Since all teaching at AUB is conducted in English (except for certain language-specific courses), applicants to graduate programs are required to demonstrate Readiness for University Studies in English (RUSE). Applicants to graduate diplomas, Master's and PhD degrees who meet one or more of the exemption criteria listed below are not required to demonstrate RUSE.
- completed
an undergraduate, or graduate degree (online or residential), or professional
diploma at AUB/AUB-M.
- were
admitted to a degree program at AUB/AUB-M no more than 5 years ago and
completed at least two regular terms with good academic standing.
- completed
an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited college or university in
North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.
- completed, no more than 5 years ago, an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited college or university elsewhere in the world where English is listed as the only language of instruction (in the International Association of Universities (IAU) World Higher Education Database) and where admission requires English language proficiency test scores that meet AUB's RUSE requirements.
Applicants can satisfy the RUSE requirement by submitting valid scores from one of the approved English language proficiency tests. A score must be both:
Satisfactory: meets or exceeds AUB's minimum required score.
Valid: taken within the approved validity period.
RUSE Requirements and Placement Criteria
The table below summarizes both the minimum scores required to satisfy RUSE and the placement of applicants who do not meet the RUSE threshold.
Test
| RUSE Requirement (No
English Course Required)
| Requirement to
register in English 300 (concurrent with graduate courses)*
| Time Duration of
Score Validity
|
AUB-EN
(or AUB-EEE)
| 40 or above
| 32–39
| 1 year
|
TOEFL iBT
| 97 or above
| 88–96
| 2 years
|
IELTS (Academic)
| 7.0 or above
| 6.0
| 2 years
|
Duolingo English Test
(DET)
| 120 or above
| 110–115
| 2 years
|
GRE (Verbal)
| 147 or above
| Not applicable
| 5 years
|
GMAT/GMAT Focus (Verbal)**
| 25 or above
| Not applicable
| 5 years
|
* A student who scores below the minimum accepted score range required to take English 300 will not be permitted to register as a graduate student at AUB.
**GRE and GMAT verbal scores may be used to
satisfy the RUSE requirement but cannot be used for placement into preparatory
English courses.
Accepted applicants will not be able to join their graduate program unless the official scores of the Readiness for University Study in English (RUSE) are received by the AUB Graduate Council by the deadlines indicated in question # 2 in the
Frequently Asked Questions page. Some scholarships may require earlier submission of English test scores. It is the applicant's responsibility to inquire about the specific requirements and ensure that all related deadlines are met.
Applicants should use the AUB's ETS school code 0902 to ensure official submission of test scores to the AUB Graduate Council. If official scores are available as hard copy, they need to be sent to the AUB Graduate Council by hand or by mail to the below address:
American University of Beirut
Graduate Council
College Hall
PO Box 11-236 Riad El Solh
Beirut, Lebanon, 1107-2020
How the Process Works
1. Applicants who meet the RUSE requirement
Applicants whose scores meet or exceed the RUSE minimum are considered to have demonstrated readiness for graduate studies in English and may begin their graduate program without any preparatory English course requirements.
2. Applicants who do not meet the RUSE requirement
Applicants whose scores fall below the RUSE minimum have two options:
- retake an approved English test, while ensuring that new test scores are delivered to the AUB Graduate Council in time.
- or complete a required English language coursework as detailed below. New test scores will not be accepted after registering for the English course.
Placement in English 300
Students who register in English 300 are required to enroll in and successfully complete the course within their first two regular semesters (Fall and Spring) at AUB.
Students who are required to take English 300 but do not register for it after their second semester at AUB may receive a registration hold on their record. Until the requirement is fulfilled, future registration would require special approval from their faculty through the Graduate Council.