American University of Beirut

​​​HSON offers two types of online diplomas: academic and professional. For graduate academic diplomas, students should have an undergraduate bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent from AUB or other recognized institutions of higher learning) with a GPA of at least 3.0 (or standardized equivalent from other institutions of higher learning). Applicants who do not meet the minimum undergraduate average requirement but appears to have reasonable potential for academic success, for example as manifested by relevant practical experience or high scores on relevant standardized exams, may be admitted based on justified recommendation. 

For graduate professional diplomas, the same admission requirements apply as for graduate academic diplomas but without a minimum constraint on the undergraduate average. 

For both graduate professional and graduate academic diplomas, student admission recommendations require the approval of the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee (FGSC).

The following are currently being offered: 

HSON offers a one-year graduate academic online diploma in nursing administration and management.

The program mainly targets working nurses who desire to enhance their administrative skills to possibly obtain a nursing management position in hospitals or primary healthcare settings.

This education opportunity will help in gaining a “stand-alone” graduate diploma or can serve as a “step up” to a master of science in nursing administration and management at HSON.

The program will support the unique needs of working nurses who want to advance their career while continuing to work full-time.

BSN degree or its equivalent from an accredited/recognized institution. GPA of at least 3.0, with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 in nursing major courses. Satisfactory scores on the English Entrance Exam (EEE) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), as per AUB admission requirements for graduate studies. License to practice nursing from country of residence. Two years of work experience in nursing.

The online academic diploma in nursing administration and management requires 13 graduate-credits. These cr​edits include five concentration courses (12 cr.) and a practicum (1cr.). Students can register for 6 credits per term and finish in one year. Students should complete the following courses required for the program:​

The online professional graduate diploma in nursing education focuses on professional development of competent nurses to teach in various healthcare settings and nursing programs. It is a comprehensive and flexible educational program designed to equip experienced nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to become effective nurse educators.

The program provides a 12-credit program that focuses on knowledge and skills required for the nurse educator role. The courses are:

The program is be offered online, so learners have the flexibility to complete the requirements of each course at their own convenience without disrupting their work and life commitments. The curriculum culminates in an intensive individualized workshop in which the learner collaborates with a senior educator from academia or service to implement the role.

BSN degree or its equivalent from an accredited/recognized institution. Satisfactory scores on the English Entrance Exam (EEE) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), as per AUB admission requirements for graduate studies. License to practice nursing from country of residence. One year of work experience in nursing.

Upon completion of the diploma, students will be able to:

The online graduate professional diploma in analytics-informed healthcare quality provides participants/ healthcare professionals with analytics-informed knowledge and practical skills, and empowers them to drive quality improvement efforts contributing to the overall success of the healthcare system. Housed at the Hariri School of Nursing (HSON), Faculty of Health Sciences, and Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut, this diploma offers a deep understanding of complex healthcare quality issues, including the use of analytics to improve quality. The program aligns with the core principles of healthcare quality, emphasizing patient safety, improved outcomes, cost-effectiveness, patient experience, accountability, and continuous improvement.

This 12-credit program comprises four core courses and a capstone project. It accommodates both full-time and part-time students, with completion in 10 or 20 months, respectively. Students commit 6 to 12 hours per week to course engagement, offering flexible and interactive curriculum delivery.

After completing the program, the participants will: 

The online graduate professional diploma in analytics-informed healthcare quality, requires the successful completion of 12 credits, which are distributed into four core courses and a capstone project. The capstone project entails applying concepts learned in these courses to real-world settings at AUBMC and similar healthcare organizations, both nationally and internationally.​​​

Registered Nurses [RNs] working in critical care oversee the care of the most vulnerable patient population. They are charged with vigilantly monitoring, assessing, and treating the critically ill patients while advocating for their rights and supporting their families. The adult critical care nursing online diploma program is a specialized, fully online program that offers a flexible, professional development opportunity by enabling you to access continued learning regardless of your location, shift pattern or other commitments. Designed with flexibility in mind, this online format allows you to balance your professional and personal commitments while receiving a world-class education from experienced faculty.

The adult critical care nursing online diploma program is designed for RNs who wish to advance their careers by gaining expert knowledge and skills in the high-stakes environment of adult critical care. This program provides you with the foundational and advanced expertise required to thrive in these fast-paced, high-pressure environments.

This 12-credit professional diploma program builds upon the knowledge gained in undergraduate courses as well as through clinical practice. The content is organized around the nursing process framework and the bio-psychosocial dimensions of human beings. Areas of emphasis include advanced assessment in critical illness; ethical and psychosocial issues related to critical illness; management of critically ill adults with cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, metabolic, and renal problems, as well as emergency nursing care.

Upon completion of this professional diploma program, participants will be able to: 

This diploma consists of 6 required courses for a total of 12 credits. There is one optional credit of clinical [equivalent to 60 hours] that can be done in your country of residence and based on an area you would like to gain more hands-on experience in.​

Courses	# Cred​its
Course 1 - Foundations of Critical Care Module 1. Global Concepts in Critical Care Module 2. Special Populations in Critical Care	2-credit course
Course 2 - Caring for Patients with Acute Cardiovascular Disorders Module 1. Dysrhythmia Interpretation and Management Module 2. Hemodynamic Monitoring Module 3. Acute Coronary Syndrome and Complications Module 4. Acute Cardiomyopathy Module 5. Shocks	3-credit course
Course 3 - Caring for Patients with Acute Pulmonary Disorders Module 1. Acute Respiratory Failure Module 2. Pleural Space Abnormalities Module 3. Managing the Ventilated Patient	2-credit course
Course 4 - Caring for Patients with Acute Neurological Disorders Module 1. Assessment and Monitoring Module 2. Strokes Module 3. Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries	2-credit course
Course 5 - Caring for Patients with Emergency and Trauma Module 1. Triaging Module 2. Non-Trauma Emergencies Module 3. Trauma Related Emergencies Module 4. Emergency Preparedness Plans	2-credit course
Course 6 - Caring for Patients with Other Acute Critical Illnesses Module 1. Acute Gastrointestinal Disorders Module 2. Acute Kidney Disorders Module 3. Acute Endocrine Disorders Module 4. Acute Hematological Disorders	1-credit course
Optional Clinical Residency	1 credit – 60.0 hours

​

1- Building a Culture of Safety and Quality – 2 credits 

This course ensures quality practices that are reliant on the capacity development of the human resource providing the health services, most notably the nursing team. For that, this course prepares healthcare providers to speak the same language and appreciate the importance of using data analytics in informing the evaluation and improvement of care processes. Building this culture of the working team and securing a collegial and safe practice environment, coupled with an informative evidence-based learning system shall safeguard an effective and efficient patient centered health system. 

2- Managing Quality with Teams – 3 credits 

This course is designed to prepare healthcare providers to meet the challenge of effectively managing patient care units and health services while focusing on use of the quality team approach to improve work processes and effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on total quality management and continuous improvement concepts, approaches, and tools; designing effective project teams; and decision-making tools to achieve quality results. Risk management and service outcomes measures are addressed as measures to assure quality care and achieve patient safety goals and organizational outcomes. 

3- Empowering Healthcare Through Data-Driven Insights – 3 credits 

This course is designed for healthcare professionals aiming to harness data’s power for transformative insights in healthcare. From grasping data’s fundamental role in healthcare operations to unleashing untapped potential in data-driven decision-making, participants will receive an accessible, non-technical introduction to healthcare analytics and digital strategies. Specifically, participants will explore data-driven approaches in enhancing patient care, improving healthcare delivery, and fostering innovation in service. Real-world examples will be highlighted throughout the course, equipping healthcare professionals with valuable insights to make informed decisions. By the end of this course, participants will be empowered with a newfound appreciation for data’s role in healthcare and the knowledge to navigate the data landscape effectively, improving patient outcomes, ensuring quality accountability, and advancing healthcare delivery.

4- Engaging Staff in Redesigning Care Processes Though Data Analytics – 3 Credits 

This 3-credit course focusses on engaging staff in the use of data analytics in redesigning healthcare service processes. It will include principles of redesigning healthcare and utilization of eHealth and data analytics to improve effectiveness and quality in healthcare services. The course covers staff engagement approaches as key factors for successful development and implementation of quality and performance improvement initiatives based on digital decision support systems. During the course, the students will be guided by mentors from different faculties in developing a proposal that addresses real time redesign of a healthcare service with staff engagement in selected data-driven quality initiatives. The proposal will be the base for the program capstone project. 

5- Capstone Project – 1 credit 

Work individually or in small groups to utilize analytics in identifying gaps in quality and propose evidence-based solutions in real context.​​​​