Academics
Fields of study: Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Engineering
At the American University in Cairo, classes are capped at 30 students, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to interact with instructors and peers. Courses are available in various fields at this liberal arts university, so you can create an interdisciplinary academic plan, progress toward your degree, and add an international flavor to your major coursework.
Unique study opportunities
- Study Egyptian politics with built-in fieldwork at the Egyptian Parliament.
- Take courses in communications, gender studies, global and public affairs, journalism, marketing, and media at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
- Learn about the Middle East from lenses like Family History in the Modern Middle East, Women in Egypt, Social Issues in Egypt, and Economic History of the Modern Middle East.
Language
Language of Instruction: EnglishArabic Language study: Optional
The American University in Cairo offers language courses in Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels.
The AUC Arabic Language Intensive program is not open to UCEAP students.
Courses and Credit
Requirements While Abroad
To successfully complete this program:
- Take a full-time course of study: Five courses for a total of 22.5 quarter/15 semester UC units each semester.
- You can take two courses pass/no pass per semester.
Current Program Courses
As a UCEAP participant, all courses are open to you as long as you meet the prerequisites and there is space available. The American University in Cairo offers an interdisciplinary curriculum with a wide range of courses in science, engineering, fine arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Advance your regional knowledge with courses in Middle East Studies, Egyptology, and Arabic and Islamic Civilizations.
Research and independent study are typically not available on this program.
Course Numbers and UC Division Level
- 1000 and 2000 level courses may be considered lower division by UCEAP.
- 3000 and 4000 level courses are usually considered upper division by UCEAP.
Catalogs and resources
- The American University in Cairo Course Catalog: Browse an extensive catalog of courses by subject area.
- UCEAP Course Catalog: There are currently no listings for this program in the database.
- Campus Credit Abroad: Learn the types of credit (major, minor, general education, elective) students from your campus received at this location. There are currently no listings for this program in the database.
Academic culture
The American University in Cairo is an American university, so you'll find the academic culture somewhat similar to what you experience at UC. Courses will have syllabi and are graded on the US grading scale. Classes may have some continuous assessments throughout the semester, and you'll be graded on a final exam, paper, and/or project.
Your class sizes will be considerably smaller than what you are used to at UC, with no more than 30 students per class. This also means your instructors will expect you to participate in class, and your presence will be missed if you are absent.
The weekly class schedule is where the difference between AUC and UC lies—classes take place on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with Sunday being the beginning of the week. Tuesdays are reserved for lab work and rarely have instruction. No classes on Fridays and Saturdays although some exams may be scheduled on those days.
Grades
You will earn direct UC credit and grades for all coursework.
Grades for the fall semester are typically available in February. Grades for the spring semester are typically available in July.
Tip: If you intend to put yourself on your campus degree list for graduation while on UCEAP, consult your campus advisors before departure about possible delays in the degree verification process.