AUS’ College of Engineering alumni enjoy top employability rates in national and international markets

College of Engineering (CEN) alumni at American University of Sharjah (AUS) are highly regarded by employers across the region and the world. A recent survey conducted by CEN showed that more than 90 percent of the Class of 2021 who took part in the survey found employment or started their own entrepreneurial work within a year of graduation. More than half of Class of 2021 took part in the survey. 

These alumni are currently working in 150 national and international organizations across the governmental, semi-governmental and private sectors, including Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Transportation and Roads Authority, Sharjah Transportation and Roads Authority, Etisalat, Du, ADNOC Gas Processing, Dragan Oil Company, Unilever, Commercial Bank of Dubai, CAFU, Chalhoub Group, Amazon, ODOO, Siemens, Noon, Nestle and others.

The survey showed that of those surveyed more than 90 percent of Emirati male and female alumni found employment within a year of graduation and that more than 80 percent of expatriate male and female students found employment within the same period.

“I am proud to see what our alumni were able to achieve within a short period of time. We are all aware of the challenges the current global market is facing in the aftermath of the pandemic. However, that did not stop our alumni from finding employment nationally and internationally or starting their own businesses. We regard the high employment rate of our alumni as a testimony to the quality of education and preparation we provide them. The world is changing rapidly, and we need to ensure that we are keeping up with its demands to graduate innovators and global thinkers who are capable of making a difference,” said Dr. Fadi Aloul, Dean of CEN.

Mohammad Omar El Hajjar graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in Summer 2021 and is currently working as a Technology Associate Consultant at PwC Middle East. His work focuses on implementing technological solutions in major digital transformation projects by transforming core business processes into digital solutions.

“I began looking and applying for jobs months before my graduation, which helped me find a job quickly after that.  I received a job offer one month after graduation and started working the month after that. My AUS education was essential in the process because it provided me with skills in diverse areas, including presentation delivery and communication with customers and key business users, as well as the technical knowledge in programming and application development. AUS provided me  with an amazing opportunity to showcase and develop my skills, which has helped me greatly during work,” he said. 

Maryam Ebrahim Alhosani, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering in Fall 2020, said that education and networking helped her in finding employment after graduation. Alhosani is currently transitioning into a channel manager role in her organization where she is responsible for supporting different technology providers in validating their technology on her company’s platform to ensure all third-party softwares run smoothly. 

“I found a job after five months of graduation. AUS had given me the foundation upon which to build to help me explore my own path. It gave me independence and the ability to work well in a team. All the papers we wrote helped me a lot in technical writing and documentation. I also learned about the importance of networking. I was also on a scholarship from the UAE Space Agency at AUS, which helped me in finding vacancies and eventually get employed,” said Alhosani. 

CEN is also regarded as a top choice for some of the highest achieving high school students in the UAE and beyond, with 88 percent of the college’s students having achieved 90 percent or above in their high school diploma. Of the students entering the college in the 2021-2022 academic year, 64 percent had achieved 95 percent or above in their secondary school certificate. 

“By attracting top high school students and graduating strong and talented professionals we are fulfilling our role as an active agent of change in the UAE and the world. CEN’s strategic plan focuses on attracting, retaining and supporting students as they embark on their careers or pursue higher education at leading international universities. This is our contribution to the UAE’s vision of becoming a knowledge-based economy and to world development,” said Dr. Aloul.

CEN houses six departments offering seven undergraduate programs: chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering.

QS World University Subject Rankings (2022) ranked AUS number one in the UAE and among the top ​150 universities globally for civil and structural engineering; among the top two (tied) in the UAE and top ​300 universities globally for ​electrical, electronic, ​mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing ​engineering; among the top two (tied) in the UAE and top ​350 universities globally for ​chemical ​engineering; and among the top three in the UAE and top ​500 universities globally for ​computer science and information. AUS engineering Alumni have also been ranked as the top choice for employers in the UAE, according to QS World University Subject Rankings (2022).  

For more information about CEN, please visit www.aus.edu/cen.