regular semesters, excluding summer, after the student is placed on probation, or when the student completes his or her graduation requirements (see Graduation Requirements section on pp. 125, 126). Students on probation are advised to repeat courses for which they have obtained failing or low grades.

    Credit Load for Students on Academic Probation

    The load of a student who is in his/her first semester on probation shall not be fewer than 12 or more than 17 credit hours. The load of a student who continues on probation beyond one semester shall neither be fewer than 12 nor more than 13 credit hours. During a summer session, all students on probation shall carry loads of not more than 7 credits.

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    Dismissal and Readmission

    A student is dismissed from the faculty for any of the following reasons:

  • If the student’s overall average is less than 60 at the end of the 2nd regular semester.
  • if the student fails to clear academic probation within two regular semesters (three semesters if the second semester is the fall semester), excluding the summer term, after being put on probation
  • if the student is placed on academic probation for a total of three regular, not necessarily consecutive, semesters, s/he can be dropped for this reason even if in the final year at AUB
  • If the student is deemed unworthy by the Faculty to continue for professional or ethical reasons.
    A student will normally be considered for readmission only if, after spending a year at another recognized institution of higher education, the student is able to present a satisfactory record and recommendation. Exceptions may be made for students who left the University for personal or health reasons.
    Transfer credit is considered after departmental evaluation of a student's course work.

    Failure and Application for Readmission
    Failure
    If a student fails a course, no re-examination is permitted. If a course is required for graduation, students failing that course must repeat it.
    A student may not register for a course more than three times, including withdrawals; but for the third registration, the permission of the student’s academic adviser, and the academic unit concerned, is required.
    Occasionally, the Arts and Sciences Administrative Committee may consider a fourth registration under special circumstances.
    A student who at the end of his/her senior year fails to attain a cumulative average of 70 in his/her major field is required to take additional courses in that field or to repeat courses in which that student has scored low grades, provided s/he is permitted to continue at the University.
    Readmission
    When, in accordance with university regulations, a student is dropped, the implication is that s/he is not qualified to continue his/her education. Consideration for readmission is given only if, after spending one or two years at another recognized institution of higher education, the student is able to present a satisfactory record and recommendation. The student must have achieved a grade equivalent to the AUB grade of 75 in each of the courses for which transfer credit may be granted.
    The foregoing regulations on readmission also apply to students dropped from other AUB faculties who apply for admission to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
    Readmission of students dropped from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences by the administrative committee requires the approval of the latter committee, whereas readmission of students dropped from other AUB faculties to Arts and Sciences requires the approval of the Arts and Sciences admissions committee. Before action is taken on any application for readmission, the committee concerned will seek the recommendation of the prospective department.
    Students who withdraw voluntarily for more than two years are considered new applicantsto the faculty.

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    Summer Session

    Maximum Load: The maximum academic load during a regular summer session is 9 credits (seven credits for students on probation).
    Degree Courses: The degree courses offered during the summer session are identical in standard and content with those offered during the first and second semesters.
    Non-Degree Courses and Summer Orientation Programs: See the sections on Department of Education and AUB Extension Programs in this catalogue.

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    Courses

    Numbers Preceding Course Titles

  • Freshman Courses: from 101 to 199. Ordinarily taken during the freshman year and may be counted toward graduation only as part of the freshman program.
  • Introductory Courses: from 200 to 209. May be counted toward graduation whenever taken but cannot be considered as part of the 30 credits above 210 required in the major field.
  • Advanced undergraduate courses: from 210 to 299. May be counted as credits in the major field.
  • Graduate courses (300 to 499)
    Odd-numbered courses are normally offered during the first semester whereas even-numbered courses are normally offered during the second semester.

    Numbers Following Titles of Courses
  • The first number following the title of a course indicates the number of class hours given each week.
  • The second number indicates the laboratory or practice hours required each week. The third number indicates the number of credit hours applied toward graduation. The credit assigned to each course is stated for the semester. Each hour of laboratory is considered a 1/3 to 1/2 credit hour.
  • Courses marked annually are offered at least once during each academic year. Other courses marked alternate years and each semester are given accordingly. When frequency of offering is not indicated, the course is offered at the discretion of the department.

    Course Descriptions
    For those requiring additional information, more detailed course descriptions are available from individual departments.

    Courses Offered by Other Faculties
    Students in Arts and Sciences may also take, for credit, elective courses offered in the Faculties of Medicine, Engineering and Architecture, Agricultural and Food Sciences, and Health Sciences. All prerequisites must be satisfied. Some courses may require prior approval from the faculty concerned.

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