Academic Development of The University
The American University in Cairo was founded in 1919 by American Mission in Egypt, a Protestant mission sponsored by the United Presbyterian Church of North America, as an English-language university and preparatory school.
Originally, AUC was intended to be both a preparatory school and a University. The preparatory school opened to 142 students on October 5, 1920 in the former minister of education Ahmad Khairy Pasha’s palace, built in the 1860s and known as Khairy Pasha palace. The first diplomas issued were junior college-level certificates given to 20 students in 1923.
At first an institution only for males, the university enrolled its first female student in 1928, the same year in which the first university class graduated, with two BAs and one BSc degrees awarded. Master's degrees were first offered in 1950.
In the 1950s, the university changed its name from The American University at Cairo, replacing "at" with "in."
The university added departments of engineering, computer science, journalism and mass communication, and management.
The American University in Cairo Press was established in 1960; today, it publishes up to 1,000 books annually. It is regarded as the Arab world's top English language publishing house.
In 1960, AUC had about 400 academic students. This number tripled over the following ten years.
Within this period, the university opened the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA), which attracted students from around the world who wish to study Arabic. Adult education expanded simultaneously and now serves approximately tens of thousands of individuals each year in non-credit courses and contracted training programs.
In 1978, the university established the Desert Development Center to promote sustainable development in Egypt's reclaimed desert areas. In the 1980s, the university received full accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
In 2007, the university renamed its Center for Adult and Continuing Education was renamed to the School of Continuing Education and in 2008, renamed the Adham Center for TV Journalism to the Kamal Adham Center for Journalism, Training and Research.
In 2009, the university added:
- The Graduate School of Education,
- The School of Business and
- The School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP)
Read more about this topic: American University In Cairo Law Department
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