Lebanese American University is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
institution operating in
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
. LAU has two campuses, in
BeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2.1 million as of 2007. Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's coastline with the Mediterranean sea, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan Area, which...
and
ByblosByblos is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal . It is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day Lebanon under the current Arabic name of Jbeil and was also referred to as Gibelet during the Crusades...
. LAU offers programs leading to
Associate'sAn associate degree is an academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, four-year universities, business colleges and some bachelor's degree-granting colleges/universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years....
,
Bachelor'sA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, and
Master'sA master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degrees in engineering, arts, and sciences in addition to
DoctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field. In some countries it also refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to practice in a specific profession . The best-known example...
s in
PharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences, and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of medication....
and in Medecine.
History
The Lebanese American University’s early days in 1835 find a reminder in an en-graved stone in Beirut’s city center: “Site of the first edifice built as a school for girls in the Turkish Empire.” The engraving refers to the American School for Girls, established in Beirut by American Presbyterian Missionaries. In 1924, the
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
added a two-year
junior collegeThe term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through grade 12. Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka however, have a system of junior colleges where, after taking the 10th grade board exams ,...
program. Three years later, the College was separated as the American Junior College for Women, and moved from downtown to Ras Beirut. In 1933, it relocated once again to its present location in Koreitem, West Beirut. The founding institution was a force for the education of women in Lebanon and the Middle East long before most of the world recognized the need and moral obligation to educate women in a collegiate setting.
In 1948-1949, the College expanded into a four-year, university-level institution, and changed its name to the
Beirut College for Women. In 1955, the College was chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York and in 1970 the Bachelor’s degree was recognized by the Lebanese government as equivalent to the License. In 1974, fifty years after its founding, the College became co-educational and was renamed Beirut University College.
Adding to the college’s constantly evolving programs, in 1985, the Board of Regents amended the charter to include two branches. In 1987, based on the amended charter, BUC opened its northern branch on the outskirts of the historical port of Byblos in rented buildings in Amsheet. In October 1991 classes started in the newly built campus at Blat overlooking Byblos. It was officially inaugu-rated on July 16, 1992
On January 24, 1987, four scholars at BUC Beirut Campus, Jesse Turner, Alan Steen, Robert Polhill, and Mithileshwar Singh, were abducted from the campus and held hostage. The kidnappers were unknown. In 1991, BUC established a satellite campus in
ByblosByblos is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal . It is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day Lebanon under the current Arabic name of Jbeil and was also referred to as Gibelet during the Crusades...
, north of Beirut.
In 1994, the college changed its name to Lebanese American University. As of 2007, over 6,400 students were enrolled in the five schools of the University: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Engineering and Architecture, the School of Medicine, and the School of Pharmacy.
Campuses
The Beirut campus remains the largest University campus. It has been expanded over the past five years, with a new Business School and the new Riyad Nassar Library.
The Byblos campus is home of the three professional schools at LAU: the School of Engineering and Architecture, the School of Pharmacy, and the School of Medicine. The Byblos campus also has houses the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business.
Accreditation
Since 1949, LAU and its predecessors have operated under a charter from the Board of Regents of the
University of the State of New YorkThe University of the State of New York is the State of New York's governmental umbrella organization that is responsible for most institutions and much of the personnel that are in any way connected to formal educational functions in New York State...
. (USNY is a purely administrative body which among other functions accredits colleges and universities in the state.)
On September 21, 2007, the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
granted candidacy status to the Lebanese American University. According to President Jabbra he said he felt "very strongly" that LAU would receive full accreditation in 2009.
LAU's five-year Bachelor in Architecture program is accredited by the French government, which allows the graduates to practice in France and the European Union.
The School of Engineering and Architecture plans to submit its engineering programs for future professional accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology in the U.S. in January 2010 once LAU attains full NEASC accreditation. In the academic year 2006-2007, the school started laying out the groundwork for a self-study required by ABET. In addition, the school plans to seek European accreditation for its engineering programs to expand the recognition of our degrees to a global level.
LAU and Harvard Medical International (HMI), the medical-consulting arm of Harvard Medical School (HMS), have signed an innovative 10-year collaboration agreement that will significantly reinforce LAUMS' standing. LAU will also partner with Clemenceau Medical Center (CMS), an affiliate of Johns Hopkins International, and Rafik Hariri University Hospital for the clinical element of the program.
The School of Pharmacy is accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy EducationAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education is a non-profit accreditation agency recognized by Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the US Department of Education...
. LAU is the only institution outside of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with an ACPE-accredited pharmacy program.
School of Arts and Sciences
The mission of the School of Arts and Sciences is stated as follows:
In keeping with the mission of the University, the School of Arts and Sciences strives to promote excellence in teaching and learning, encourage research and other creative endeavors and foster tolerance for diverse viewpoints and honesty in academic, professional and personal affairs of both, faculty and students.
The School of Arts and Sciences is the heart of the Lebanese American University and its oldest school. The School is the home of the liberal arts core, which is at the heart of the mission of the University, and is the major provider of service courses to all Schools at LAU. Indisputably, LAU’s pioneering and reputable programs in computer science, molecular biology, and international affairs in addition to its history in arts and communication, makes it the leader in the field; a fact that has always been echoed by the University’s graduates and their employers. Furthermore, despite its currency in research, teaching remains at the core of the mission of the School. The School houses the Computer Science and Mathematics Department, the Natural Sciences Department, the Social Science Department, the Education Department, and the Humanities Department. The school administers the Software Institute, the Peace and Justice Institute, the Institute for Migration Studies, and the Institute for Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation.
Faculty
The School has 36 full-time faculty members in Byblos of whom 86.6% have terminal degrees.
Computer Science and Mathematics
The mission of the Computer Science and Mathematics at LAU is "to provide students with the ability to integrate the theory and practice of computing in the representation, processing, and use of information while upholding tradition of the liberal arts education." The Department offers Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and a Master of Science in Computer Science. The Department has recently added a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and a minor in actuarial studies. The Department has initiated the
ABET accreditation process in Spring 2008, and has set up a two-year schedule to complete the assessment of all courses in the program and the self-study. The Department plans to apply for ABET accreditation on January 2010.
Humanities and Social Sciences
The Department offers degrees in Graphics Design and Communication. The Department prepares and houses annual student play productions and major play productions, and concerts with local and international musicians.
Natural Sciences
The Department offers degrees in chemistry, biology, and molecular biology. As part of its life sciences emphasis, the Department has established the "Genomics and Proteomics Research Unit".
School of Arts and Sciences
The school offers five graduate degrees, and 16 undergraduate degrees follows:
BACHELOR OF ARTS: Communication Arts, Education, English Literature, Fine Arts, Math Education, Political Science, Political Science/ International Affairs, Psychology, TAFL, and TEFL.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Science
MASTER OF SCIENCE: Molecular Biology, Computer Science
MASTER OF ARTS: International Affairs, Comparative Literature, and Education
School of Business
A.A.S. in Business Management
B.S. in Business, Economics, and Hospitality and Tourism Management
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Executive MBA
Endorsed Internal Auditing Program (EIAP)
School of Engineering and Architecture
A.A.S. in Interior Design
B.A. in Interior Architecture
Bachelor of Architecture
Bachelor of Engineering
B.S. in Interior Design
School of Medicine
Built and designed with significant input from Harvard Medical International (now
Partners Harvard Medical InternationalPartners Harvard Medical International is an academic not-for-profit organization that provides education and professional services to clients located primarily outside the United States. PHMI is a subsidiary of Partners HealthCare System, a health care system based in Boston,...
).
Riyad Nassar Library (Beirut Campus)
The Riyad Nassar Library has over 224,000 information records, 960 current periodical subscriptions and four special collections.
Byblos Campus Library
The Byblos Library has about 113,500 volumes of books and non-book materials and over 700 periodicals — current and retrospective.
Alumni
- Jihane Alameh , wife of the Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama
Ragheb Subhi Alama is a Lebanese singer and composer. Born and raised in Ghoubeiri in Beirut, Lebanon, Alama has a career spanning over 25 years...
- Eva Badr, the wife of diplomat and philosopher Charles Malik
- Sethrida Geagea, Lebanese politician & the wife of the leader of the Lebanese Forces
The Lebanese Forces is a right-wing Lebanese political party founded by Bachir Gemayel. During the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
(LF), Samir GeageaSamir Farid Geagea , born October 25 1952, is the current leader of the Lebanese Forces political party...
- Hind Hariri
Hind Hariri is the youngest child of self-made billionaire and Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri. She graduated from the Lebanese American University in Beirut and campaigned for her half-brother Saad in recent Lebanese elections. In 2008, Forbes magazine listed her as "one of the world's youngest...
, The daughter of the Former Prime Minister Rafik HaririRafik Bahaa El Deen Al-Hariri — , , a self-made billionaire and business tycoon, was the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004. He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
- Rima Maktabi, Reporter in Al Arabiya
Al Arabiya is an Arabic-language television news station. Launched on March 3, 2003, the station is based in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates, and is partly owned by the Saudi broadcaster Middle East Broadcasting Center ....
- Nadine Njeim
Nadine Njeim is a beauty queen, former Miss Lebanon, who represented her country in Miss World 2007 in China and Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from LSE.-Biography:...
, Miss Lebanon.Miss Lebanon - Lebanon's Official National Beauty Pageant is a beauty contest in Lebanon.Miss Lebanon is the only national beauty contest that awards prizes worth more than half a million US dollars to its winners...
2007
- Shada Omar, TV Host in the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation
The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation , widely known as LBC, is the first private television station in Lebanon. It went global in 1996 when it launched its satellite channel LBC Al-Fadha'iya Al-Lubnaniya covering the Middle East. It now has several channels covering Europe, America, Australia,...
- Martine Andraos
Martine Tlete Andraos is the reigning Miss Lebanon. She was crowned Miss Lebanon on June 26, 2009 in a broadcast held LIVE in Beirut, Lebanon on LBC. Martine was representing Lebanon in Miss Universe 2009 which took place on Nassau, Bahamas on August 23, 2009....
, Miss Lebanon 2009
External links