For Graduate Programs, see Academic Rules and Regulations for Graduate Programs.

Purpose

To define the Academic Rules of the Lebanese American University and to state the procedures involved in the implementation of these rules.

Procedure

It shall be the responsibility of the University Curriculum Council (UCC) to study any suggested changes to the Academic Rules and Procedures, and to submit its recommendations to the Council of Deans for final approval.

It shall be the responsibility of the Admissions Offices, and the University Admissions Council to ensure that the admission regulations are properly administered.

It shall be the responsibility of the Registrar’s Offices to implement these Academic Rules and Procedures and to observe the rules herein.

It shall be the responsibility of the Offices of the Dean of Students and the academic advisors to give general guidance to students.

It shall be the responsibility of every student to study, and to observe the rules herein.

I. General Academic Rules

A. Classification of Students

Students are classified as full-time when they enroll in 12 or more credits, and they are considered part-time when they enroll in fewer than 12 credits per semester.

1. Degree Students

Degree students are classified as follows:

2. Special Students

Students taking courses for credit but not working towards a degree are classified as “special students.”

B. Change of Major

1. A student may request, at any time, from the school concerned, to change major. Any conditions set by the Admissions’ Offices and/or the student’s academic performance at LAU will be taken into consideration. Acceptance in the new major is also conditional on availability of places.
2. Students with an approved change of major will have the option of dropping, from the Grade Point Average (GPA) computation, the grades of three (3) courses taken at LAU belonging to the requirements of the old major, provided these courses are not required in the new major.
3. Only courses in which the student earned a grade of C and below can be deleted from the GPA. 
4. This rule also applies to students changing to “Undecided” or who were enrolled as “Undecided”.
5. A student is allowed to use this option of dropping up to three course grades, equivalent to 9 credits, from GPA computation only once during his/her study at LAU.
6. Students must submit a request to have their grades deleted at the Registrar’s Office no later than one semester following the change of major, and not after graduating or after leaving the university for more than two consecutive semesters. This rule applies for changes of major within a school or when a student transfers from one school to another.
7. Students who benefited from the above stated rule (B.2) cannot return to their old major and cannot request to have their major changed again to any major which requires a course whose grade was deleted from the GPA computation.

C. Transfer from one LAU Campus to Another

Students who intend to transfer from one LAU campus to another may do so, provided they declare their intention by filling out an Intercampus Transfer Form and submitting it by the specified deadlines. Once they transfer, they must register for at least two regular semesters in the new campus before they are allowed to transfer back.

D. Transfer of Credit

1. For transfer students, 50% of the credits corresponding to the required major must be completed at LAU.
2. Only courses with a grade equivalent to “C” and above are eligible for transfer.
3. Transfer courses are noted on the transcript as T and are not included in the GPA computation.
4. For transfer students, 50% of the credits corresponding to the required major must be completed at LAU, in addition to residency of two semesters and completion of min. 30 credits at LAU. 

E. Course Substitution

Course substitutions in the major courses may be made, under special circumstances, before final registration for the course, and upon the recommendation of the department concerned and the approval of the Academic School Council. Course substitution of university requirements needs the approval of the University Curriculum Council.

F. Withdrawal from Courses

Students wishing to withdraw (after the Drop & Add/Late Registration period) from one or more courses must follow the withdrawal procedure set by the Registrar’s Office.

Students withdrawing from courses will receive a WI, WP or WF depending on the time of withdrawal as indicated in Section III: Scholastic Standing – Part A.    

G. Auditing Courses

LAU students may audit courses; however, they should secure the consent of the instructor and the department chairperson prior to registration. Students auditing a course will not receive credit for it.

H. Student Course Load

1. A minimum full-time load in a regular term is 12 credits.  The maximum load allowed per semester is 18 credits, or as specified by the professional schools.
2. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 and above are allowed to carry a maximum of 21 credits in a regular term.
3. Students, in their last semester of graduation, may register for a maximum of 21 credits, provided they are in good academic standing.
4. Students who are on probation are not allowed to carry more than 13 credits in a regular semester.
5. The maximum course load for the summer is 11 credits.  
6. Students in the professional schools who are registered in internship courses during the summer term may be allowed to exceed the total allowed credits for the summer provided the requirements for the internship are fulfilled beyond the summer.
7. In special cases, the Academic School Council may allow students to exceed the allowed maximum load, within the constraints of the University Charter. 

I. Repeating Courses

1. Undergraduate student may repeat a course up to two times and will receive credit once for the course. It should be noted that a WF in a course counts as a repeat. Students are not allowed to repeat a course in which they have earned a grade above C+, or an Incomplete. When a course is repeated, only the highest grade earned in the course will be included when calculating the student’s cumulative and major GPA.
2. If a student registers for a course at LAU that has already been transferred from another institution, this transferred course will be deleted from the transcript and replaced by the grade received in the course taken at LAU.
3. Courses taken at LAU cannot be repeated at another institution and transferred back to LAU.
4. Students are not allowed to register for any course more than three times, not including withdrawal types WI and WP. Students unable to get a passing grade after repeating the course two times will be dropped from the university or the program, depending on whether the course is part of the Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) or part of the program requirements.
5. Dismissal from the university or being dropped from a program will apply only if the repeated course is specifically named in the LAC requirements, is required in the major, or is required as a remedial course.

J. Intensive English Regulations

1. To promote students from Intensive English to regular English courses, the following criteria should be used:

• ENG003 students must pass the course with a final grade of C or above, or score 500 or above, on the English Entrance Exam (EEE), or the equivalent in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• ENG002 students must pass the Intensive English course with a grade of C+ or above, or score 500 or above on the EEE, or the equivalent in TOEFL.

        2. Students in ENG002 and ENG003 may take one course for credit each semester from the Arabic or Math disciplines in addition to a Physical Education course upon advisor’s consent.

K. English Requirements

1. Entering freshmen and sophomores with a score between 500 and 549 on the EEE, or its equivalent in TOEFL, must take ENG009 Remedial English, (zero credits), ENG101 English I, (3 credits), and ENG102 English II, (3 credits) before the sophomore-level English courses.
2. Entering freshmen and sophomores with a score between 550 and 599 on the EEE, or its equivalent in TOEFL, must take 6 credits of English (ENG101 English I, and ENG102 English II), before taking the sophomore-level English courses.
3. Entering freshmen and sophomores with a score between 600 and 649 on the EEE, or its equivalent in TOEFL, must take 3 credits of English (ENG102 English II), before taking the sophomore-level English courses.
4. Entering freshmen and sophomores with a score of 650 or higher on the EEE, or its equivalent in TOEFL, can take sophomore-level English courses directly.
5. Students passing ENG003 Intensive English III, with an average of C or above or the IECE, with a grade of C or above, are required to take ENG009 Remedial English, ENG101 English I, and ENG102 English II.

L. Attendance Regulations and Make-up Policy

1. Attendance Regulations

Students are held responsible for all the material presented in the classroom, even during their absence. Makeup work and exams, if any, will be according to the rules spelled out in the course syllabus.

Students can miss no more than the equivalent of two weeks of instruction in any semester (one week for summer term) excused and otherwise, in any course, and still receive credit for that course.

However, specific schools can opt for a more stringent rule. Any specific attendance regulations should be mentioned in the syllabi. Instructors are to inform their departments and the Office of the Dean of Students of any prolonged, unexplained absence of a given student.

Students who exceed the allowed number of absences must withdraw from the course; otherwise, the course grade will be recorded by the instructor as F. In highly exceptional cases, students may be given special permission by the Academic School Councils to continue in the course.

2. Make-up Policy

All lost sessions are to be made up. When the number of lost days (resulting from suspension of classes, for any reason) in a regular semester adds up to 10, they are to be made up as follows:

1. Three days to be made up according to a schedule set at the discretion of each faculty member;
2. Seven days to be scheduled by a decision of the Council of Deans in consultation with the Faculty Senate.
3. The 10-day period is seen as the period beyond which no makeup can be considered and credit loss becomes inevitable. Alternately, the semester may be extended, and students may have to bear any additional expenses resulting from such an extension.

3. Class Time

Class sessions are usually 50 minutes for MWF classes and 75 minutes for TTH classes.  Summer sessions are prorated. Lab and studio classes follow a different timing set by the school.  

If the instructor is late to class, students are required to wait 15 minutes before leaving.

M. Classroom Scheduling and Class Size

Classrooms are assigned by the Registrar’s Office. Instructors wishing to make classroom changes must first clear such changes with the department chairperson and the Registrar’s Office.  When determining class size, the following guidelines will be followed:

 Normally, an addition of no more than 10% will be used to account for possible attrition.

N. Tests and Examinations

1. Regulations and Procedures        

1. Final examinations are held at the end of each semester and summer module. Final examinations should not count for more than 40 percent of the course grade and should be clearly stated in course syllabi.  At least two tests, and/or graded projects, should account for the remaining percentage of the course grade.
2. If a student is absent from a final examination, a grade of zero will be given for that examination. Accordingly, the course grade will be calculated and reported with a “missed final” note. If, within one week, the student submits an excuse, which is acceptable to the instructor and/ or the department concerned, then the student will be given a makeup final examination. If an excuse is presented after the lapse of a week, and within one month, the student may petition the school concerned to have his/her grade changed to an I, be allowed to sit for an examination, and have the final grade adjusted accordingly within a deadline set by the school concerned but not exceeding the deadline for  Incomplete grades.  If a valid excuse is presented before the course grades are out, the instructor of the course may give an Incomplete grade if the conditions stated in Section III – Scholastic Standing – Part A are met.
3. Any incomplete work must be made up by a date planned with the instructor, but no later than the eighth week of the following semester (fall or spring) in which the student is enrolled at the university. Otherwise, the grade of I is changed to an F (or an NP). It is the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor to make the arrangements for the completion of the incomplete work. In no case may  Incomplete work be made up after a lapse of one year from the end of the semester or module in which the grade of I was received.
4. In the case of senior study, internship courses and final year projects (in all schools except the School of Arts & Sciences), incomplete work must be completed no later than one full year after the end of the semester or module in which the grade of I (Incomplete) was received.
5. In the School of Arts and Sciences, the incomplete work for senior study and/or internship courses and final year projects must be completed no later than one regular semester following the semester in which the Incomplete grade was given.
6. Final examinations will not be scheduled on dates outside the stated examination period. In case of an emergency, a student may request an early final exam. Such a request needs the approval of the instructor of the course and the department chairperson.
7. No more than three final exams will be scheduled, per day, for any student. In case a student has more than three scheduled final exams in the same day, the student is entitled to have the final exam of the highest course number rescheduled.
8. When there are final examination conflicts between an LAU course and a course at another institution, the student involved must resolve the conflict with the LAU instructors in advance.
9. Students are entitled to review their final examination paper in the instructor’s office (or the department chairperson’s office, in case of the absence of the instructor concerned). Final examination papers will be retained by the instructor, or the department chairperson for the following two regular semesters.
10. Some of the above rules, namely rules a, f, and i, may not apply to design, studio, project, seminar, and research type courses.  In such cases, school-specific regulations may apply, as specified in the course syllabus, and approved by the Academic School Council.
11. In case of illness, or major emergency leading to absence from an announced examination, a student must notify, within a week, the Office of the Dean of Students and the instructor/ department concerned.

2. Code of Conduct During Examinations

Students are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct during all examinations. For more details on conduct during examinations, kindly refer to the Student Code of Conduct.

II. Registration Rules

A. Registration

1. Registration on the assigned dates is required of all students in accordance with the posted procedures and regulations. Late registration is subject to a late registration fee. Intensive English students, transferring students, cross-registering students, and students on double probation, as well as students returning after one or more semesters of absence, are exempted from the late registration fee.
2. Students are not allowed to register after the late registration period.
3. In order to register for a course, students must complete all the prerequisite(s) for that course.
4. No student may enroll in a course if he/she has an incomplete grade in a prerequisite.
5. In exceptional cases, the chairperson may give special permission for registration if points 3 and 4, listed above, are not met.
6. Students who wish to register a course at another university must abide by the conditions stated in section I.2 and I.3 (Cross Registration). 

B. Registration for Pass/No Pass Courses 

1. Students may choose to take free elective courses (sophomore level and above) over and above the university requirements, and the major requirements, on a Pass (P) or No Pass (NP) basis.
2. Courses taken on a Pass or No Pass basis will not count in the GPA, but the credit hours successfully completed will be counted towards graduation. The Pass grade is given when the grade in the course is C, or above.
3. Students are not allowed to take more than one course per semester on a Pass or No Pass basis.

C. Registration for Tutorial Courses 

In exceptional cases, students are allowed to take courses on a tutorial basis, subject to the following:

1. Students may apply for a tutorial in their junior and senior years in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business, or during their last two years in the professional schools, provided they have completed at least 30 semester credits at LAU with a GPA of 2.50 and above, or are graduating with a bachelor’s degree and the required course is not offered at LAU.
2. Permission may be granted to a student to enroll in a tutorial by the Academic School Council, if all of the following conditions apply:
   1. A substitute is not offered at LAU.
   2. The approval of the advisor and the department chairperson is secured.
   3. The Academic School Council approves a petition of the student to be allowed a tutorial before the beginning of the semester.
3. The department chairperson and/or the academic dean shall select the appropriate instructor for any tutorials. No student may take more than two courses as tutorials in his/her undergraduate program. These credits shall not be taken in one semester. Non-graduating students should take at least nine other credits in regularly scheduled courses or at least one other regularly scheduled course during the summer.
4. Applied courses (labs and studios), and those being repeated, shall not be taken as tutorials.
5. Tutorials involve close and regular monitoring of the student’s progress; therefore, course requirements, and the grading standards, set in a regularly scheduled course should apply to a tutorial.

D. Re-Registration

Students who fail to register for at least one regular semester (fall or spring) are required to reactivate their files at the Registrar’s Office before the registration period. If they do not register for four consecutive semesters they will have to re-enroll, according to the existing curriculum upon their return.

E. Course Changes After Registration 

Changes in registration are permitted, subject to the following provisions:

1. No course may be added, or dropped, or a change of section be made, or the type of registration for a course be changed after the end of the Drop & Add period.
2. If a student drops a course within the Drop/Add period, no grade is recorded for that course and its fees will not be included in the statement of fees. Students who officially withdraw after the late registration period will receive a WI, WP or WF. (Refer to Section III: Scholastic Standing – Part A for details.)

F. Freshman Students Registration in Sophomore Courses 

1. All students enrolled in a freshman program who only lack three credits to complete their freshman requirements may be allowed by the University Admissions Council to declare a major. These students must register and complete the remaining freshman requirements during the first term of their registration in the new major.
2. Students who fail to pass the three-credit requirement in the first term of registration in the new major, are required to complete three additional non-freshman credits over and above the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.
3. Lebanese students and students who are required to have the equivalent of the Lebanese Baccalaureate II, must have passed the SAT I and SAT II examinations with the required scores prior to being admitted to a major.

G. Registration of Students in the Intensive English Program

Students in ENG002 and ENG003 may take one course for credit each semester from the Arabic or Math disciplines, in addition to a Physical Education course, upon advisor’s consent.

H. Registration of Students in Remedial English (ENG009)

Students registered in ENG009 are allowed to register maximum of 15 credits in addition to  ENG009.

I. Cross Registration

1. Cross-Registration Between LAU Campuses:

Students may be allowed to cross-register by following the Intercampus Cross-Registration procedure stated below:

• Fill in an Intercampus Cross-Registration Form.
• Secure the authorized signature of the advisor and register for the courses in the Registrar’s Office.  Only in cases when the section is closed, or there is a prerequisite requirement or program restriction, should the chairperson’s signature also be secured.
• At least 50 percent of regular semester credits must be taken at the campus of origin of the student. This condition applies for regular semesters only—fall and spring semesters. During the summer term, students can cross-register for as many credits as they wish, within the limit allowed by the student’s course load regulation.

2. Cross-Registration to Other Universities in Lebanon:

Cross-registration with another university in Lebanon may be allowed only in the last term that the student is expected to graduate if the course is required for graduation and the course is not offered on any LAU campus.

• A cross-registered course will not be allowed for a repeat course.
• The course will be treated as a transfer course.
• An agreement should exist between LAU and the university where the course is to be taken before allowing for cross-registration. 
• Students should pay at LAU.

If the above conditions are met, the students must follow the following procedure:

1. The student must fill out the Cross-Registration Form as well as a Regular Registration Form, and have them approved by the advisor and the department chairperson.
2. The student must secure the signatures of both the Business Office and the Registrar’s Office at LAU, and forward this to the Registrar’s Office at the other institution.
3. After completing registration and securing the authorized signatures in the correct format at the other institution, the student must return the proper copies to the LAU Registrar’s Office.
4. No credit will be given for a course taken at another institution unless the above stated procedures are followed.

3. Registration of courses at universities outside of Lebanon:

Students who, during their study at LAU, decide to take courses at universities outside of Lebanon should observe the following requirements:

• Prior approval of the Academic School Council is needed in order for the course to be transferred.
• It is the duty of the student to provide the Academic School Council with the catalog, course description(s), and syllabus of the course(s).
• The course(s) should not be a repeat.
• The course(s) should not be within the last 30 credits needed for graduation.
• The course is to be considered a transfer course.

A course may be transferred only if the student’s grade in the course is equivalent to C or above.

Transferred courses are not included in the GPA computation.

III. Scholastic Standing

A. Grading System

The university grading system uses a series of letters to which grade quality points are assigned. The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated according to a procedure outlined in the following section.

• Grade A indicates work of excellent quality. It is valued at four quality points for each credit hour.
• Grade B indicates work of good quality. It is valued at three quality points for each credit hour.
• Grade C indicates a satisfactory achievement. It is valued at two quality points for each credit.
• Grade D indicates the minimum passing grade, and is indicative of poor performance. It is valued at one quality point for each credit hour.
• Grade F indicates an unsatisfactory performance in the course. It has zero quality points. No credit will be added to the student’s record.
• Grade P indicates a passing performance in a course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. The credits if any, will be added to the number of credits passed but will not be included in the average. It has no quality points.
• Grade NP indicates a failing performance in courses taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. No credits will be added to the student’s record, nor will the average be affected. It has no quality points.
• Grade U indicates a course taken on an auditing basis. It has no quality points, and the credits will not be added to the passed credits.
• Grade I indicates incomplete work. This grade is exceptionally given by the Instructor when a student, with a valid excuse, did not sit for the final exam, and/or did not present the final project. Students will not be entitled to an I grade unless they have a passing grade in the completed material, throughout the course, and so long as they have not exceeded the allowed number of absences.
• The I grade does not count in the average, and it adds no credits to the student’s record.
• Grade WI (early withdrawal) indicates withdrawal from the course, after the late registration period and until the end of the 5^th week of the fall and spring semesters, and until the 13^th day of the summer term. It has no quality points. It does not count in the GPA, and no credits will be added to the student’s record.
• Grade WP (Withdrawal Pass) indicates withdrawal from the course, after the 5^th week and until the end of the 10^th week of the fall and spring semesters, and from the 13^th day of classes until 25^th day of the summer term. It has no quality points. It does not count in the GPA, and no credits will be added to the student’s record.
• Grade WF (Withdrawal Fail) indicates withdrawal from the course, after the 5^th week and until the end of the 10^th week of the fall and spring semesters, and from the 13^th day of classes until 25^th day of the summer term. It has no quality points. It does not count in the GPA, and no credits will be added to the student’s record, but is counted as repeat.

NOTE: A Withdrawal Form for all the above types of withdrawal (WI, WP, and WF) must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office before the set deadlines.

B. Grade Point Average (GPA)

All courses taken by a student at LAU will be included in the computation of the cumulative Grade Point Average. The Grade Point Average is the ratio of the number of points gained to the number of credit hours attempted. The following is an example of a semester GPA computation:

The semester GPA for the five courses stated above would be: 34/14 = 2.42. Courses in which grades P, NP or U and I have been given are not counted in computing the GPA. Similarly, WI, WP, WF are not counted in computing the GPA.

C. Repeating Courses

Please refer to the section on General Academic Rules – Part I

D.  Grades and Progress Reports

1. All course grades must be entered by instructors 72 hours after the scheduled final examination.
2. Course grades will not be changed except in the case of an instructor’s mistake. A change of grade will not be allowed after the lapse of one semester. The corrected grade should be processed using the Change of Grade Form. Any processed change triggers a notification to the students and the instructor.
3. Progress reports on weak students are to be submitted by the instructor to the Dean of Students office no later than the eighth week of a regular semester and the fourth week of the summer term.

E. Academic Recognition

1. Students who complete at least 12 credit hours in a semester (not including summer), with a GPA in the range of 3.20 and 3.49, are placed on the Honor List.
2.  If the GPA is in the range of 3.50 and 4.00, they are placed on the Distinguished List. The above applies provided the students have no incomplete grades, nor is their cumulative GPA below 2.00. Courses taken on a Pass/No Pass basis are not considered among the 12 credit hours.
3. Degrees are awarded with Honors, Distinction, and High Distinction with a cumulative GPA in the range of 3.20–3.49, 3.50–3.79, and 3.80–4.00, respectively.

F. Probation

1. Academic Probation

Students are placed on academic probation when their work has dropped below a satisfactory level, at any time, irrespective of Incomplete grades or Withdrawals.  If, at the end of any academic term, a student does not achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all the work done at the university, he/she will be placed on probation.

• Students will not be placed on academic probation until they have 20 or more credits counted in the cumulative GPA.
• Students taking intensive English courses are not subject to the normal probation rules. However, students may not stay in intensive English courses more than a total of two regular semesters and one summer, after which they must leave the university. They can come back only after passing the EEE or TOEFL.
• A student on probation is advised to repeat courses in which he/she received a grade of F or D, as soon as possible, and may not carry more than 13 credits in a semester.

2. Departmental Probation

A student is placed on departmental probation if, after completing 12 credits in his/her major, a student’s average in the major courses is less than 2.00.  He/She will be placed on departmental probation and will be advised to change major.

G. Academic Suspension

1. Students on academic probation will be suspended if they fail to remove the probation in two consecutive semesters of enrollment at LAU (summer term excluded), regardless of any Incompletes and semester withdrawals.
2. Students with two consecutive probations, and whose cumulative GPA is below 2.00 will not be suspended at the end of the semester, only if they achieve the following: A term GPA of 2.20, in a minimum of 12 attempted credits, totaling 26.4 quality points. If the student attempts less than 12 credits, a total of 26.4 quality points or more would still be required.
3. Students who may petition for a one semester grace period are those who lack 12 or fewer credit hours to graduate, and whose GPA for graduation is within possible reach in that one semester’s grace period. Such students who are given this chance and do not complete all the requirements for graduation, will be suspended.
4. Students who can avoid suspension upon changing the major may do so at any time. Students with two consecutive probations will not be allowed to register if they have an incomplete grade.

H. Academic Dismissal

1. Students reaching suspension with a cumulative GPA of less than 1.20 are dismissed and will not be readmitted.
2. Students who have been suspended twice will be dismissed from the university.
3. Dismissal from the university will apply if a student fails a LAC requirement three times.

I. Readmission After Suspension or Dismissal

1. Readmission After Suspension

a. Students suspended for academic deficiencies may petition the University Admissions Council (through the Registrar’s Office) for readmission if at least one of the following conditions is met:

• The student has spent at least one semester at another institution of higher learning recognized by LAU, and completed a minimum of 12 credits with an average of C or higher.  The student has to submit a transcript of grades from that college or university.  Students are urged to seek advice from the Registrar’s Office about institutions whose credits may be transferred to LAU.
• The student has spent one full calendar year outside LAU engaged in activities that may improve his/her chances for academic success.
• The student who passes the special program of remedial courses at the Continuing Education Program.
   

b. Students readmitted, after suspension:

• Will be placed on probation and given two semesters, excluding summer term, to remove the probation.
• If they fail to remove the probation, they will be dismissed.
• Suspended LAU students may not receive credit for any academic work done during the absence period, if such work has not been declared prior to re-enrollment.
• Students who have been suspended twice will not be readmitted, and will be dismissed.

2. Readmission After Dismissal

A dismissed LAU student may apply for re-entry:

1. After three years of academic work in another university whose credits may be transferred to LAU, or
2. After seven years of work experience.                                       

Each case will be studied individually.

IV. Requirements for Degrees

Degrees are awarded three times a year, at the end of:

1. Fall semester 
2. Spring semester 
3. Summer term
    

Students expecting to graduate must apply for graduation at the Registrar’s Office by the deadlines specified by the office.

A. General Requirements for Bachelor’s Degrees

Students must meet the following general requirements—in addition to those set by the major—in order to receive the Bachelor’s degree:

1. Students who enter LAU with the Lebanese Baccalaureate or equivalent official certificate of the Lebanese Baccalaureate and who are admitted to the sophomore class, are required to complete a minimum of 92 credits, excluding freshman level and remedial courses.
2. Students entering as freshmen must earn a minimum of 122 credits.

• Non-Lebanese students entering as freshmen need to complete the freshman requirements before declaring a major.
• Lebanese students entering as freshmen need to get the Lebanese Baccalaureate equivalence after completing the freshman requirements and before declaring a major. 
• Students cannot register in sophomore-level courses before completing the freshman requirements and being accepted into a major or program.  After completing the freshman requirements, students will be considered as sophomore students, and will be required to complete a minimum of 92 credits, excluding freshman-level and remedial courses.

Credits for Baccalaureate II equivalence:  

• Credits taken in a semester at the end of which the Baccalaureate II equivalence is granted, and which are in excess of the 30 credits used for the equivalence, will be counted within the credits required for the major. These extra credits should not be of freshman-level courses.
• Freshman courses taken after the Baccalaureate II equivalence will not be counted towards graduation.

B. Minimum Number of Credits and GPA Requirements

1. A minimum of 36 credits must be earned in a major plus any additional courses required by the major.
2. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required in all the courses taken at the university. Transfer students will be given credit for all the transferable courses. Only courses taken at LAU will be counted in the students’ GPA.
3. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in major courses is required.
4. Students expecting to graduate are required to submit an application for graduation one semester prior to the graduation date according to the deadlines set by the Registrar’s Office.
5. Students who completed their course requirements for graduation, but who have not acquired a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00, and/or a minimum average of 2.00 in their major courses, are allowed to enroll for a maximum of 21 credit hours to be completed in no more than one calendar year, starting immediately after the completion of the required credits. Of these 21 credits, only courses numbered 300 and above will be considered in the cumulative GPA, or GPA computation. If taken for the first time, courses numbered 200 and above will count. Any such student who fails to graduate, at the end of that year, will be dismissed from LAU.
6. Special rules pertaining to specific programs may apply. They are listed under the respective program requirements in this catalog.

C. Residency Requirement

1. For a 3-year bachelor’s degree, a minimum residency of six regular semesters at an institution of higher education is required, provided that the last two regular semesters, and the last 30 credits, are done at LAU.
2. Professional schools have different residency requirements as stated in their programs.
3. Students admitted as freshman must complete additional two semesters to fulfill the residency requirement.
4. Students enrolled as Lebanese citizens are required to have a minimum of six regular semesters beyond the date of the Bacc. II equivalence.

D. Dual and Second Degrees 

A dual degree refers to a degree pursued simultaneously with the first declared degree program. A second degree refers to a degree pursued after graduating in the first degree program

1. Common Requirements for Dual and Second Degrees

An LAU student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree may earn a second Bachelor’s Degree conditional upon the successful completion of all the major’s requirements of the second degree pursued. In case of overlap among the courses in the two majors, at least 30 additional major-credits must be taken for the second degree.  A minimum residency of 8 regular semesters (beyond the Freshman year) is also required. Two degrees/diplomas will be conferred upon completing the requirements of the two programs.

2. Dual Degree

A student in good academic standing can apply to the Registrar’s Office to enroll in a dual degree program, in any school, after completing 24 credits in the first declared major. The Admission Council of the pertinent School will act on the student’s application. At graduation, a student must satisfy the University requirements of the CGPA and the major GPA of the two degrees.

3. Second Degree 

A student with a B.A. /B.S. degree can apply to the Admissions Office to enroll in a second degree. The application will be processed as per the applicable University procedures.

Students holding a B.A. /B.S. degree who are transferring to LAU from institutions of higher learning that require a liberal arts core will have their liberal arts courses waived, except for the English requirements, where LAU regulations shall apply. The School of Arts & Sciences will decide with regard to the liberal arts courses of B.A. /B.S. students transferring from other institutions whose curriculum does not include a liberal arts core.

E. Requirements for a Minor

Students can work for a minor by completing, with a minimum GPA of 2.00, the minor’s requirements. These requirements should be completed before a student earns his/her bachelor’s degree.  No more than nine credits of transferable courses may be counted towards a minor.

A student should declare at the Registrar’s Office the minor he/she is pursuing as soon as possible but no later than the deadline for the Application for Graduation set by the Registrar’s Office.  The courses required for the minor at the time a student declares it shall apply. 

F. Requirements for a Second Emphasis

A student following an emphasis may pursue another emphasis provided the requirements of both emphases are completed before he/she earns the bachelor’s degree.

G. Requirements for the Teaching Diploma

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 must be achieved in the courses required for the Teaching  Diploma. The Teaching Diploma is granted upon completion of 21 required credits beyond a B.S. or a B.A. degree. No more than six credits of transferable courses may be counted toward the Teaching Diploma.

H. Physical Education Requirements

Students may accumulate up to 2 credits of Physical Education. Beyond this, Physical Education credits will not count towards graduation.