College of Arts and Sciences inspiring intellectual and creative potential

The American University of Sharjah’s (AUS) College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is dedicated to promoting diversity throughout its disciplines and teaching, research and service endeavors. It is the main driver of the liberal arts education at AUS, providing exciting academic programs in social and natural sciences, humanities and performing arts.

“We take an interdisciplinary, multidimensional approach to knowledge and learning. In an increasingly complex world, we need to provide students with a robust, well-rounded learning experience and the skills to excel in their career paths. Regardless of a student’s major and the career path they have chosen, the programs we offer at CAS aim to broaden their horizons. Our world needs critical thinkers, innovators and creative problem solvers to lead and shape our future, and we make sure that our students are ready to face the real world upon their graduation,” said Dr. Mahmoud Anabtawi, Dean of CAS.

CAS is home to nine undergraduate programs and 22 minors offering degrees in English language and literature, international studies, mass communication, psychology, biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, mathematics and physics. It also offers master’s programs in teaching English to speakers of other languages and mathematics, as well as a PhD program in materials science and engineering. The PhD program is delivered by CAS in collaboration with the College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Art and Design. It focuses on four multidisciplinary research areas, including advanced materials, materials for energy and environment, structures, and analytical and computational modeling and simulation.

“Our programs offer our students the opportunity to explore linkages across the liberal arts disciplines through a robust and diverse curriculum of study in a variety of academic and experiential settings. We are continuously updating our programs and introducing new ones to meet the needs of this fast-changing world. Regardless of your major, you will have the opportunity to explore areas that interest you, like performing arts or disciplines that are new to you such as data science, applied physics, integrated marketing communication and many more. Further, with sustainability becoming increasingly an important focus for many organizations across all industries, we are dedicated at CAS to equip our students with the skills and knowledge necessary to advance sustainability causes in their future careers,” said Dean Anabtawi.

Students have access to various resources and facilities to further develop and support their learning and development, including the state-of-the-art Mass Communication Audio Visual Studio, the AUS Writing Center, Mathematics Learning Center, an Interpreting Lab and CAS Career Services. CAS faculty are accomplished experts in the disciplines of natural sciences, mathematics, and the humanities and social sciences. They are actively engaged in a wide range of research, advancing their fields with exciting and cutting-edge knowledge that is both relevant and recognized on a local and global scale.

“We're often told as high school students that we should have a clear idea of what field we want to enter. I never felt that pressure when I joined CAS at AUS. The liberal arts curriculum , along with my advisors at the AUS Academic Support Center, encouraged me to explore my interests in both psychology and physics, which led to my decision to pursue a double major. In my first year at AUS, I was able to take classes across disciplines, including subjects like Arabic heritage, statistics and social psychology, which were topics I had never explored before. The core curriculum opens up students’ worlds outside of their majors and encourages interdisciplinary connections,” said Vini Rupchandani, a double major in physics and psychology, who also served as an EcoRep at AUS.

She added: “Students in CAS are also actively involved in extracurricular activities. My involvement with AUS Sustainability, the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the TeaWithGenZ student podcast allowed me to develop other creative interests and skills outside the classroom. My experience as a student in CAS has been extremely enriching. The flexibility to be able to pave my own educational path, the encouragement from faculty and advisors, and the many on-campus opportunities helped me grow as a student. CAS is a busy hub with students working on a variety of projects, from academic research to media and podcasting, and being there allowed me to network with other self-motivated and ambitious students, who inspired me to work harder.”

CAS is committed to offering its students the practical skills needed to be successful in the workplace with exposure to real-world experience and application.

“Our expert international faculty and well-equipped facilities allow our students to put theory into practice. Our alumni are the best testament to the kind of education we offer at CAS. They are currently working in top national and international organizations, including Google, Amazon, Arab News, World Bank, United Nations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dubai TV, Ogilvy, Sharjah Media Office, Sharjah Pulse 95 Radio, Gulf News, The National, NYU-AD, Barclays, Ernst & Young, Acorn Biolabs (Canada), BIORUS (Dubai Science Park), Pure Health (UAE) and many more. They are also successful entrepreneurs and top academicians with an impressive record of teaching, research and publication.

We are proud of our alumni and their accomplishments,” said Dean Anabtawi.

AUS is number two in the UAE for social sciences and management, according to QS World University Subject Rankings (2022). At CAS, faculty from across diverse disciplines in the arts and humanities explore questions related to the human condition and the intellectual, social and cultural traditions across diverse cultures.

For more information about CAS and its programs, visit www.aus.edu/cas.