American University of Beirut

​​PhD students at MSFEA can receive funding from the Dean's office through two programs: the PhD Sponsorship Program and the PhD International Scholars Program. The PhD International Scholars Program runs in parallel with the ongoing PhD Sponsorship Program, allowing a faculty member to advise a second PhD funded by MSFEA if the conditions below are satisfied.

​I. The PhD Sponsorship Program

​Acceptance and Supervision

Students are accepted into the PhD program based on two criteria:

1. The student's academic record
2. The availability of an advisor and funding source. 

Process Overview

• PhD applications are first reviewed by the department to which the student applies.
• A list of candidates who satisfy the requirements is shared with the faculty members in the Department to solicit their interest in advising them.
• If no faculty member is interested in advising the applicant, the application is rejected.
• Otherwise, a list of interested faculty members is compiled and the process continues.
• The Department coordinates with the MSFEA Financial and Administrative Affairs Manager to verify the funding source for each interested faculty member.
• The applicant and corresponding faculty members are contacted in an attempt to finalize a match between the student and one main advisor.
• The Department submits its recommendation to the MSFEA-EGC committee with the advisor's name, and the funding source for each candidate.
• Each full-time faculty member is eligible to advise one from the PhD Sponsorship Program and one Ph.D. International Scholars funded by the Dean's office.
• Faculty interested in advising additional students are expected to secure funding for those students.

A. Funded by the MSFEA Dean's Office

Each full-time faculty member is eligible to advise one (local) regular or accelerated PhD student funded by the Dean's office. A faculty member can request to supervise a second local PhD student if their current student successfully defended the dissertation but has not graduated yet due to a pending publication.

Benefits

Full tuition for up to five years.

Monthly stipend funded by the Dean's Office

1. Year 1 = $1,200 monthly.
2. Year 2 = $1,300 monthly.
3. Year 3 to Year 5 = $1,400 monthly.
4. PhD students following the accelerated track are eligible for stipends for 6 years. In such cases, students are paid as above for the first 2 years, and then $1,400 for the remaining 4 years.

B. Funded by a grant

Faculty members interested in advising more students are responsible for securing the funds for those students.

The conditions are as follows:

•  The candidate must be accepted into the MSFEA PhD program.
• The advisor must demonstrate their ability to financially support the applicant for at least 2 years, with the expectation of continuing support until student graduation.
• Students funded by external grants must receive a monthly stipend of at least $1,000.
• Tuition fees for the additional students will be waived.
• Shifting the Dean's Office financial support to a second student before the current student has defended their thesis is not permitted.

 ​

II. PhD International Scholars Program

The objective of the PhD International Scholars Program is to attract outstanding scholars from abroad to pursue doctoral and postdoctoral research at MSFEA, AUB. This program aims to foster research excellence and international collaboration by providing financial support to individuals with undergraduate and graduate degrees earned outside of Lebanon.

A. Pre-doctoral Scholars (students following the accelerated track are not eligible)

Requirements

• The candidate must not have received any degrees from a Lebanese institute.
• Accepted into the MSFEA PhD program.
• The review process for international PhD students is identical to the process described above in Section I, with the addition of the following steps.
• After the department gives preliminary acceptance to an applicant, the advisor forwards the candidate's application to the Associate Dean for Research requesting formally that the candidate be added to the International PhD Scholar Program.
• The Associate Dean for Research will assess and confirm by email that the student satisfies the requirements.
• The advisor must inform the MSFEA Financial and Administrative Affairs Manager via email of her/his request to assign the candidate as an International Pre-doctoral Scholar, including the Associate Dean's approval in the email.
• After the applicants receive their official acceptance from the Office of Admissions, the Financial and Administrative Affairs Manager sends an email to the applicants, informing them about the guidelines, logistics, and benefits.

•  Full tuition for up to five years of study.
• Monthly stipend funded by the Dean's Office:

1. Year 1 = $1,200 monthly.
2. Year 2 = $1,300 monthly.
3. Year 3 to Year 5 = $1,400 monthly.

• Housing: will be provided by and financially covered by MSFEA
• Home Leave:

1. Arrival ticket (to join the program)
2. Two-way ticket per year for home leave
3. Departure ticket (upon graduation)

 A. Post-doctoral Trainee (Process managed by the MSFEA Contract Officer)

 Requirements

•  The candidate must receive all pre- and post-graduate degrees from outside Lebanon.
  
• Holds a PhD from an internationally recognized university.
  
• The supervisor sends an email to the Associate Dean for Research with a cc. to the Contracts Officer requesting to add the candidate to the list of International PhD Students with the following attachments:

1. Vetting report
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Copies of academic transcripts and certificates for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, as applicable.
4. Two recommendation letters.
5. A research proposal explaining how it fits into the PI's research plans.
6. A letter of support from the PI, mentioning how they intend to cover 1/3 of the stipend.
7. The applicants need to communicate clearly whether they are married and need housing for their family.
8. Commit to full-time engagement in research activities at our institution for the duration of the scholarship.
   

 Once the Associate Dean for Research approves, the supervisor must inform the MSFEA Contract Officer via email of her/his request to assign the candidate as an International Post-doctoral Fellow, including the Associate Dean's approval in the email.

The MSFEA Contract Officer communicates with the candidate and the supervisor about the logistics and the needed documents for hiring. ​

III. Further conditions

• PhD students funded by the Dean's Office must work 10 hours per week for their department. These duties can be of an academic or administrative nature. The remaining load will be allocated to their research with their advisor.
• PhD students funded by grants might be asked to work for their department in coordination with their academic advisor.
• Regular PhD students must complete their degree within ten regular terms.
• Accelerated PhD students must complete their degree within twelve regular terms.
• Students accepted as accelerated PhD students are not eligible to benefit from the PhD International Scholars Program.
• Residency extension requires approval (online petition: petitions.aub.edu.lb) from the Department, MSFEA-EGC, and the Graduate Council.
• Clear regular PhD students are eligible for stipends for 5 years.
• Clear accelerated PhD students are eligible for stipends for 6 years.
• The minimum residency for a PhD student following the regular track is six regular terms (beyond the master's degree) and eight regular terms for a student following the accelerated track (beyond the bachelor's degree).
• PhD students can be funded to attend conferences during their residency with a maximum of $3000 per conference:
• PhD student is allowed up to 2 conferences during her/his PhD program residency:
  

1. PhD students are expected to present a paper at the conference otherwise they are not eligible for funding.
2. The maximum amount of financial coverage per conference is $3,000. Any unused amount cannot be carried forward to future conferences.
3. Reimbursement covers only the duration of the conference and it is based on per diem for the hotel and meals as per the rates published by the Comptroller's Office, and on receipts for the: ticket cost, conference registration, taxi, visa, and insurance fees (if applicable).

• All PhD students are hired on a full-time basis. It is strictly forbidden for them to hold any part-time or full-time work outside the faculty.