American University of Madaba

About American University of Madaba

AUM’s institutional history begins with its licensing as a nonprofit university in 2005. Jordan’s Higher Education Council approved the current American University of Madaba name in 2011. The university remains operational in 2026: its website publishes current applications, academic activity, summer transportation, vacancies, and August 2026 news, while the Higher Education Council approved a four-year appointment for its president in May 2026. The university describes its educational model as American-style and grounded in Catholic higher-education values, including dialogue, justice, ethical conduct, diversity, and social responsibility. It is nevertheless presented as serving students from different backgrounds, races, genders, and religions. Its academic structure comprises seven faculties covering engineering, science, health sciences, information technology, business, architecture and design, and languages and communication. AUM holds the relevant Jordanian licensing and program approvals listed on its official accreditation page. NECHE lists it in Madaba as an institutional candidate following an action in November 2024, with a comprehensive evaluation visit expected in spring 2029. Students should understand the distinction: candidate status indicates progress through NECHE’s accreditation process but is not equivalent to being fully accredited by NECHE. Degree authority rests on Jordanian approval. The institution’s mix of English-medium instruction, professional programs, general education, and a campus outside central Madaba gives it a distinct profile among Jordanian private universities.

Undergraduate admission is based on the applicant’s secondary-school credential, intended major, certificate stream, and grade average. The current tuition and requirements pages show minimum accepted averages that differ by program: published examples range from 60% for several business, language, science, and design offerings to 80% for pharmacy, architecture, and engineering programs. These are program thresholds, not a single university-wide admission standard. Applicants with Jordanian General Secondary Education certificates submit an original or officially certified transcript. Credentials issued in Arab countries require authentication by Jordan’s Ministry of Education. Applicants with certificates from non-Arab countries generally need Jordanian equivalency and authenticated records. Separate instructions apply to SAT II, IB, and IGCSE credentials and distinguish Jordanian from non-Jordanian applicants. Documents issued outside Jordan may require authentication by a Jordanian embassy and Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Transfer applicants must provide authenticated postsecondary transcripts, course descriptions, and other specified records. Admitted undergraduates sit placement tests in English, Arabic, and computer skills; students who do not pass must complete the corresponding remedial course during their first academic year. The online application accommodates undergraduate and graduate candidates as well as new, transfer, and bridging students. The reviewed official pages do not publish a clearly labeled 2026/2027 application deadline, so applicants should confirm the intake, deadline, available major, and required documents directly with Admissions before arranging authentication or travel.

AUM currently awards bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Its seven faculties are Engineering, Science, Health Sciences, Information Technology, Business, Architecture and Design, and Languages and Communication. The undergraduate portfolio includes fields such as mechanical engineering, intelligent robotics systems engineering, biology and biotechnology, pharmacy, medical laboratories, nutrition and health psychology, computer science, cybersecurity, data science and artificial intelligence, business disciplines, architecture, design, English language and applied translation. Availability should always be checked against the live program pages because the site identifies some older offerings, including Marketing, as having ceased enrolment. Published undergraduate plans generally require substantial credit-hour totals that vary by field. Examples on the current fee table range from 133 credits for several business degrees to 168 for Architecture. The university’s revised general-education document requires undergraduates to complete a general-education component, while individual departments add disciplinary, laboratory, design, or professional study as appropriate. The current graduate-program page lists an MSc in Risk Management, an MBA and Business Analytics, and an MSc in Autonomous Cybersecurity with AI. These programs require 33 or 34 credits according to the published listings. AUM’s master’s regulations normally require an appropriate recognized bachelor’s degree and establish academic standards for admission and completion. Students should assess the approval status and curriculum of the exact major they intend to enter rather than treating university-level candidacy as programmatic accreditation. This is especially important for regulated professions and for applicants who may later seek licensing or credential recognition outside Jordan.

Key Highlights

• Private, nonprofit university licensed in Jordan
• Operating institution with a presidential appointment approved in May 2026
• Seven faculties spanning technical, health, business, design, science, and language fields
• NECHE candidate since November 2024, not fully NECHE-accredited
• Official institutional materials state that instruction is conducted in English

Student Life & Environment

Student life is coordinated principally through the Deanship of Student Affairs. Its published responsibilities include extracurricular activities, sports, counseling, international-student support, career guidance, student recognition, and residential assistance. The deanship describes ten student communities organized around interests that include arts, design, sports, innovation, civic engagement, and global dialogue. Faculty-based student associations provide another route for representation, peer connection, and skills development. AUM provides female student accommodation through the House of Grace dormitory. The university also says the Deanship can help students locate other housing, but it does not publish sufficiently clear current room prices, meal arrangements, or a comparable university residence for male students on the reviewed pages. Applicants should therefore obtain written confirmation about eligibility, availability, rules, deposits, and total housing costs before relying on accommodation. Other support includes psychological and academic counseling, an International Student Office, sports activities, and career and alumni services. The campus is outside the city center, so transportation is part of everyday student-life planning. University buses serve selected points in Madaba, Amman, Al-Fuhays, and Al-Zarqa, with routes and times updated by semester. Students should check the live timetable because service depends on the semester and some departures carry minimum-passenger conditions.

Location & Surroundings

AUM occupies a 100-acre campus approximately five miles from the historic city of Madaba. The university reports eleven operational buildings and describes infrastructure for energy management and water recycling. This is a separate campus setting rather than a central-city collection of buildings, so students should consider both the campus environment and their daily travel arrangements. Madaba is known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, particularly the Madaba Map of the Holy Land, and the city’s museums, archaeological sites, tourist street, and handicraft traditions provide a culturally distinctive setting. Access to Amman and other population centers is important for students who live away from campus or seek off-campus opportunities. AUM operates semester-based bus services from selected points in Madaba, Amman, Al-Fuhays, and Al-Zarqa. The published network includes stops along Airport Road and several Amman districts. Routes, departure times, prices, and minimum-passenger conditions can change, so they should be verified for the intended semester. Students comparing housing options should calculate commuting time and bus charges alongside rent rather than assuming that living in Amman or another city will be cost-neutral.

Costs & Career Outcomes

AUM charges tuition by credit hour, so the academic program and registered course load determine the basic tuition total. On the fee page available in August 2026, undergraduate prices range across the listed majors. Examples include JD 70 per credit for Biology and Biotechnology, JD 80 for Computer Science, JD 110 for Mechanical Engineering, JD 120 for Architecture, and JD 130 for Pharmacy. Graduate tuition is listed at JD 175 per credit for Risk Management, JD 150 for the MBA and Business Analytics, and JD 160 for Autonomous Cybersecurity with AI, plus a JD 250 fall or spring registration fee. The page does not clearly identify an academic year, so these figures should be treated as the latest published schedule accessed in August 2026, not guaranteed 2026/2027 charges. Students should budget beyond tuition for registration and other university fees, books or supplies, housing, food, credential authentication, and transport. Published bus charges are JD 250 per fall or spring semester from Amman or Al-Fuhays and JD 160 from Madaba, with separate summer prices. Current dormitory prices were not verified. Scholarships are advertised, but award values and eligibility should be confirmed directly rather than assumed. Career support is provided through the Career Guidance and Alumni Office, which offers training, job-search guidance, employer links, and career-day activities. AUM’s sixth annual Career Day in June 2026 connected students and graduates with employers from sectors including technology, healthcare, commerce, education, insurance, tourism, and consulting. No independently verified salary or placement outcome was found, so applicants should evaluate career prospects by program, licensing pathway, practical experience, and intended employment market.