AUS School of Business Administration graduating industry leaders

With a focus on experiential learning and strong collaborations with business leaders, the American University of Sharjah’s (AUS) School of Business Administration (SBA) is a leader in providing a rigorous and forward-looking education to future business professionals.

SBA is one of the region’s top business schools, with QS World University Subject Rankings 2022 placing AUS as number one in the UAE and among the top 250 universities globally for business and management studies, and number one (tied) in the UAE and among the top 250 universities globally for accounting and finance. At the graduate level, the AUS MBA program is ranked among the top 10 in the Middle East and Africa region and among the top 250 in the world in the QS Global MBA Rankings (2022). In addition, Times Higher Education places AUS among the top 400 universities worldwide for business and economics.

SBA’s technologically advanced Interactive Trading Floor (ITF) boasts 22 terminals, with the same live feeds, tools and software used by professionals in a typical Wall Street investment firm. The ITF also provides research support to faculty who need access to Bloomberg, Capital IQ or Thomson Reuters. SBA’s excellence in such experiential learning opportunities has seen AUS awarded Experiential Learning Partner status by Bloomberg—the first university in the region to receive this prestigious accolade.

The school also boasts state-of-the-art facilities including 18 smart classrooms, two lecture halls fitted with video capture and conference capabilities, and computer labs that are equipped with the latest up-to-date PCs and software that are used in student and faculty business coursework.

“SBA focuses on experiential learning and giving students an opportunity to apply what they learn. We always aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice so students are well-prepared for the challenges they will face in the workplace. To prosper in this fast-moving job market, our students are equipped with strong knowledge of business fundamentals. Our curriculum emphasizes the need to be flexible and creative, to have the ability to think critically, and to be able to work effectively in teams. SBA is committed to building a community of professionals who combine a sense of entrepreneurship with an awareness of their social and environmental responsibilities,” said Dr. Narjess Boubakri, Dean of SBA.

SBA is recognized for its Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) program, which offers students the opportunity to choose among six majors (accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management and Information Systems and Business Analytics) and a variety of minors. The school also offers one of the only two Bachelor of Arts in Economics (BAE) programs in the country. SBA prepares its accounting students to undertake professional accounting certifications such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Its finance major is also the first CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) partner program in the region, preparing students for the CFA level 1 exam. SBA also offers master’s degree programs in business administration, accounting and finance, and a PhD program in Business Administration (PhD-BA) for the wider business community. The PhD-BA is offered dually through the University of South Carolina in the United States, providing students with the opportunity to receive a PhD from two internationally-renowned universities and benefit from the experience of studying abroad.

SBA continues to evaluate its programs to meet the needs of the business world. By keeping close ties with the business community and its alumni, SBA also invites corporate leaders and alumni to engage with its students. It also offers through the SBA Executive Education a large number of customized programs to the corporate community.

“We are keen to foster sustainable and valuable partnerships with various stakeholders in the region. We always strive to ensure that SBA preserves its vital role as an integrator between corporations, both in the private and public sector, and students. It is this integration that differentiates our academic programs as we always maintain the currency of our curriculum with the ever-dynamic environment. We are always looking at our programs and introducing topics that are in demand in today’s market, such as cryptocurrencies, Python for business, data analytics and many more. By doing so, we make sure that our graduates are well-equipped to meet any demands of the business world,” said Dean Boubakri.

An abundance of on-campus extracurricular activities both within SBA and across the campus offer students ways to be involved in activities that develop their leadership skills and put their knowledge to work. SBA offers six business-focused student organizations.

“These student organizations are important for experiential learning as they increase students’ exposure to the business environment by calling on them to organize and manage competitions, seminars and corporate social responsibility events. They reinforce students’ academic knowledge and support career-building skills development. Some also offer ways for our ambitious student entrepreneurs to take their start-up from idea to successful business. For example, Startup SBA is the first chapter in the region of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, a network with more than 250 chapters in North America and across the world. Through this student organization, we aim to inform, inspire and support student entrepreneurship and have students seek opportunity through enterprise creation,” said Dean Boubakri.

QS World University Subject Rankings (2022) ranked AUS graduates who have studied business and management and accounting and finance at AUS as the top choice for employers in the UAE. Having graduated more than 5,682 students since 2001, SBA alumni are employed by some of the business world’s major players, including Amazon and Amazon Web Services (AWS), KPMG, EY, Deloitte, Mastercard, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, CitiGroup, Emirates Group, Etihad Airlines, Boeing, Procter and Gamble (P&G), Google, Unilever, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), L’Oréal and PwC. Our Alumni are also employed in local and regional organizations such as the Chalhoub Group, Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), the Apparel Group and OMNICOM Media, as well as government entities such as the UAE Ministry of Economy, Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Sharjah Finance Department and many more.

SBA’s Internship and Placement Program ensures that students receive hands-on experience through internships, events, recruitment sessions, workshops, interview sessions and placement test sessions with the school’s corporate partners. Hundreds of students are placed annually as interns at some of the top companies in the region. For many, a successful internship was followed by an offer of employment upon graduation. SBA alumni have also built impressive corporate careers in blue-chip companies around the world, while many have gone on to set up their own businesses and become successful entrepreneurs. Many have also gone on to pursue their graduate degrees at some of the world’s leading institutions including Oxford University, University of Cambridge, Harvard Business School and others.

For more information about the AUS’ School of Business Administration, visit www.aus.edu/sba/about-sba.