The American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, and follows the American model of higher education. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 258th in the world, its highest-ever position and third in the UAE. It also ranked 14th in the world for its share of international students, with around 100 nationalities on campus.
AUS teaches in English, and its first application period for fall 2027 opens on 26 October 2026. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on AUS’s own guidance and official UAE government information.
1. Choose your major and check the required subjects
AUS offers bachelor’s degrees in architecture and design, arts and sciences, business and engineering. Some majors need specific subjects at grade B or above. Engineering needs maths and physics, data science and business need maths, and science majors (including computer science), architecture and interior design need maths and a science. You must have studied maths in your last three years of school and the science by at least grade 11, preferably grade 12.
2. Apply in the first period if you can
AUS reviews fall 2027 applications in three periods rather than on a rolling basis. Period one runs from 26 October 2026 to 7 January 2027, with decisions from 11 to 28 January. Period two runs from 8 January to 18 March 2027, with decisions from 22 March to 8 April, and period three runs from 19 March to 20 May 2027. Late applications from 21 May to 24 June are considered only if seats are left. Applications in each period are reviewed as a group, so some applicants are waitlisted for a later period or asked to defer to spring 2028. Only complete applications are processed. AUS: application timeline for fall 2027.
3. Meet the grade guidelines
AUS uses an average of 85 per cent in your final year, or in the best two of your last three years, as a guideline, and higher averages are needed for some majors. For the CBSE, ICSE or an Indian state board, the minimum is 65 per cent in Class 12 or in your best two years. IB applicants need the full diploma with at least three Higher Level subjects and 24 points. British-curriculum applicants need five IGCSE or GCSE subjects at grade B (or 5) and either three AS Levels or two A Levels at grade B. If you have an American diploma, you also need a SAT Math score of at least 450.
4. Meet the English requirement
You need TOEFL iBT 80, TOEFL ITP 550 or IELTS Academic 6.5. AUS doesn’t accept the IELTS Indicator or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition. If you score slightly lower, with IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 72 or ITP 543, you can join the one-semester English Bridge Program before starting your major. All admitted students also take an English placement test. Practise with our free IELTS, TOEFL and PTE practice tests.
5. Prepare your documents and equivalency
Upload your secondary school certificate, grade reports for your last three years, a passport scan and a photo. You also need a letter of good conduct from your school and a Certificate of Equivalency from the UAE Ministry of Education. Unattested scans are accepted to start your application, but you must show originals attested in your home country, its foreign ministry and the UAE embassy before you enrol. The application fee is AED 400 plus VAT.
6. Ask about scholarships and grants early
AUS has merit scholarships for new students, including the President’s Scholarship, the Chancellor’s Scholarship and merit scholarships, as well as financial grants for strong students with limited means. A new student can combine a grant, a merit scholarship and a family tuition grant to cover up to 55 per cent of tuition and fees. Scholarship and grant applications are only open at set times and each has its own deadline, so check them as soon as you apply. AUS: financial grants and scholarships.
7. Confirm your place with the seat deposit
If you’re admitted, you must pay a non-refundable seat reservation deposit of AED 5,000 by the deadline in your admission letter, or you’ll lose your place. International students also need to pay it before AUS will process their visa. If you need external sponsorship, apply in one of the normal periods rather than waiting until your funding is confirmed.
8. Understand the fees
For 2026-27, tuition for all majors is AED 55,438 a semester for 12 to 16 credits, or AED 110,876 a year. Some courses add a lab or technology fee of AED 1,552 or AED 1,700, and the English Bridge Program costs AED 36,012 a semester. In the 2025-26 rates, a room in the residential halls costs AED 7,000 to AED 15,000 a semester, with a 25 per cent discount in your first year. You’ll also pay a student activities fee and health insurance. AUS: undergraduate tuition and fees.
9. Get your student residence visa through AUS
If you aren’t a UAE or GCC national and don’t already live in the UAE, AUS sponsors your student residence visa once you’ve accepted your place. The university first gets you an entry permit, which you use to travel to the UAE. After you arrive, you have a medical fitness test and register for your Emirates ID, and your residence visa is then issued. Your passport must be valid for at least six months. Don’t enter the UAE on a tourist visa while your permit is being processed, because changing your status later costs extra and causes delays. If your parents live in the UAE, they can sponsor you instead. You must study full-time to keep a university-sponsored visa, and health insurance is compulsory. AUS says the entry permit can take one to eight weeks, so send its student visa request form at least two months before you plan to arrive, after paying your seat deposit, and don’t book a flight until the permit is issued. UAE Government portal: residence visa for studying in the UAE.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
Working while you study is tightly controlled in the UAE. Because your visa is sponsored by AUS, you need its permission before you take any job, and the main options are paid on-campus roles and internships approved by the university. A private employer can only hire you with a student training and employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), which lasts three months. AUS is stricter than most: it says students on its visa can’t take full-time or part-time jobs, only internships related to their studies, with its approval and a no-objection certificate. The UAE has no general post-study work visa, so after you graduate you’ll usually need an employer to sponsor a work visa. Recent graduates of universities in the world’s top 500 can get a single-entry jobseeker visit visa of 60, 90 or 120 days to look for work without a sponsor. Top graduates of UAE universities can apply for a 10-year Golden Visa within two years of graduating if their cumulative GPA is at least 3.5 at a university in the Ministry of Education’s Category A, or 3.8 at a Category B university. MOHRE: student training and employment permit, UAE Government portal: jobseeker visit visa and ICP: Golden Residency guide.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at AUS?
AUS offers master’s degrees and doctoral programmes in fields including engineering and business, and you apply through the same online portal. Graduate applicants pay an application fee of AED 450, and graduate students can apply for assistantships and work-study positions on campus. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
AUS’s admission process is highly competitive, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates University, University of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi University. Our guide to studying in the UAE explains how the system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the American University of Sharjah’s official admissions, application requirements, fall 2027 timeline, tuition, payment, scholarship, English Bridge Program and student visa pages, the UAE Government portal, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on AUS’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the American University of Sharjah.