Full Curriculum at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates

Uae Dubai Camels On Beach
What's Included

We invite you to study in Sharjah, known as the cultural center of the United Arab Emirates. You can choose from a wide range of classes taught in English, open to Emirati and international students, at the stunning campus of the American University of Sharjah. Come explore all this unique culture has to offer while earning credit toward your degree, from a university with top accreditations!

What's Included?

Highlights

Pre Departure Services

Advising

APIConnect Platform

Orientation Materials and Resources

API Alumni Network

Scholarships

On Site Services

Airport Reception

On-Site Orientation

Excursions

Resident Director

Tuition

Medical and Life Insurance

Social and Cultural Activities

Welcome and Farewell Group Meals

Volunteer Opportunities

Housing

UAE Visa, I.D. Card, Medical Tests

Re-Entry Services

Re-Entry Materials and Support

Post-Program Evaluation

Transcript

Alumni Network and API Ambassador Program
View all opportunities and amenities

Application Requirements

  • Minimum 2.75 G.P.A.
  • Open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors
  • Completed API application
  • University Approval Form
  • One letter of recommendation
  • Official transcript
  • Students planning to take courses in architecture or studio art may have to submit portfolio materials for consideration and are encouraged to apply early.
  • Entry requirements: valid passport and visa (supplementary visa and application materials provided post-acceptance)
Dates & Fees
Session Program Dates Program Cost Application Deadline Extended Application Deadline Payment Deadline
Spring Jan 13, 2024 - May 27, 2024 $25,900 Oct 1, 2023 No Extension Oct 31, 2023
Fall Aug, 2024 - Dec, 2024 $25,500 May 26, 2024 No Extension Jun 25, 2024
Academic Year Aug, 2024 - May, 2025 $49,900 May 26, 2024 No Extension Jun 25, 2024

Any lab fees will be the responsibility of the student.

Excursions

API students participate in excursions designed to help familiarize them with the culture and surrounding areas of their host city and country. The following is a listing of potential excursions for API Sharjah programs. API may need to modify the excursions offered in a given term due to travel restrictions or health and safety concerns.

In addition to the API excursions, the International Office at AUS offers numerous activities and excursions throughout the semester. Examples of past events include a visit to the camel races, an Arabic cooking class, Atlantis Water Park and a day trip to Mussandam.

  • Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi is the capital and largest of the United Arab Emirates. It is a place of enormous wealth thanks to its oil reserves, but it is also a region with an eye towards sustainable economic and environmental development. Students may visit the most expensive hotel ever constructed in the world, walk along the seaside Corniche, or tour the rapidly developing Saadiyat Island (home to international museums such as the Louvre, Guggenheim, and others) and Yas Island (home to a world-class racetrack, yacht club, and Ferrarri World). Al Ain (which in Arabic means “The Spring”), also known as the Garden City due to its greenery, is the second largest city in the Abu Dhabi Emirate and the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates. It is close to the Omani border, and has a unique desert/mountain landscape that make it a popular tourist attraction for locals and expats alike.

  • Arabic cooking class

    Students will learn how to cook Arabic food from locals and enjoy the delicious results of the lesson!

  • Atlantis Aquarium

    Students will visit the UAE’s largest aquarium, which is home to over 65,000 marine animals.

  • Camel Racing

    Camel racing is one of the traditional sports of the UAE. Students will watch epic races at Al Marmoom Camel Racing and live an experience like no other.

  • Desert Safari

    Enjoy a day in the desert featuring dune bashing, camel ride, entertainment, and authentic food!

  • Fujairah Old Fort and Bull Fighting

    Experience traditional bullfighting in Fujairah! Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, where a matador has to deliver fatal blows to the bull, Fujairah's bullfighting is more like bull-wrestling or head-butting, where two bulls lock horns in a three to four-minute fight. After bullfighting, the students will visit Al Badiyah Mosque, which is the oldest surviving mosque in the United Arab Emirates. The group will end the day with lunch and time for relaxing on the beach.

  • Musandam, Oman

    Students will enjoy this trip to the tip of the Arabian peninsula, where they will spend the entire day aboard a wooden dhow boat for water sports and leisure.

  • Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi is the capital and largest of the United Arab Emirates. It is a place of enormous wealth thanks to its oil reserves, but it is also a region with an eye towards sustainable economic and environmental development. Students may visit the most expensive hotel ever constructed in the world, walk along the seaside Corniche, or tour the rapidly developing Saadiyat Island (home to international museums such as the Louvre, Guggenheim, and others) and Yas Island (home to a world-class racetrack, yacht club, and Ferrarri World). Al Ain (which in Arabic means “The Spring”), also known as the Garden City due to its greenery, is the second largest city in the Abu Dhabi Emirate and the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates. It is close to the Omani border, and has a unique desert/mountain landscape that make it a popular tourist attraction for locals and expats alike.

  • Desert Safari

    Enjoy a day in the desert featuring dune bashing, camel ride, entertainment, and authentic food!

  • Dubai

    The 2nd largest Emirate, Dubai shatters the stereotypes of Eastern and Western cultures while simultaneously and relatively seamlessly mixing them together. The pace of development in Dubai is breathtaking, and the urban (and coastal) landscapes are constantly changing. Students may have the opportunity to tour some of the opulent malls (and snow ski in one!) as well as the traditional souqs along Dubai Creek (such as the Gold Souq, the Spice Souq, and others). Whether riding a traditional abra (boat) across the creek or the new state-of-the-art metro system, students will be able to experience this exciting city in many ways. There is no better way to top off a day in Dubai than to ride the elevator to the 124th-floor observation deck of the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest skyscraper) and see the city spread out below, as well as the Palm Jumeirah and The World archipelago island developments.

  • Fujairah Old Fort and Bull Fighting

    Experience traditional bullfighting in Fujairah! Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, where a matador has to deliver fatal blows to the bull, Fujairah's bullfighting is more like bull-wrestling or head-butting, where two bulls lock horns in a three to four-minute fight. After bullfighting, the students will visit Al Badiyah Mosque, which is the oldest surviving mosque in the United Arab Emirates. The group will end the day with lunch and time for relaxing on the beach.

  • Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi is the capital and largest of the United Arab Emirates. It is a place of enormous wealth thanks to its oil reserves, but it is also a region with an eye towards sustainable economic and environmental development. Students may visit the most expensive hotel ever constructed in the world, walk along the seaside Corniche, or tour the rapidly developing Saadiyat Island (home to international museums such as the Louvre, Guggenheim, and others) and Yas Island (home to a world-class racetrack, yacht club, and Ferrarri World). Al Ain (which in Arabic means “The Spring”), also known as the Garden City due to its greenery, is the second largest city in the Abu Dhabi Emirate and the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates. It is close to the Omani border, and has a unique desert/mountain landscape that make it a popular tourist attraction for locals and expats alike.

  • Camel Racing

    Camel racing is one of the traditional sports of the UAE. Students will watch epic races at Al Marmoom Camel Racing and live an experience like no other.

  • Desert Safari

    Enjoy a day in the desert featuring dune bashing, camel ride, entertainment, and authentic food!

  • Dubai

    The 2nd largest Emirate, Dubai shatters the stereotypes of Eastern and Western cultures while simultaneously and relatively seamlessly mixing them together. The pace of development in Dubai is breathtaking, and the urban (and coastal) landscapes are constantly changing. Students may have the opportunity to tour some of the opulent malls (and snow ski in one!) as well as the traditional souqs along Dubai Creek (such as the Gold Souq, the Spice Souq, and others). Whether riding a traditional abra (boat) across the creek or the new state-of-the-art metro system, students will be able to experience this exciting city in many ways. There is no better way to top off a day in Dubai than to ride the elevator to the 124th-floor observation deck of the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest skyscraper) and see the city spread out below, as well as the Palm Jumeirah and The World archipelago island developments.

  • Fujairah Old Fort and Bull Fighting

    Experience traditional bullfighting in Fujairah! Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, where a matador has to deliver fatal blows to the bull, Fujairah's bullfighting is more like bull-wrestling or head-butting, where two bulls lock horns in a three to four-minute fight. After bullfighting, the students will visit Al Badiyah Mosque, which is the oldest surviving mosque in the United Arab Emirates. The group will end the day with lunch and time for relaxing on the beach.

  • Musandam, Oman

    Students will enjoy this trip to the tip of the Arabian peninsula, where they will spend the entire day aboard a wooden dhow boat for water sports and leisure.

Program Details

What You’ll Study

TOTAL CREDITS - 12-16 credits per semester

Students who elect to study abroad with API at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) choose from a wide range of undergraduate classes open to Emirati and international students.

TRANSCRIPTS

API students receive a transcript from the American University of Sharjah upon completion of their program.

  • 20190521 130228

    Kelsi Maddock

    Kelsi Maddock will be your Program Coordinator and will help prepare you for your API program.

    (she/her/hers)

  • Lan Anh

    Lana Aveyard

    Lana will be your Resident Coordinator in Sharjah and a resource for you while you are with us in the United Arab Emirates!
    (she/her/hers)

Courses
Click Here to Find Classes

COURSE OFFERINGS

CREDIT INFORMATION

AUS awards credit in a similar fashion to most U.S. universities. Students generally take 4-5 classes in order to receive 12-16 credit hours per semester. Additional courses may be taken for an additional fee. In all departments, entrance to specific courses is subject to the approval of AUS and the completion of certain prerequisites.

COURSE DETAILS

Not all courses are offered every semester or every year. The course selection may vary, and no course is guaranteed. Some courses may have prerequisites, and some courses may require minimal additional fees for labs, equipment, etc. The campus is fully integrated, with male and female students attending the same courses with the same professors (though housing is separated by gender).

Pre-registration generally takes place online prior to arrival and is finalized once the students are on campus. We recommend that after consulting the API website for course listings, students have 10 courses approved by their home university prior to departure, in order to allow for scheduling conflicts and the possible unavailability of certain classes. There is a 3-day add/drop period at the beginning of the semester at AUS.

ARABIC COURSE INFORMATION

Arabic language courses are offered each semester (though the offerings may vary from term to term). A list of highlighted options may be found below (and all courses can be accessed through the API Class Finder).

  • ARA 105 (Elementary Arabic I) and ARA 106 (Elementary Arabic II) is typically offered every semester (i.e. fall and spring)
  • ARA 203 (Intermediate Arabic I) is typically offered every fall semester
  • ARA 204 (Intermediate Arabic II) is typically offered every spring semester
  • Other Arabic Department courses of interest include, but are not limited to:
    • ARA 314 Media Arabic
    • ARA 340 The Social Context of Arabic
    • ARA 360 Arab Linguistics

Courses at the American University of Sharjah (Full Curriculum)

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Courses at the American University of Sharjah (Full Curriculum)

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Courses at the American University of Sharjah (Full Curriculum)

For the most up-to-date course availability on this program, explore our Class Finder. Sort courses by term, area of study, and more!

Click here to find courses, syllabi, and more!

Highlights
  • Courses in English and Arabic
  • Courses with Emirati and international students
  • Transcript from U.S. accredited institution (American University of Sharjah)
  • U.S. accreditations (AACSB, ABET, NAAB, Middle States)
  • Visa cost included
Housing

Housing is separated by gender, and all students (male and female) are subject to a curfew (12:00 a.m. weekdays; 1:00 am on weekends). 40% of the student population of AUS lives in campus housing. Dorms are located on campus, within walking distance to classes (though shuttle service is also provided around campus). Shuttle service is also available at select times to transport students to popular shopping and entertainment areas in Sharjah and Dubai. Students typically have one roommate, and most rooms have one bathroom, a kitchenette, as well as access to laundry facilities, the campus athletic facilities and pool, and study/storage areas.

Note: Housing between the fall and spring semesters is not included.

Meals are not included in the API program cost. Students can purchase meals at one of the many cafeterias/cafes located on or around the AUS campus or prepare light meals in the kitchenette included in their dorm room.

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