As the new academic year 2019-2020 picks up momentum, we wish to recognize and acknowledge the latest architecture students who passed their Autodesk BIM (Building Information Modeling) Revit Architecture Professional Certification exam. These students not only have earned themselves an advanced international credential but have become part of a select group of distinguished students ready for employment.

BIM is core required as a subject in the NAAB accredited professional Bachelor of Architecture program at the American University in Dubai. The subject is covered over 2 courses which introduce students to BIM as a process and as a set of tools that make up the new form of practice in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. Alex Albani, Professor of Architecture at AUD explains, “all topics required to take the professional certification exam are taught over the introductory and advanced BIM courses in theory and in practice. The BIM courses’ exams and semester projects further mimic the actual certification exam in stages preparing the students to go for the actual industry recognized exam.”     

AUD became an Authorized Certification Center in 2011 and this has enabled it to integrate and administer professional certification exams as part of its curricular of professional programs. We mostly administer exams for our students but our doors are also open to practicing AEC professionals in the region. Professional certifications do not only provide a solid competitive advantage but an accelerated professional development as well.  

Yara Charafeddine, class of 2016 notes: "AUD truly prepared me to take on the BIM driven architecture field, and the certification was the simple proof of that fact. This helped put me ahead of other job applicants and really put me in a position where I am entrusted to perform and meet the expectations of the company I am with." Basel Tachwali, class of 2016, also notes: “During my studies at AUD, I was introduced to Revit and BIM in 2012, and was an Autodesk Certified professional by 2014. This gave me plenty of time to exercise and develop my understanding for BIM by using it in all my university projects. BIM being the current industry standard along with the skills earned at AUD were a major factor in landing a job at DUBOX, a modular construction firm that utilizes BIM inline with AEC international standards. I was given the opportunity to develop the companies’ BIM protocol and set up the Revit Server to be utilized in multimillion projects for reputable clients which include Meraas, Emaar, and The Red Sea Development Company.”

Our students who passed the BIM Revit Architecture Professional Certification exam for academic year 2018-2019 are: Alifiyah Shakirhussein Hassanali, Amna Taher, Christine Rizk Guirguis, Moataz Nashaat ElShazly, Nour El Ein Ashraf Amin, Aisha Ibrahim, Alia Maryam Basheer, Basant Abdelrahman, Chaza Myriam Sandouk, Hiba Abdulqader Al-Sharif, Joe Sassine Finianos, Klara Bekhet, Natal Mazen Dia, Nelisha Mehta, Oluwatooki Nihinlolawa Adegbie, Pouyan Mohammadi, and last but not least Sarah Faez Arwani. They all are listed in Autodesk’s database of certified professionals around the world who have set a benchmark of excellence.