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General Information

Undergraduate Studies

Graduate Studies

Research

Continuing Education & Training Programs

Appendix: Personnel & Enrollment

 

 

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geninfo
 Academic Organization & Support Services

The academic programs of the American University in Cairo are offered by  departments and institutes that are administratively housed in three schools. The academic area also includes research centers and support services units.
 

Academic Organization

Schools

School of Business, Economics and Communication

      The School of Business, Economics and Communication consists of three
      departments, which offer the following programs:

      1. Department of Economics

  • Bachelor of arts in Economics
  • Minor in Economics
  • Master of arts in Economics

      2. Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

  • Bachelor of arts in Journalism and Mass Communication with specialization in Broadcast Journalism, Integrated Marketing Communication, Journalism
  • Minor in Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Master of arts in Journalism and Mass Communication with specialization option in television journalism
  • Non-degree training programs in television journalism

      3. Department of Management

  • Bachelor of arts in Accounting (BAC)
  • Bachelor of arts in Business Administration (BBA)
  • Minor in Accounting
  • Minor in Business Administration
  • Minor in Information Systems
  • Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Masters of Public Administration (MPA)
  • Professional non-degree executive training, consulting, research and advisory services

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

      The school of Humanities and Social Sciences consists of six departments, two institutes and six programs, which offer the following programs:

   1. Department of Arabic Studies

  • Bachelor of arts in Arabic Studies with specialization in Arabic literature or in Middle Eastern History
  • Minor in Arab and Islamic Civilization
  • Minor in Arabic Literature
  • Minor in Classical/Medieval Islamic History
  • Minor in Islamic Art & Architecture
  • Minor in Islamic Studies
  • Master of arts in Arabic Studies with specializations in Islamic art and architecture, Arabic language and literature, and Middle Eastern history
  • Graduate diploma in Islamic Studies

   2. Department of English and Comparative Literature

  • Bachelor of arts in English and Comparative Literature
  • Bachelor of arts in Philosophy
  • Minor in English and Comparative Literature
  • Minor in Philosophy
  • The Writing Program
  • Master of arts in English and Comparative Literature

   3. Department of History

  • Bachelor of arts in Modern History
  • Minor in European-World History
  • Minor in Modern History
  • Minor in Modern Middle Eastern History
  • Minor in United States History

   4. Department of Performing and Visual Arts

  • Bachelor of arts in Theatre
  • Bachelor of arts in Art
  • Minor in Art
  • Minor in Film
  • Minor in Music
  • Minor in Theatre

   5. Department of Political Science

  • Bachelor of arts in Political Science with specialization in International Relations, Political Economy, Public & International Law or Middle East Politics
  • Minor in International Relations
  • Minor in Middle East Politics
  • Minor in Political Economy
  • Minor in Political Science
  • Master of arts in Political Science with specialization in Comparative Politics, Professional Development, International Relations, or International Human Rights Law
  • Graduate diploma in Political Science

   6. Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, and Egyptology

  • Bachelor of arts in Sociology
  • Bachelor of arts in Anthropology
  • Bachelor of arts in Psychology
  • Bachelor of arts in Egyptology
  • Minor in Anthropology
  • Minor in Development Studies
  • Minor in Egyptology
  • Minor in Psychology
  • Minor in Sociology
  • Master of arts in Sociology/Anthropology

   7. Arabic Language Institute

  • Non-degree intensive Arabic Language Instruction
  • Arabic Language instruction for the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) program
  • Courses in the Arabic language for undergraduate credit
  • Master of arts in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL)
  • Graduate diploma in TAFL

   8. English Language Institute

  • Minor in Linguistics
  • Intensive English Language Instruction to incoming undergraduate and graduate students, who are non-native speakers of English
  • Master of arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
  • Graduate diploma in TEFL

   9. African Studies Program

  • Minor in African Studies

   10. American Studies Program

  • Minor in American Studies

   11. European Studies Program

  • Graduate diploma in European Studies

   12. Forced Migration & Refugee Studies Program

  • Graduate diploma in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies

   13. Gender Studies Program

  • Minor in Gender Studies

   14. Middle East Studies Program

  • Bachelor of arts in Middle East Studies
  • Master of arts in Middle East studies
  • Graduate diploma in Middle East studies

School of Sciences and Engineering

   1.Department of Biology

  • Bachelor of science in Biology
  • Minor in Biology
  • Minor in Environmental Science

   2. Department of Chemistry

  • Bachelor of science in Chemistry, with a specialization in Clinical Analysis & in Industrial Chemistry
  • Minor in Chemistry
  • Minor in Archaeological Chemistry
  • General Science Courses

   3. Department of Computer Science

  • Bachelor of science in Computer Science
  • Minor in Computer Science
  • Master of science in Computer Science
  • Graduate diploma in Computer Science

   4. Department of Construction Engineering

  • Bachelor of science in Construction Engineering
  • Minor in Architectural Design

   5. Department of Electronics Engineering (under development)

  • Bachelor of science in Electronics Engineering

   6. Department of Mathematics

  • Bachelor of science in Mathematics, with an option in Statistics & Data Analysis
  • Minor in Mathematics
  • Minor in Applied Probability and Statistics

   7. Department of Mechanical Engineering

  • Bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering, with specializations in materials and manufacturing, design and industrial engineering

   8. Department of Physics

  • Bachelor of science in Physics, with an option in Instrumentation
  • Minor in Physics
  • Minor in Electronics
  • Master of science in Physics
  • Graduate Diploma in Physics

   9. Interdisciplinary Engineering Programs

  • Undergraduate general Engineering courses
  • Master of Science in Engineering, with options in Construction Engineering, Design, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Materials and Manufacturing
  • Graduate Diploma in Engineering
  • Training programs for practicing Engineers

Research Centers

    The university has the following research centers. For more details, see section on Research.

    1. Social Research Center
    2. Desert Development Center
    3. Arabic Studies Bio-bibliographical Research Unit
    4. Institute for Gender & Women's Studies

Research Support Offices

    The university supports research through the following offices. For more details, see section on Research.

    1. Office of Graduate Studies and Research
    2. Office of Sponsored Programs
    3. Office of African Studies.

Academic Support Services

Libraries and Learning Technologies

Dean: S. El Sawy
Associate Dean: R. Johnston

   AUC Libraries and Learning Technologies consists of the AUC Libraries (Main and the Rare Books and Special Collections Library), Academic Computing Services, AUC Web, Center for Learning and Teaching, and Classroom Technologies and Media Services.

   LLT Mission: As the academic heart of AUC, Libraries & Learning Technologies fosters an environment which provides access, tools, content, and services to enhance learning, teaching, research, scholarship and personal enlightenment.

Main Library

Directors: V. Campbell, M. Plettner, J. Spencer

Senior Librarians: R.M. Johnston, H. El Ridi, C. Rueby, N. Sidawy, J. Spencer, L. Tweddle, H. Yaghmour, N. Youssif, H. Benham, K. Bussart.

   The mission of the AUC Library is to support the instructional and research needs of the AUC community. The Library provides the academic community with one of the largest English language research collections in Egypt. Using the Library of Congress classification system, open stacks and a fully automated catalog system, the Library provides over 400,000 volumes and over 1700 current periodical subscriptions. Approximately 50 databases provide online access to an additional 6000 periodicals, many in fulltext. Faculty and students are able to access databases and information about the collections and services while in the Library, on campus, or from home. With approximately 90 public access computers currently available, planning is underway to provide laptops and wireless technology for use in the Library. The Library is a Research Library Group (RLG) member and a SHARES participant. The use of Ariel enhances the speed of document delivery from abroad. Library instruction is offered in all fields to students, faculty, staff and visitors.

   AUC Libraries are accessible online at: http://lib.aucegypt.edu/

Rare Books & Special Collections Library & University Archives

Director: P. Croom
University Archivist: S. Urgola
Senior Librarian: F. Marei
Assistant Director: D. Abdel Razek

   The Rare Books and Special Collections Library was inaugurated in the spring of 1992 in a restored turn-of-the century villa on Sheikh Rihan Street. As a branch of the AUC Library, it operates as a scholarly research facility and a teaching resource center specializing in the civilizations of ancient, medieval, and Modern Egypt and the region. The current holdings of over 30,000 books and extensive collections of manuscripts, photographs, slides, maps and plans attract researchers from around the world. The Rare Books and Special Collections Library also houses the  AUC archives. The special collections include the Creswell Library of Islamic Art and Architecture, and the collections of Max Debbane, Selim Hassan, Labib Habachi, Mahmoud Saba, and most recently of Hassan Fathy and Van Leo.

   The Rare Books and Special Collections Library is available online at:
  
http://lib.aucegypt.edu/screens/rbscl.html

   The professional library staff participates in ongoing continuing education programs which are supported by the Jesse Duggan Memorial Fund. The Duggan Fund was established in 1985 as a permanent endowment in memory of Jesse Duggan and his many years of service to AUC and the Cairo community as University Librarian (1972-1985).

AUC Web

University Web Manager: K. Coffield

   The primary responsibility of the University Web Manager is to strengthen the institutional web presence, particularly at top levels of the site, through strategic policy development, management of web-related resources, guidelines for design and content, and promotion of campus-wide participation.  In cooperation with web developers at Academic Computing Services and in other units, the Web Manager also provides guidance and resources for site development by academic programs and administrative offices.

   AUC Web is available online at: http://www.aucegypt.edu     

Academic Computing Services

Director: M. Kaddah
Associate Director: S. el Kassas (Acting)

   Academic Computing Services (ACS) provides computer services to all AUC faculty, researchers and students. Services include: providing necessary computing facilities, management of public-access computer labs, technical support and training, software installation and trouble-shooting, web development, and support for the use of computing technology in instructional programs. ACS also provides a range of R&D support services including technology tracking and specialized training and consulting. ACS offers workshops and seminars to faculty, staff and students on a regular basis.

   Academic Computing Services is available online at: http://acs.aucegypt.edu

Center for Learning and Teaching

Director: A. Ellozy
Associate Director: W. Pappas

   A new component of LLT, the Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) is located in Room 212A in the Falaki Academic Center and has been functioning since Fall 2002. The focus of CLT is to promote excellence in teaching. The Center will assist faculty in integrating and assessing new pedagogies and new technologies into their teaching. It will offer a variety of programs and services to support the teaching faculty, and it will also coordinate the existing services available through Academic Computing Services, Classroom Technologies and Media Services, and the Library.

Classroom Technologies and Media Services

Director: M. S. Allen
Associate Director: S. Washi

   Classroom Technologies and Media Services provide media and instructional technology support to all academic departments of the University. The department provides necessary equipment and maintains a collection of non-print materials, including films, and audio and videocasettes. It also maintains two computer classrooms, two video conferencing rooms and eight smart classrooms. Technical assistance and training in the use of media is available to all faculty and students.

   AUC Media Services is available online at:
  
http://lib.aucegypt.edu/screens/media.html

University Computing

Associate Vice President for Computing: M. S. Akabawy

   The central computing organization is headed by the associate vice president for computing and reports to the Provost.  Under his direct jurisdiction are two technical offices: the Network Security Office and the Planning and Control Office. The Network Security Officer is responsible for developing campus-wide policies and overseeing their implementation in addition to developing, on a periodic basis, campus-wide risk assessment and business continuity plans/Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP). The office also administers the university firewall and the Virtual Private (VPN) facility for selected users. The Planning and Control officer is responsible for the development and update of the strategic ICT plan for university network services, administrative computing services and telecommunication.

   The central computing organization is composed of three units, each headed by a Director or Acting Director

.Administrative Computing Services

Director: A. Ramadan

   The mission of the Administrative Computing Services unit (AdCS) is to maintain AUC's critical applications for the AUC administration. These include application development, technical resources management and designing and implementing computer literacy and training programs for all staff.

   AdCS has installed and currently supports over sixty software products resulting in an automated information system utilized in most major administrative areas. These include:

   Financial System (CUFS), Student information System (SIS-PLUS), Human Resource System (HRS), Fund Raising and Alumni (FUNDAL) and Office Automation (OA) applications. A host of  front-end  web enabled interfaces interacts with these legacy systems to provide on-line e-service facility to the community (students, faculty, staff and administration).

   A Storage Area Network (SAN) infrastructure has been installed to serve applications and to act as a centralized storage repository for any application's data storage eg. e-mail

.University Network Services

Acting Director: M.S.Akabawi
Associate Director: Khaled Hilal

   The University Network Services (UNS) unit is responsible for the planning, design, development, operation and management of the campus-wide data communications network. The campus network is based on a gegabit backbone with 4,700 switched 10/100 mbps access ports distributed in all campus buildings and satellite locations ( Maadi, Zamalek, Heliopolis and Cairo Center building). The network infrastructure is  built to accommodate up to 7,000 ports. UNS actively monitors and manages the network through management and   monitoring tools to proactively detect problems and attend to them.  UNS also provides e-mail services for up to 10,000 mailboxes.  E-mail accounts are granted to all staff, faculty, students and alumni.  Alumni, tenured faculty and staff are given life-long accounts.

   UNS activities include: providing direct access to all computing resources and information servers inside and outside the university, enabling the use of various distributed computing environments within the schools and research centers, configuring and installing the suitable communications/networking software suite on the university wide workstations, offering technical support in the area of network configuration, trouble shooting and correction, providing all data communication activities within AUC, including on campus, off campus, and remote dial-in services, offering network consulting services for network design, installation, and management of the university constituency, providing physical connectivity and cable installation through its specialized staff; and coordinating, hosting and maintaining the university links to the Worldwide Internet.

   The UNS is considered to be the first point of contact for the AUC community for any network access needs, queries and problems, local or remote.

Telecommunication Operation

Assistant Director: Eng. Aly Reda

   The telecommunication area is responsible for planning, designing, developing and operating the university-wide telephone system and all the PBXs in AUC buildings. The activities include designing of voice infrastructure network, management of telephone operators, and supervision of installed radio base station (RBS). 

   IP telephony is currently replacing the aging PBXs in a phased manner, enabling faster and less expensive communication with AUC New York office and AUC satellite buildings in Zamalek, Maadi and Heliopolis

The American University in Cairo Press

Director: Mark Linz

   Established in 1960, the AUC Press has become the region's foremost English-language publishing house. Its goals and purposes reflect and support AUC's mission in education, research, and cultural exchange through professional publishing, printing, and bookselling services.

Publishing Services

   AUC's publishing house is rapidly expanding its program of high quality scholarly, literary, and general interest publications on Egypt and the Middle East, publishing some 40 new books each year and maintaining a backlist of more than 400 titles for worldwide distribution. The Press is proud to be both the primary English-language publisher and the worldwide literary agent of Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz, and to present two annual awards: the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature and the AUC Middle East Studies Award. An Endowment for Scholarly Books and Translations of Arabic Literature was established in 2000.

Printing Services

   The AUC Printshop and its Design Center and Copy Centers provide professional design and production services, and assist the AUC Press, the university at large, and other educational institutions in Egypt with the production of books and journals and a wide variety of other printed materials.

Bookselling Services

   The AUC Bookstores supply the university's textbooks and provide Cairo's English-language community with a wide variety of books on Egypt and the Middle East, as well as reference books, modern fiction and nonfiction, guides and gift books.

Career Advising and Placement Services

Director: Maha Guindi

   The office of Career Advising and Placement Services (CAPS) at the American University in Cairo (AUC) is committed to provide quality service to students, alumni and employers in the areas of career planning and employment through a centralized comprehensive program.

   CAPS educates students and alumni for life-long career planning and development. Assistance is provided in identifying career objectives, designing and implementing job search strategies, as well as exploring experiential learning, employment, and post-graduate opportunities.

   The office fosters collaborative relationships with faculty, employers and the professional community at large to enhance a mutually beneficial relationship between our constituents. CAPS supports employers' endeavors, primarily in Egypt and the Middle East, in recruiting and developing potential candidates for entry, intermediate and senior-level positions.

   CAPS maintains equal opportunity compliance and follows affirmative action principles in conducting its services.

Career Advising Program

   The program is designed to support the career planning endeavors of AUC students and alumni in individual and group settings through the following services:

  • Individual Career Advising: Career advisors are available to counsel students and alumni on career related matters. Advisors assist in identifying different career options and support students in making occupational choices that are compatible with their skills and interests. Peer Career Advisors provide assistance in the areas of career planning, resume writing, and interviewing.
     
  • Self-Assessment Tools: The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) are administered by licensed professionals to help students develop a better understanding of their personality types, interests and skills; and accordingly take well-informed career decisions.
     
  • Career Development Workshops
    Each semester, CAPS conducts a series of workshops which are designed to provide students with the job search skills required for marketing their qualifications to employers. Topics covered include career planning, high impact resumes, power interviewing, and your path to graduate study.

Career Exploration

   To land satisfactory employment, students are encouraged to research their occupational interests, career options, and employers' information; in addition to acquiring hands-on experience that complements their academic background.

  • Career Resources Library: To support students' career planning endeavors, CAPS career library hosts a wide variety of general career-related resources and corporate-specific recruiting materials.
     
  • CareerMart: In the spring, AUC hosts an annual CareerMart, which allows students to meet with professionals from a variety of disciplines in an informal setting and explore various career fields and relevant career opportunities.
     
  • Summer Internship Program: CAPS organizes a summer internship program through which AUC students gain valuable work experience during the summer vacation.  Students apply to the announced internships.
     
  • Job Shadowing Program: CAPS helps students explore their career as early as their freshman year. Job Shadowing allows students to shadow a business professional in their field of interest for one or two days to see what a daily routine of that career is really like.

Placement Services

   Throughout the year, the placement program provides an interactive communication channel between AUC graduating students and alumni, and employers seeking qualified job candidates. The program includes:

  • Employment Fairs: Twice a year, AUC hosts local, national and multinational employers in an informal one-day recruiting event in order to promote a productive exchange of career information between employers' representatives and AUC students and alumni seeking professional employment. Details on participating companies and available vacancies are published in an Employment Fair booklet.
     
  • Vacancy Announcements: The office publishes a weekly  e-jobs bulletin that communicates current employment opportunities to alumni subscribers via e-mail. Hard copies are posted weekly on CAPS bulletin boards.
     
  • Resume Referral Service: The office maintains a resume data bank for students and alumni engaged in the job search process.  The data bank is utilized to refer to the employer the resumes of interested applicants whose qualifications match the company's requests.
     
  • On-Campus Corporate Visits: To facilitate the interaction between students and employers, CAPS coordinates on-campus company recruiting visits which include corporate presentations, case study seminars and interviews.

   For further information on CAPS programs and dates of career-related events, refer to CAPS website: http://caps.aucegypt.edu

Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

Director: Iman El-Kaffass
Associate Director: Sherifa El Tabei

   The Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EO/AA Office) is the embodiment of the American University in Cairo's commitment to the value of equality and an environment free of harassment and discrimination. 

   The EO/AA Office helps facilitate the development of students that appreciate and respect diversity and multiculturalism. Contributing to the person-hood of students, the Office educates and trains students in life-skills that are formative to their personalities enabling them to contribute to attitude changes in society. Good and responsible citizenship and service to the community are some core values built into the lives of students. The Office helps prepare students for challenging careers in national and multinational organizations that operate in a dynamic, diverse, and multicultural global village. 

   Accomplishing the above, the Office holds regular training sessions, seminars and symposia on a variety topics such as: integrating the disabled or differently-abled, cultural sensitivity training, managing diversity, women's issues, saying no to harassment including sexual harassment, what discrimination does to people, the societal integration of the aged, and many more. The Office also hosts several cultural oriented events that emphasize diversity and equality. Activities furthermore aim to link students to different entities working in these fields. Over and above that, the Office also has its own publication called Linkage and a multimedia library that includes books, journals and videos about gender, diversity, equality, equal opportunity laws and practices. 

   The EO/AA Office also has a preventative and prescriptive role, helping prevent harassment and discrimination at AUC. The Office advises, counsels, and educates all AUCians (students, faculty, and staff) about their legal rights and responsibilities. When and if harassment or discrimination takes place, the Office mediates or investigates such incidents. The Office takes measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur. The Office is the custodian of the University's Policy on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and its Policy on Sexual Harassment that are applicable to all AUCians (students, faculty and staff).

   For more information, visit our website: www.aucegypt.edu/affirmative.
  
If you have any question or concern please contact:   (+202) 797–5544

International & Special Academic Programs

Assistant Provost for International Programs: J. Swanson

   AUC's Office of International and Special Academic Programs is charged with several tasks. It reviews and maintains administrative oversight with regard to agreements between AUC and external institutions; it monitors academic programs for foreign undergraduate students on campus; it coordinates among the various on-campus bodies and groups that are responsible for these programs; and it assists the Director of Graduate Studies in matters that relate to the needs of foreign graduate students at AUC. The Office of International and Special Academic Programs often provides support and coordination for special lecture series, and programs organized by AUC's faculty.

   Among the responsibilities of the Office of International and Special Academic Programs is that of arranging and organizing special academic programs for visiting groups -a responsibility that is shared with the University's Center for Adult and Continuing Education. Many universities and other agencies in the United States organize academically-oriented programs of their own in Egypt, either regularly or on occasion. AUC actively facilitates such programs, whether during the academic year or in the summer sessions. AUC assistance ranges from conducting entire academic and travel programs to joint programs with provision for local administrative services. In recent years such study programs have included Middle East curriculum development,  Egyptian or Middle East  study tours, and other activities for or with the National Council on U.S-Arab Relations; the U.S. Department of Education; Smithsonian Associates; International Study Tours, N.Y. ("Elderhostel"); and St. Olaf, Drew, Birmingham Southern, and other colleges and universities. AUC plans such programs both for students and for faculty development at university and secondary levels. Universities and other institutions interested in AUC assistance should contact Dr. J. Swanson through the New York office at:

    The American University in Cairo
    420 Fifth Avenue
    New York, N.Y. 10018-2729
    U.S.A.
    Fax: New York (212) 730-8800
    E-mail:
    aucegypt@aucnyo.edu

Copyright © 2002-2003, The American University in Cairo