Student Success at UAEU

The University’s mission includes the preparation of graduates for future leadership, and one of our goals is to prepare graduates to be pioneers in their areas of specialization.

Achieving Learning Outcomes

To achieve this goal, UAEU has defined a set of six Institutional Learning Outcomes, which it expects all undergraduate students to achieve by the time they graduate. By the end of their degree, the students are expected to be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge and skills in a particular discipline and apply these ethically in real-life contexts.
Apply research skills in their academic work.
Locate, evaluate, and effectively use information derived from a variety of sources;
Analyze quantitative data, and draw reasonable conclusions.
Evaluate issues logically, from multiple perspectives, and develop reasoned and creative solutions and decisions.
Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to diverse audiences.

This is the set of skills and qualities many employers say they are looking for in a university graduate. Many of them are also part of the skill set that characterizes effective leaders.

Each degree program at the University has clearly defined learning outcomes, which are assessed as a student progresses through their studies. These are displayed under each program listed in the catalog of undergraduate and graduate programs.

The University is currently developing several ways of assessing the level of achievement of the institutional learning outcomes.

To help students apply their knowledge and skills in real-life contexts and to apply the research skills they have developed, UAEU provides undergraduate students with two enriching opportunities: an internship experience and a research experience.

Internships

90% of UAEU under-graduate programs include an internship.

25% of employed UAEU graduates obtained jobs with their internship host organization.

Internships are a key to student success at UAEU. Through internships, our undergraduates understand the demands of a workplace and the expectations of employers. They also start to apply their learning in a real-life context.

Many students gain their first jobs with the organization in which they completed their internship.

Most of the undergraduate degree programs at UAEU include an internship as a required course. Others have a professional experience requirement. (Internship requirements by Program/College).

Research Experience

8% of UAEU students are enrolled in graduate programs.

48% of graduate students are enrolled in research-based degrees.

42% of undergraduate programs include a major research project.

As a research-intensive institution, one of UAEU’s goals is to develop research capacity and innovation in areas of national importance.

The university achieves the goals in developing the nation’s research capacity through its many graduate programs, most of which focus on research, and by building research experiences into all undergraduate degree program requirements.

Measuring Student Success

The University uses several measures to assess student success through their studies and on graduation:

Retention of students through their first year of undergraduate study.
Percent of students graduating within 6 years (for undergraduates) or 4 years (for master’s students) of joining the university.
Fates of students after graduation, including employment and further study.

First Year Retention

95% of students who start baccalaureate studies progress to their second year.

The first year retention rate (calculated for undergraduates) is the percent of students who start university courses in fall one year who return as enrolled students the following fall.

Each College in the university uses this information to identify where particular groups of students might be having difficulties, so that academic assistance and other support services can be put in place to help.

Detailed first year retention rates by College are presented on the UAEU Facts and Figures website.

Graduation Percentage

82% of baccalaureate students graduate within 1.5 time the degree duration.

79% of Master’s students graduate within 4 years.

Most universities use graduation rate as one indication of student success. Most of UAEU’s baccalaureate degrees can be completed in the minimum time of 4 years, so most students should be able to complete within one-and-a-half times this duration – 6 years.

At Masters level, degree programs are shorter but many students are part time, so the university calculates the percentage of students completing within 2 years and 4 years of initial enrollment.

Detailed graduation rates for the various UAEU degree programs are presented on the UAEU Facts and Figures website.

Employment and Further Study

44% of baccalaureate graduates are employed within 1 year of graduation.

UAEU conducts regular surveys of its recent graduates to find out what they are doing after graduation. Many students progress to further education after their baccalaureate degree and many enter the workforce.

Responses to these surveys of UAEU alumni can be found on the Surveys website.

Preparing students for future leadership is one of UAEU’s goals and part of the University’s mission. Student success in this area can be seen in the large number of UAEU graduates who are now in senior leadership positions in the government, academic, and the private sector.

UAEU Alumni as Leaders

Many UAEU Alumni are contributing to the development of the country by serving in leadership roles in many sectors of society. Some of the distinguished alumni are featured on the UAEU website.