Establishment
The Mariamite Maronite Order (the Maronite Order of the Holy Virgin Mary) was founded in 1695 and was the first foreign religious mission to the Middle East. The Order dedicated special attention to education, and opened its first school in 1696. The Mariamate Order carried on its educational mission in the years and decades that followed. In 1978, through the efforts of Bishop Beshara al-Ra’i and in cooperation with the Lebanese American University (then Beirut University College), the Louaizeh Center for Higher Education was established with the aim to offer educational services for students wishing to pursue their studies according to the American System.
The Order was granted the right to operate an independent university by Decree no. 4116 promulgated on August 14th 1987. Three faculties were founded: Natural and Applied Sciences, Human Sciences and Business Administration. In 1996 Decree no. 9278 of October 5th 1996 granted the university the right to establish the Faculty of Engineering and introduce the Department of Economic Sciences. Then in 1999, Decree no. 1948 of December 21st gave the university the right to found new faculties: the Faculty of Political Science, Public Administration and Diplomacy, and the Faculty of Architecture, Arts and Design, in addition to the introduction of the telecommunications specialization to the Computer Science Department. The university also began to grant Master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA and MIB), in addition to Master’s degrees in other specializations.
NDU currently houses the following faculties : Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Political Science, Public Administration and Diplomacy, Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, in addition to the new Faculty of Nursing.
Location and Educational System
NDU’s main premises in Zouk Mosbeh, near the Lady of Louaizeh Monastery, were inaugurated in 1998 after four years of works. The premises house 7,000 students and extend over a one million square meter land, donated by the Order. The premises include students’ dorms, football, basketball and volleyball courts, in addition to two cafeterias, theaters, exhibition halls, laboratories, hotel management workshops, sciences and engineering workshops, a central library and a computer and Internet center. Today, NDU’s old premises house the Continuing Education and the Musicology Departments as well as a number of research centers.
In 1999 the university opened a new branch in the town of Barsa (Kaza of Koura), housing all the NDU faculties. The premises extend over 50,000 square meters and contain theaters, courts, laboratories and halls. In 2001 another branch was opened in the building of Mar Abda Monastery in Deir El Qamar (Kaza of Chouf). The building, which also gathers all faculties, was renovated and welcomes today around 500 students.
NDU follows the free American Education System, which is based on credits and divides the academic year into three terms; two compulsory terms and one optional. English is the main language used in teaching. Arabic is taught in the different specializations while other languages are taught when needed in relevant specializations.
The number of students in the academic year of 2006-2007 reached around 5,000 compared to 4,584 in 2004-2005 and 3,563 in 2000-2001. The teaching and administrative body is has a staff of 500, which includes 350 professors.
Tuition Fees
Table no.1 shows tuition fees of B.A. degrees and the number of credits required.
|
Tuition fees of B.A. degrees and the number of credits required |
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|
Faculty |
Department |
# of credits required for B.A. |
# of years for graduation |
Cost of one credit (LBP) |
Average tuition for a B.A. (LBP) |
|
Architecture, Art and Design |
Architecture |
182 |
6 |
375,000 |
68,250,000 |
|
Musicology |
124 |
4 |
320,000 |
39,680,000 |
|
|
Interior Design |
136 |
5 |
320,000 |
43,520,000 |
|
|
Other departments |
102 |
4 |
320,000 |
32,640,000 |
|
|
Business Administration and Economics |
Business Administration |
106 |
3 |
320,000 |
33,920,000 |
|
Hotel Management and Tourism |
103 |
3 |
320,000 |
32,960,000 |
|
|
Engineering |
All departments |
150 |
5 |
375,000 |
56,250,000 |
|
Humanities |
All departments |
From 102 to 106 |
3 |
320,000 |
33,280,000 |
|
Natural and Applied Sciences |
All departments |
From 91 to 112 |
3 |
320,000 |
32,640,000 |
|
Political Science, Public Administration and Diplomacy |
All departments |
105 |
3 |
320,000 |
33,600,000 |
|
Nursing |
- |
111 |
3 |
320,000 |
35,520,000 |
|
Source: Statistics provided by NDU administration |
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Table no.2 shows tuition fees of Master’s degrees and the number of credits required.
|
Tuition fees of Master’s degrees and the number of credits required |
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|
# of Master’s Degrees granted by NDU |
# credits required |
# of years required for a Master’s |
Cost of one credit (LBP) |
Average tuition of a Master’s (LBP) |
|
4 |
36 |
2 |
420,000 |
15,120,000 |
|
2 |
39 |
2 |
420,000 |
16,380,000 |
|
6 |
From 36 to 39 |
2 |
420,000 |
16,000,000 |
|
6 (teaching diploma) |
18 |
1 |
420,000 |
7,560,000 |
|
3 |
From 30 to 33 |
2 |
420,000 |
13,000,000 |
|
6 |
36 |
2 |
420,000 |
15,120,000 |
|
Source: Statistics provided by NDU administration |
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Note: Freshman students should complete 30 credits –average tuition cost LBP9,600,000. NDU dedicates 16% of its annual budget for financial aid. Applications for financial aid submitted by students are revised by a special committee.
Students can also receive financial aid through the following means:
Employment at the university with a discount raging from 20% to 40% on tuition fees.
Scholarships for honor students.
A maximum of 25% discount for students in need and who have brothers or sisters enrolled at the university.
- Business and Computer University College (BCU)
- Private schools in Lebanon: Religiously affiliated schools in Lebanon
- Lebanese International University
- International College
- The University of Balamand (UOB)
- Melkite Catholic Schools in Lebanon : 3.9% of private school students in Lebanon
- Orthodox Schools in Lebanon : 1.1% of Lebanese students attend Orthodox Schools
- Druze Schools in Lebanon : Attended by 1.3% of Lebanon’s private school students
The Center for Education and Computer Studies, headed by Mr. Hamza Mustafa acquired its license to establish the Business and Computer College in the year 2000, under decree #3585 on August 7, 2000.
According to the statistics of the year 2005-2006, the number of private-free schools was 364 with a total number of 115,254 students and the number of private schools 1,025, with 417,409 students.
LIU is part of the Better Future Association (Al Ghad Al Afdal Association) that is chaired by Minister and former MP Abdul Rahim Mrad. The university is supervised by a Council of Secretaries constituting 21 members.
International College, one of the largest and oldest international schools in the world, was founded in Smyrna – Turkey in 1891 as a missionary school. In 1936, The American University of Beirut which at that time was called the Syrian Protestant College, invited International College to come to Beirut to affiliate as their Preparatory School.
The University of Balamand was established in 1883 by the decree of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and the East to establish a higher institution to teach theology. Decree no.9764 was issued on February 26th 1975 licensing the establishment of this institute in the Monastery of Balamand, near Tripoli.
There are 49 Melkite Catholic schools in Lebanon making up 3.5% of the total number of private schools in Lebanon (1,390 schools). They take in 21,111 students; 3.96% of the total of Lebanese private school students (532,662) attends Melkite Catholic schools, which are divided into private-free (private schools with no fees) and private non-free schools (private schools with fees).
There are 15 schools affiliated with the Orthodox Church in Lebanon, three private- free schools, and 12 private non-free schools. Accordingly, Orthodox schools make up 0.54% of the total number of schools in Lebanon.
There are 19 Druze schools in Lebanon divided between private schools, with and without fees. With an overall number of 7,211 students they account for 1.37% of the total of Lebanese private school students.
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