The American University of Beirut (AUB) is a private, independent, and non-sectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1866. It operates under a charter from the State of New York and is governed by a private, autonomous Board of Trustees.
AUB comprises seven faculties/schools: Agricultural and Food Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Health Sciences, Medicine, the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, the Rafic Hariri School of Nursing, and the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business. AUB offers programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, MD, and PhD degrees.
The university became co-educational in 1921. The language of instruction is English.
Accreditation and Quality Assurance
Degrees awarded by the American University of Beirut (AUB) are officially registered with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) in Lebanon and with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in the United States (US).
AUB is accredited as an institution by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) (
www.msche.org), an institutional accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE). The university was first accredited in June 2004, with reaffirmations in 2009, 2014, and 2019. In 2022, MSCHE approved the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo) in Pafos, Cyprus, as a branch campus. The university’s full and updated Statement of Accreditation Status is available on the
MSCHE website.
Six of AUB’s faculties/schools have earned accreditation from professional accrediting agencies, in many cases as the first or only programs of their kind outside the US to be accredited by US agencies:
- The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
The bachelor of science (BS) degree in nutrition and dietetics coordinated program was the first and only nutrition and dietetics program in the Middle East to receive US accreditation. It was accredited in 2013 under the International Dietitian Education Program standards by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The program was fully reaccredited in 2017 for the maximum seven-year term. In 2025, ACEND granted full re-accreditation, for a seven-year term, to the MS in nutrition and dietetics coordinated program (MSNDCP), under the International Coordinated Program (ICP) in dietetics standards, and to the BS in nutrition and dietetics coordinated program (NDCP), under the Foreign Dietitian Education (FDE) program standards. - The Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
The bachelor of engineering (BE) in civil engineering, BE in computer and communications engineering, BE in electrical and computer engineering, and BE in mechanical engineering were accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 2010 (retroactive to 2008); and renewed in 2016 and 2023. The BS in chemical engineering and BE in chemical engineering programs were also accredited by ABET in 2016 (retroactive to 2012 and 2013, respectively); and renewed in 2023. The BE in industrial engineering program was accredited by ABET in 2023 (retroactive to 2020). The bachelor of landscape architecture (BLA) program was accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in 2021. - The Faculty of Health Sciences
The Public Health Program (PHP) received initial accreditation in 2006 from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the US Department of Education that accredits schools of public health and public health programs. This accreditation was reaffirmed in 2012 and 2019.
The accredited PHP includes: BS in environmental health, bachelor of arts (BA) in health communication, master of public health (MPH), master of science (MS) in epidemiology, MS in environmental sciences— major environmental health, and a PhD in epidemiology.
The PHP at FHS was the first program to be accredited by CEPH outside the Americas and remains the only CEPH-accredited public health program in the Arab region. Internationally, it is one of only seven non-US PHPs to hold CEPH accreditation. This has enabled FHS to become a full member of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and to join the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health, which are recognitions of academic excellence limited to CEPH-accredited schools and programs. - The Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine received full accreditation in 2019 for a period of six years by the Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Medical Education Programs (TEPDAD) International Medical Education Accreditation Council, the authorized medical school accrediting body of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) based in Turkey. In September 2025, the Faculty of Medicine was granted a full three-year re-accreditation of its undergraduate medical program by the Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Medical Education Programs (TEPDAD), effective January 1, 2025. This accreditation confirms the faculty’s compliance with the requirements of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
The Faculty of Medicine received initial institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International (ACGME-I) in 2014 and has maintained accreditation since then. Currently, 20 residency programs and two fellowships are accredited by ACGME-I. These include: anatomic pathology, anesthesiology, clinical pathology, dermatology, diagnostic radiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, endocrinology and metabolism, adult hematology-oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, plastic surgery, psychiatry, radiation oncology, and urology. - The Rafic Hariri School of Nursing
The Rafic Hariri School of Nursing was the first nursing school outside American territories to have its baccalaureate and master’s degree programs receive accreditation in 2007 by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The baccalaureate and master’s programs were reaccredited by CCNE in 2012 and 2022. - The Suliman S. Olayan School of Business
The Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) and the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) through the EQUIS accreditation system.
OSB was the first business school in Lebanon and the 100th business school outside the United States to earn AACSB accreditation, first achieved in 2009, with successful reaffirmations in 2014, 2019, and 2025. In 2025, the scope of AACSB accreditation was extended to include programs offered by the Faculty of Business (FoB) at the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo. In 2026, OSB was awarded EQUIS accreditation, covering both OSB at AUB and FoB at AUB – Mediterraneo, becoming the first in Lebanon and Cyprus, respectively, to earn this distinction. This achievement further recognizes the quality, internationalization, academic standards, and continuous improvement framework shared across both campuses.
OSB offers a comprehensive portfolio of accredited degree programs, including the bachelor of business administration (BBA), with concentrations in accounting; finance, including corporate finance and investment management; marketing; entrepreneurship and innovation; management and organization; information systems; operations management; and general business.
The graduate portfolio includes the master of business administration (MBA), online master of business administration (OMBA), executive master of business administration (EMBA), master in finance (MFIN), master of arts in human resource management (MHRM), and master of science in business analytics (MSBA).
The Faculty of Business at AUB – Mediterraneo offers the bachelor of business administration in management, the bachelor of business administration in digital marketing, and the master of science in business analytics. These programs are delivered under the same academic standards and quality-assurance framework as those offered at the Beirut campus.
Contact Information for Accrediting AgenciesAACSB: 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750, Tampa, FL 33602, +1-813-769-6500
ABET: 415 North Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201, +1-410-347-7700
ACEND: 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, +1-312-899-0040, Ext. 5400
ACGME-I: 401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60611, +1-312-755-7042
CCNE: 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, +1-202-887-6791
CEPH: 800 I Street NW, Suite 4008, Washington, DC 20001, +1-202-789-1050
EFMD: Rue Gachard 88, Box 3, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, +32 2 629 08 10
LAAB/ASLA: 636 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736, +1-202-898-2444, +1-888-999-2752 (Toll Free)
MSCHE: 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801, +1-267-284-5011
TEPDAD: Kazım Dirik Mah. Ankara Cad. Doktorlar Sitesi, A Blok, No:231 Daire:2, 35100 Bornova, İzmir, Türkiye, +90-530-1234570
FORMER PRESIDENTS
- Peter F. Dorman (2008-15)
- John Waterbury (1997-2008)
- David S. Dodge (1996-97)
- Robert M. Haddad (1993-96)
- Frederic P. Herter (1987-93)
- Calvin Plimpton (1984-87)
- Malcolm H. Kerr (1981-84)
- Harold E. Hoelscher (1977-81)
- Samuel B. Kirkwood (1965-76)
- Norman Burns (1961-65)
- J. Paul Leonard (1957-61)
- Stephen B.L. Penrose, Jr. (1948-54)
- Bayard Dodge (1923-48)
- Howard S. Bliss (1902-20)
- Daniel Bliss (1866-1902)
Also Served:
Makhlouf Haddadin (Acting, 2015) • George Tomey (Deputy, 2006) • Samir Makdisi (Acting Deputy/Deputy, 1993-98) • Makhlouf Haddadin (Acting Deputy, 1992-93) • Ibrahim Salti (Deputy, 1987-93) • Lutfi Diab (Acting, 1986-87) • Raja N. Khuri (Acting, 1985-86) • Samir K. Thabet (Acting, 1984) • David S. Dodge (Acting, 1981-82) • James Cowen (Interim, 1976-77) • Constantin K. Zurayk (Acting, 1954-57) • Edward F. Nickoley (Acting, 1920-23)
Non-Discrimination Notice
AUB is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment to the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws. This includes prohibition against sexual harassment as mandated by Title IX of the US Education Amendments of 1972. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Title IX Coordinator (
[email protected]), Office of the President, College Hall, telephone +961-1-350000, Ext. 2514. For AUB’s policies, visit
www.aub.edu.lb/titleix.