Transfer Applicants
You are a transfer applicant if you are enrolled in a college/university and want to switch to LAU. If you intend to take courses at LAU without completing a degree here, you are considered a “special” applicant instead.
Important Notes
- All required documents must be mailed to the Admissions Office on the campus of your choice by the required deadlines and will become the property of LAU.
- Only completed applications will be reviewed.
- Fulfillment of the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission.
- Admission is valid for one semester only.
- Transfer of applications from one campus to another or change of major are possible if the requests are made within the set deadlines.
- If you are a U.S citizen or U.S. Green Card holder you must submit along with the application the W-9S form that can be downloaded from the IRS website, with proof of your social security number. With this information, LAU is able to provide U.S. students (or parents of dependent students) with Form 1098-T that is used for American tax purposes.
Undergraduate
1: Check the deadlines
| Applying for… | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Admission for fall 2019 (late) | Passed |
| Financial aid (new students) for fall 2019 | Passed |
| U.S. Federal Loans for 2018–2019 | Passed |
2: Prepare required documents and pass tests
- One recent passport-size photo.
- A clear photocopy of your identity card or passport (should be the same as the nationality to be used in the registration process at LAU).
- Official updated university transcripts from all the universities/colleges you attended, along with academic catalogs. Undeclared transcripts cannot be accepted after enrollment.
- A certified copy of your official diploma, (Lebanese Baccalaureate, French, International Baccalaureate Diploma, High School Diploma, G.C.E.s etc.) and the official Lebanese Equivalence obtained from the Ministry of Education in Lebanon.
- If you have completed fewer than 30 credits, you must submit the original transcripts of the last three years at school.
- Applicants to the School of Engineering must submit official transcripts of the last three years at school as well as the SAT scores.
- If you have completed the equivalent of at least 12 credits, you will not be required to sit for the SAT I or ACT; however, you might be required to submit proof of English proficiency (depending on the university/college(s) you attended) by submitting ONE of the below:
- Official scores of the TOEFL; LAU’s code is 2595
- Official scores of the IELTS
- English Entrance Exam (EEE) administered at LAU
- SAT I Writing section (Learn how to send your SAT scores)
- ACT Writing section
- Check the minimum required scores
3: View additional requirements if you hold a High School Diploma or its equivalent
Students who hold a High School Diploma or its equivalent and are transferring to LAU should secure the below to be eligible to be accepted into a major rather than freshman.
Non-Lebanese students
- Acquire the equivalency of the Freshman Year from the Lebanese Ministry of Education, or
- Have 26 credits transferred of the LAU Freshman Program.
Lebanese students
- Acquire the equivalency of the Freshman Year from the Lebanese Ministry of Education, or
- 1) Have 26 credits transferred of the LAU Freshman Program, 2) Earn the minimum required score set by the Ministry of Education for the SAT I and SAT II combined and 3) Secure the Arabic Exemption from the Lebanese Ministry of Education.
4: Check which credits can be transferred
For transfer students, 50% of the credits corresponding to the required major must be completed at LAU. Only courses with a grade “C” or “70” and above can be transferred. Transfer courses are noted on the transcript as T and are not included in the GPA computation.
Guidelines for students transferring from LOCAL universities to assess courses.
- American University of Beirut (AUB) – updated in February 2019
- Beirut Arab University (BAU) – updated in February 2019
- Haigazian University – updated in February 2019
- Lebanese University
- Notre Dame University (NDU) – updated in February 2019
- Rafik Hariri University – updated in February 2019
- University of Balamand – updated in February 2019
- University St. Esprit de Kaslik (USEK)
- Université St. Joseph (USJ)
N.B.: The information above is a general guideline to help in assessing the equivalence of courses for students transferring from local universities in Lebanon to LAU. Please note that this guideline is not binding on the academic departments, as they may have additional factors to bring to the assessment of equivalence.
Transfer applicants from universities not recognized by LAU:
Transfer students coming from an institution of higher education not recognized by LAU* may be conditionally accepted after satisfying the English requirements for admission at LAU. If accepted, their admission will be for a probation period with no transfer of credits. They must complete 12 new credits in the first semester of enrollment at LAU, 6 of which must be major courses, and achieve a minimum GPA of 2.50/4.00. Then, they may petition to the school concerned for transfer of credits if applicable.
*Contact the Admissions Office to learn whether your university is recognized by LAU.
5: Submit a complete application
- Online application with a non-refundable fee of $65 (LL 100,000) paid online by credit card.
- Paper application for fall 2019 with a non-refundable fee of $85 (LL 129,000) paid in cash at the LAU cashier’s as per the schedule below:
Winter (September–May) 8:30 AM – 12 noon
1:00 – 3:30 PMSummer (June–August) 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Graduate
A maximum of 6 graduate credits for 30-credit programs and a maximum of 9 graduate credits for 39-credit programs may be transferred from another institution recognized* by LAU, or between LAU graduate programs.
Except where otherwise specified, a maximum of 6 graduate credits taken as an undergraduate at LAU in the student’s last year, over and above the total number of credits required for graduation, may be transferred. Only courses where a grade of B or above was earned may be transferred. Transferred credits should not have been used for another degree that was a prerequisite for admission to the graduate program in which a student is enrolled.
A request for the transfer of credits should be filed at the Registrar’s Office during the student’s first semester. The petition will be reviewed by the relevant department or school, and you will be notified.
*Contact the Admissions Office to learn whether your university is recognized by LAU.