Undergraduate Admissions

The criteria for acceptance are the entrance examinations assigned by the University (SAT or other Exams), the secondary school grades, and the class rank.

The admission formula is based on the following:
  • - SAT results (if applicable)
  • - High school records during grades 10 and 11.

Admission is competitive and equally based on the above requirements as follows:
  • - 50% is based on the SAT: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math sections
  • - 50% is based on the student high school averages in grades 10 and 11

As for high school averages, students are compared to their class average and to the average issued from applicants from the same school for the applied students during the past 5 years.

Admissions Examinations:
SAT is required for all undergraduate applicants holding the Leb​anese Baccalaureate or its equivalence (IB, IGCSE, French Baccalaureate) Except for:
  • - Transfer students from other universities (who completed successfully one year or have 20 transferable credits).
  • - Applicants to majors in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences / Non Scientific Disciplines.
  • - Applicants to majors in the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts - ALBA.
  • - Applicants to majors taught in French.
  • - Applicants to Tourism and Hotel Management major.

Applicants to Freshman class:
Applicants should fulfill the following conditions:
  1. Hold a secondary school certificate based on 12 years of schooling, starting with Grade One. This certificate must be awarded by a government or private schools and recognized by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and by the University.
  2. Obtain “permission” from the Equivalence Committee of the Lebanese Ministry of Education allowing them to pursue their higher education on the basis of a foreign program.
  3. SAT or ACT results prior to admission as follow:

     

    Freshman Arts Freshman Sciences

    SAT

    870

    950

    ACT

    15

    17

  4. ACT subject tests are required for applicants coming from a High School that has not secured accreditation:

    Condition

    Subject

    Arts

    Sciences

    Passing grades condition

    Must take

    Mathematics 2

    --

    17

    Minimum of 60 points for three subjects

     

    Choose two of three

    Chemistry

    --

    17

    Physics

    --

    17

    Biology

    --

    17

    Must take

    Math 1

    15

    --

    Minimum of 51 points for three subjects

    Must take

    ACT subject 1

    15

    --

    Must take

    ACT subject 2

    15

    --

    You do not require ACT subject tests if your High School holds accreditation from one of the agencies below:

    1. - Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
    2. - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
    3. - Advanced (Cognia)
    4. - New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
    5. - North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCASC)
    6. - Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools (NACS)
    7. - Council of International Schools
    8. - Middle States Commission on Secondary School (MSA – CESS)

 Transfer from other Universities
Candidates transferring from recognized higher education institutions are eligible for consideration for admission subject to the following conditions:

  • - They hold the Lebanese Baccalaureate or its official equivalent from the Lebanese Ministry of Education.
  • - They had met the requirements for admission to the University of Balamand prior to their admission to the institution from which they are transferring:
  • - They have submitted their scores for the SAT when required, school and university grades if they are qualified to the sophomore year.

Transfer applicants to the Junior or Senior year do not need to submit SAT scores.
Transfer candidates may be given credit for courses satisfactorily completed in their previous institutions if these courses are comparable to UOB courses pending review by the relevant departments and faculties at UOB. Credits alone are transferred, not the grades. The Admissions Committee must approve all transfer courses.


Readmission for Undergraduates
Students in good standing who withdraw from the University voluntarily and who subsequently seek to return will be granted automatic readmission to their former program provided that they return no later than four regular semesters from the end of the session in which they withdrew.

Language Proficiency Requirement
English Language Examination:
Prior to registration, admitted students shall demonstrate a level of English proficiency consistent with the demands of a program taught in English as follows:

Test

Minimum Score Required 
for Undergraduate Studies

Minimum Score Required 
for Graduate Studies

* TOEFL (Paper and Pencil)

527

600

TOEFL (iBT)

71

100

 

SAT
(Writing and Language Test)

22

28

SAT
(Digital Evidence-Based reading and Writing

520

590

IELTS

6

8

CES

160

 

191

Duolingo 110 140
TOEFL Essentials 7 11
EPT 63 85

French Language Requirement (French majors or majors taught in French):

Candidates must demonstrate a level of French language proficiency consistent with the requirements of their program of study. To ascertain this proficiency, the candidate must pass the French Entrance Exam (Test de Positionnement).

The undergraduate and graduate students who hold a DELF/DALF with a degree level B2 (scoring at least 50/100 and 15/25 on the writing component (production écrit)) or C1 will be admitted as FREN 201. Applicants who hold a DELF/DALF with a degree level B1 scoring above 70 will be placed as FREN101 but they must complete successfully FREN101 within the first semester of enrolment at the University.

For more information about DELF/DALF, please contact l'Institut Français Du Liban or visit their website:
www.institutfrancais-liban.com.

Registration
The French Language Requirement (Test de Positionnement) can be taken at UOB on published entrance exam dates.

Available Exam dates
Entrance and Language Exam Dates
December 6, 2024
January 10, 2024
March 7, 2025
July 11, 2025
August 8, 2025


 Deadlines for Applications
  • - For Regular Admission to the Spring Semester 2024-2025, the deadline is December 06, 2024
  • - For Regular Admission to the Fall Semester 2025-2026, the deadline is End of May, 2025

Early Admission
Early admission deadline for Fall 25-26 is Mid – January, 2025.

Decisions will be released mid-February. Admission is conditional upon receiving the student’s leaving certificate or high school diploma. Students cannot register until all conditions are met. Applicants who are not granted early admission will be considered along with regular admission applicants.


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