The American University in Dubai

The History of AUD

The American University in Dubai (AUD) opened its doors in October 1995 as a branch campus of the American College, based in Atlanta, Georgia. AUD’s initial enrollment was 165 students. By the time former Secretary of State and Treasury James Baker gave the Keynote at AUD’s first commencement in 1998, enrollment had climbed to 499; and the Dubai government, as an expression of confidence, had decided to build a campus of 1,400,000 square feet for use by the university. AUD moved out of its initial premises to occupy this new, spacious, fully equipped campus in January 2000. Its enrollment at that time was 687. AUD currently enrolls around 3000 students, who represent 106 different nationalities.

AUD’s Mission

The Mission of The American University in Dubai is to fulfill the broad educational needs of a culturally diverse student body by achieving excellence in teaching and learning, ultimately resulting in the intellectual, personal, and professional success of its graduates and the advancement of society.

AUD’s Values

There are seven Values that underpin AUD’s operations and development and that characterize its dealings with students, faculty, staff, and other constituents:

Whole Person Education – AUD values the intellectual, personal and professional development of its students;

Excellence – AUD values excellence in all that it does and is committed to continuous improvement in its educational offerings and services;

Integrity – AUD values honesty and transparency and has high standards of legal-adherence, morality and ethics;

Service – AUD values all of its constituencies and partners with its stakeholders in the achievement of their objectives and aspirations;

Diversity – AUD values diversity in all its manifestations and recognizes its contribution to the quality of university life;

Tolerance – AUD values respect and open-mindedness as proper responses to concepts, opinions and customs that are diverse, new or unfamiliar;

Accountability – AUD believes that all members of the university community are responsible for fulfilling their roles in support of the institutional Mission and Purpose-related Goals and that evaluation of individual performance should be based on the degree to which this responsibility is satisfied.

AUD’s Campus

The campus of The American University in Dubai is the material expression of the university’s Mission and character. Two words come to mind in describing this campus – American and world-class: “American” because of its sobriety and Jeffersonian architectural rigor, “world-class” because of the notable quality of the physical plant and accompanying facilities.

Indeed, the facilities that comprise the multi-edifice campus are nothing less than impressive, whether they be found in the academic wings, student and faculty housing or administrative complex. The Student Center, for example, houses indoor sports facilities, a food-court, 50 offices and 20 classrooms/labs, and is a testament to the excellent facilities AUD offers its students.

The accomplishment of AUD’s objective to deliver a genuinely American education is facilitated by the sports facilities (soccer field, outdoor track, tennis/volleyball/basketball courts, and swimming pool) that provide students with the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities which constitute student life on a typical US-based campus. A 900-seat auditorium serves as a venue for student assemblies, conferences, and cultural events. A central indoor stadium is designed so that it can be dismantled into two independent courts used for indoor soccer, handball, basketball or volleyball. This stadium has a capacity of 2,500 spectators, in addition to an outdoor spectator’s gallery that faces the soccer field and accommodates a public of 300. Separately, there are two squash courts, a 1,600-square feet gymnasium for males and females, and an aerobics/dancing/music room.

AUD Schools

The university has 6 different schools: the School of Architecture, Art and Design, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the School of Education, the School of Engineering and the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication. Each school offers a wide variety of programs catering to the diverse needs of prospective students.

The above information was assembled from AUD’s official website. To learn more about the university, please click here.