Graduate Admissions Requirements & Program Leaflet

Graduate Admissions

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Applications for admission to AUD’s graduate programs are evaluated by the Graduate Committee of the respective graduate program, which consists of the Program Director as Chair, two graduate faculty members appointed by the Program Director, and in some cases one representative of the Admissions Office. The Committee employs a balanced approach, based on the principle that ample satisfaction by an applicant, of one or more of these criteria, may to a reasonable extent compensate for deficiencies in one or more of the other criteria used in the applicant’s evaluation.

During preliminary evaluation, photocopies of educational documents can be submitted to make informed decisions. Final acceptance is granted once the University has received all necessary documents including official English translations of all supporting documents. Translations must be literal (i.e., word-for-word).

The University reserves the right to evaluate the adequacy of all credentials submitted for admission. Furthermore, students are reminded that omission or falsification of information constitutes sufficient reason for rejection or dismissal. This dismissal, requiring the President’s approval, may occur at any time during a student’s residence at AUD; i.e., upon discovery of the omission/falsification.

Students should be aware that all original records, letters and other documents provided to AUD as part of the admissions process will remain University property, and will not be returned back at any later stage even if the student drops/withdraws from the University. Physical records not collected within two years for students who do not attend will be destroyed.

Here is what we are looking for when reviewing your Application

Application, Grades, and Degrees
- • A completed AUD application for Graduate admission.
- • A 3.00 GPA (on a 4.00 scale) or better in undergraduate study. For students with post undergraduate credits earned at more than one institution, a separate GPA is calculated.
- • Undergraduate/Graduate Records: Original, official (sealed) transcripts from all universities, colleges, or other postsecondary institutions of higher learning at which the applicant completed undergraduate and graduate studies.
- • Completed Confirmation of University Records Form - required from every university attended by the student before joining AUD to be e-mailed directly from the student’s university to the Admissions Office at AUD.
- • Undergraduate/Graduate Diplomas – Photocopy of diplomas with the originals required for verification.
- • Profile and/or Grading system of universities/colleges previously attended.
Attestations and Equivalencies
- 1. Transcripts and Diplomas Attestation
  
  • Transcripts should be attested by the appropriate higher education authority in the country in which the degree was granted, and must be translated into English if they are issued in a language other than English.
  
  • Applicants with degrees granted outside the UAE., should obtain attestation from (1) the Ministry of Higher Education of the country of study, (2) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that country, and (3) the UAE embassy in that country or the embassy of the country of study in the UAE and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- 2. Equivalency letter is required from the UAE Ministry of Education - Higher Education Affairs (MOE-HEA) in the UAE. It is solely the applicant’s responsibility to obtain this equivalency from the MOE-HEA.
English Language Requirements
All students must achieve a TOEFL® score of 550 (79 IBT) or Academic IELTS score of 6.0 or an equivalent score in a test approved by the U.A.E. MOE-HEA. The University’s TOEFL® code is C005.

Exceptions:
- • A native speaker of English who has completed his or her undergraduate education in an English medium institution in a country where English is the official language
- • A student who has completed his or her undergraduate education in an American Accredited institution.
All the above exceptions are at the discretion of the Admissions Office.

American University in Dubai is an ETS TOEFL ITP® authorized testing center. To check further regarding the test details and booking, please click here
M.B.A. Program-specific Admission Criteria
- • Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT®). The M.B.A. Admissions Committee will take cognizance of the three GMAT® sub-scores (Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing Assessment) for purposes of assessing each candidate’s specific aptitude strengths and weaknesses. Subject to the evaluation and approval of the M.B.A. Admissions Committee, applicants who have not taken the GMAT® at the time of application may be granted conditional admission, with a requirement that they submit satisfactory GMAT® scores not later than the end of the first term following admission. Test takers should authorize GMAT® to make scores available on the University’s verification link or send official score reports to the Admissions Office.
- • Applicant’s work experience: Candidates who have a minimum of two years of work experience will be given preference for admission.
- • The Committee follows a balanced approach in evaluating each candidate on their individual scores for the Undergraduate GPA, GMAT®, and TOEFL®, Academic IELTS or EMSAT and their work experience. This is based on the principle that ample satisfaction by an applicant of one or more of these criteria may be to a reasonable extent compensate for deficiencies in one or more of the other criteria used in the applicant’s evaluation.
- • Students who have earned their undergraduate degree in an unrelated major may be required to pursue one or more graduate foundation courses. The Graduate Foundation Course Program consisting of various discipline-specific modules is designed to prepare potential students who do not have the necessary competencies in the core areas of accounting, microeconomics, finance, and statistics. These students are required to enroll and satisfactorily complete an appropriate series of non-credited courses in the Foundation Course Program. The courses required of each such student will be determined on a case-by case basis following a review of the student’s academic record.
M.Ed. Program-specific Admission Criteria
- • Undergraduate degree: Preferably in education or in a discipline related to a content area of teaching that is applicable to primary or secondary education.
- • Graduate Record Examination (GRE®) or Praxis® Core Academic Skills for Educators score sent directly to the Admissions Office.
- • The applicant’s history, including length of teaching experience, skills, and evidence of content knowledge (for applicants seeking admission at the secondary level) will be assessed at the time of admission to determine admission eligibility and whether certain courses could be waived. If waived, the student will be required to take the alternative course as indicated by the Dean.
P.T.C. Program-specific Admissions Criteria

Admission requirements for the Professional Teaching Certificate Program are the same as those for the M.Ed. degree with one exception – the GRE®/Praxis® is waived for this level of graduate study.
M.A. in Leadership and Innovation in Contemporary Media (LICM) Program-specific Admission Criteria
- • Undergraduate degree: preferably but not necessarily in Communication or in a discipline related to media.
- • At least 2 years’ experience preferably in the media industry.
- • The applicant’s history, including length of work experience, and specific skills.
- • A statement of the applicant’s career objectives, professional and academic interests, and other reasons the candidate wishes to pursue the M.A. degree program at the MBRSC.
- • CV highlighting the applicant’s special skills, expertise, and interests.
- • A Final Interview with the M.A. in LICM Admissions Committee (Program Director, M.A. in LICM Faculty and a member of the Admissions Office)
The M.A. in Leadership and Innovation in Contemporary Media Admissions Committee reviews applications for (1) Fall semester mid-April, mid-June and end-August, (2) Spring semester mid-October; mid-December and mid January.
M.S.C.M. Program-specific Admission Criteria
- • Undergraduate degree: In Engineering, Architecture, or a closely-related discipline, from a recognized institution.
- • Graduate Record Examination (GRE®): A minimum of 148 is required in the quantitative section. The Engineering Admissions Committee will also take into consideration the sub-scores in the other portions of the GRE® to assess the candidates aptitude strengths and weaknesses. Test takers should authorize ETS to make scores available on the university’s EDM (ETS Data Manager) verification link. AUD’s GRE® code is 7493.
- • A minimum of three years of work experience as a field or design engineer is recommended. Students with fewer than three years of documented work experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Engineering Admissions Committee.
- • Students lacking the following courses or their equivalent in their undergraduate studies may be required to take undergraduate-level equivalent courses at AUD prior to enrolling in certain graduate courses: ENGG 255 – Engineering Design and Economics ENGG 300 – Probability and Statistics in Engineering ECVL 420 – Construction Engineering and Management
Students who have not taken the above courses at the undergraduate level but have acquired the requisite knowledge in the corresponding areas through continuing education, MOOCs, work experience, or other means may submit a request for a waiver along with supporting evidence for consideration by the M.S.C.M. Committee.
Personal Information
- • CV or resume describing professional and academic experience including two Professional or Educational References (with contact information)
- • A statement of the applicant’s career objectives, special professional and academic interests, and other reasons why the candidate wishes to pursue their choice of program at AUD, as well as the applicant’s special skills, expertise and interests that might contribute towards enriching the graduate learning at AUD.
- • Photocopy of passport, residence visa page, UAE ID (both sides), and two passport-size pictures.
- • Completed Health History Form. This form must be signed and stamped by a Physician.
- • Non-refundable application fee of AED 420.
Financial Requirements

Non-refundable application fee of AED 420. A reservation deposit (non-refundable) of AED 2,000, which is fully applied toward tuition, is required upon acceptance for admission.

Selection Criteria

Transfer Credits

Graduate Forms