General Admissions Policies

AUK may offer provisional admission to applicants who are currently completing final coursework or awaiting official documents. This conditional status allows students to begin their academic journey while fulfilling specific outstanding requirements.

You may be provisionally admitted if:

• You are finishing your final semester of high school or another university.
• Your application is otherwise complete and meets admission standards.

To confirm full admission, you must:

• Submit your certified final transcript by the deadline.
• Meet Kuwait Ministry of Education equivalency requirements.

Scientific Track Students: Students missing one subject required for scientific track majors (e.g., Engineering) may be admitted provisionally. To qualify for full admission into a scientific-track major, students must:

• Successfully complete the missing subject at Kuwait University with a grade of C or higher (as a non-degree student).
• Provide proof of completion (not calculated in GPA).
• Delay major declaration in a scientific field until requirements are fulfilled.

Failure to meet these conditions may result in withdrawal of admission. No refunds are issued if admission is rescinded.

Because AUK is an English-medium institution, English language proficiency is a core admissions requirement. Your application will be evaluated in part based on your performance on one of the following tests:

• TOEFL iBT
• IELTS (Academic)
• AUK English Placement Test

This table outlines how students are placed into the appropriate level of English study at AUK based on their scores. Placement determines whether a student begins in the English Foundation Program or is admitted directly into undergraduate-level English courses. Transfer students are exempted if the required English credits are transferred

Once admitted, you may be required to take placement tests in one or more subject areas to determine your starting level in AUK courses. These assessments support student success and ensure appropriate placement.

Arabic Course Placement

All AUK students are required to take an Arabic language course as part of the core curriculum. Students are placed into the appropriate Arabic course based on their high school background, not through a placement test.

Placement is determined as follows:

• International school graduates are typically placed in Arabic as a Foreign Language (ARAB 101).
• Bilingual school graduates are placed into intermediate Arabic courses.
• Arabic curriculum graduates are placed into advanced Arabic courses aligned with their proficiency.

This placement ensures students build upon their existing language skills while meeting core curriculum requirements.

• Mathematics: Required for students entering the College of Business & Economics or the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences. Transfer students may be exempt if math credit is transferred.

AUK reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission at any time, including after a student has enrolled. Grounds for rescinding may include:

• Falsified or incomplete application materials
• Failure to meet enrollment conditions or deadlines
• Violation of admission agreement or university policy
• Discovery of disqualifying information after acceptance

All cases are reviewed carefully and handled in accordance with university policy and student fairness.

If you’ve been admitted but cannot begin in your intended semester, AUK allows deferrals of up to one academic year.

To defer your admission:

• Submit a written request to the Office of Admissions before the first day of classes.
• Provide updated transcripts and materials by the deadline for your new start term.
• Meet all current admission requirements at time of re-entry.

Students who previously attended AUK and wish to return must follow the readmission process based on their status:

• Voluntary withdrawal in good standing: Reapply and meet current catalog requirements.
• Academic dismissal: Must fulfill academic recovery requirements outlined in AUK's academic policies.
• Withdrawal while on probation: May be eligible to reapply if academic and admission standards are met.
• Official leave of absence (within one academic year): No reapplication required.

AUK accepts a range of secondary school certificates, provided they meet the Kuwait Ministry of Education equivalency standards.

Accepted Certificates:

• General Secondary School Certificate (Scientific/Literary)
• Modular Secondary School Certificate (Muqararat)
• Tijari High School (Commerce) – evaluated as Literary
• Institute of Religious Studies – evaluated as Literary

English Systems (IGCSE, GCE, GCSE):

• Minimum of six O-level subjects with grades of D/3 or higher
• One Arabic IGCSE or MOE Arabic course accepted
• Only one non-academic course (e.g., PE, Drama) may count
• Scientific track eligibility requires passing: Math, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology

A-Level Credit Transfer AUK may grant transfer credit for A-Level subjects with a grade of C or higher in academic subjects. Contact Admissions for evaluation.

American High School System:

• GPA is calculated across the final 4 years
• Must complete all years in an American curriculum
• Scientific classification requires: Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus/Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology

French Baccalaureate:

• Minimum average of 12/20 or 65% cumulative average required

Other Systems: Certificates not listed will be evaluated case-by-case. All require MOE equivalency.

Note: Admission to AUK does not guarantee acceptance into all academic majors or programs. Additional program-specific requirements may apply.