What majors does Arab Open University offer?
AOU spreads 11 bachelor's programmes over 3 colleges3. The largest is the Faculty of Business Studies with 5, and the smallest is the Faculty of Language Studies with 1.
| Major | College | About the major |
|---|---|---|
| Business Studies (Accounting) | Faculty of Business Studies | Accounting guide |
| Business Studies (Accounting in Arabic) | Faculty of Business Studies | Accounting guide |
| Business Studies (Marketing) | Faculty of Business Studies | Marketing guide |
| Business Studies (Systems) | Faculty of Business Studies | Information systems guide |
| Executive Secretarial | Faculty of Business Studies | - |
| Information Technology and Computing | Faculty of Computer Studies | Information technology guide |
| Information Technology and Computing (Computer Science) | Faculty of Computer Studies | Computer science guide |
| Information Technology and Computing (Computing with Business) | Faculty of Computer Studies | - |
| Information Technology and Computing (Networks and Security) | Faculty of Computer Studies | Cybersecurity guide |
| Information Technology and Computing (Web Development) | Faculty of Computer Studies | - |
| English Language and Literature | Faculty of Language Studies | English language guide |
7 of these majors have a full tiswa guide on the courses and the job market, linked in the last column. The names are copied as AOU writes them on its own page3.
What are the admission requirements at Arab Open University?
Admission to the Arab Open University does not run on a weighted score or a ranked list of choices: the official page names no weight for the high-school grade, Qudrat or Tahsili and no minimum percentage. It lists documents, an admission fee and a placement test instead. Below is everything the university publishes for bachelor's applicants.
AOU publishes the following admission rules4, which we carry over as the official page states them:
- The applicant holds the Saudi secondary certificate or an equivalent; a certificate from outside the Kingdom must be equated by the Ministry of Education
- The admission fee for all bachelor's programmes is SR 444, non-refundable
- A TOEFL, STEP or IELTS certificate from the last two years may be uploaded with the application form
- Within 48 hours of uploading the documents you receive a message asking you to sit a placement test
- Only applications whose admission fee has been paid are processed
The fees tied to admission and student services are these, in Saudi riyals:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Admission fee | SR 444 |
| Transfer between programmes | SR 431.25 |
| Transfer between branches | SR 517.50 |
| Make-up, mid-semester or final exam | SR 561.20 |
| Graduation fee | SR 862.50 |
What do you study in each AOU programme?
From each programme page on the AOU site we carried over the description, the length, the way it is taught and the careers the university lists:
Business Studies (Accounting): The accounting track teaches students to measure and analyse the financial information that managers, investors, tax authorities and decision makers rely on, and the programme is accredited by the UK Open University (OU). The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3.5 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.2
Careers the university lists: public accounting (audit and tax work once licensed), private accounting inside commercial companies, forensic accounting, government agencies.
Business Studies (Accounting in Arabic): The Arabic-language accounting track gives students the knowledge, skills and values to excel in the accounting profession and to find unconventional answers to business challenges, and it is taught in Arabic. The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3.5 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.5
Careers the university lists: financial accountant, external auditor, tax accounts specialist, chief financial officer, management accountant, internal auditor, financial analyst.
Business Studies (Marketing): The marketing track teaches students to find what customers need and want and to build products and services that meet it at a profit, using the product, distribution, promotion and price tools; it is accredited by the UK Open University (OU). The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3.5 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.6
Careers the university lists: marketing manager, product marketing manager, customer relationship manager, brand manager, content marketing manager, social media manager, market research analyst, advertising manager, public relations specialist, marketing analyst.
Business Studies (Systems): The systems track aims to improve managerial decision-making and to apply systems thinking to organisational complexity; the university lists jobs in service, trading and industrial companies. The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3.5 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.7
Careers the university lists: systems analyst, project manager, management consultant, process engineer, risk manager, quality manager, business analyst, entrepreneur.
Executive Secretarial: The Executive Secretarial programme is for deaf and hard-of-hearing students; it follows a preparatory year and runs eight semesters over four years for a total of 128 units.8
Careers the university lists: airlines, production bodies such as the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, courts and security departments.
Information Technology and Computing: Students learn the core of communication and information technologies, object-oriented programming, software engineering, and data management and analysis; the programme is accredited by the UK Open University (OU). The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.9
Careers the university lists: software or application developer, IT analyst, information security specialist, database administrator, computer network specialist, cloud computing engineer, computer support specialist.
Information Technology and Computing (Computer Science): Students study object-oriented programming, data structures and algorithms, operating systems, computer graphics and multimedia, data management and analysis, and artificial intelligence. The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.10
Careers the university lists: software developer, computer systems analyst, web developer, data analyst, software quality assurance manager, information security analyst, full-stack developer.
Information Technology and Computing (Computing with Business): A track that blends computing and business: object-oriented programming, data management and analysis, web, mobile and cloud technologies, business opportunities and strategic management. The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.11
Careers the university lists: software developer, applications programmer, systems programmer, systems analyst, multimedia programmer, IT technical support officer.
Information Technology and Computing (Networks and Security): Students specialise in networks and security, including CISCO networking, advanced networks, applied network security and communication technology. The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.12
Careers the university lists: security analyst, security engineer, security architect, cryptography specialist, network engineer, network administrator, network and security consultant.
Information Technology and Computing (Web Development): Students study object-oriented programming, data structures and algorithms, operating systems, computer graphics and multimedia, data management and artificial intelligence, with a focus on the web. The minimum study time is six regular semesters plus one summer (3 academic years) and the maximum is twenty-four semesters; teaching is blended, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, with at least one lecture a week to attend.13
Careers the university lists: web application developer, game developer, website designer, web content manager, database designer, digital marketing, graphic designer.
English Language and Literature: The English Language and Literature programme runs four years, full time, in blended mode (face to face plus online classes), preparing students for the jobs Saudi Vision 2030 creates.14
Careers the university lists: English teacher, translator, content writer, editorial assistant, media researcher, social media manager, technical writer, journalist.
How much are Arab Open University fees?
This is the AOU fee table as the university publishes it2. It has 4 lines, all in Saudi riyals.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| General education courses, per credit hour | SR 229 per credit hour |
| Specialisation courses, per credit hour | SR 312 per credit hour |
| Hard-of-hearing students (Executive Secretarial), per credit hour | SR 435 per credit hour |
| Admission fee, once | SR 444 once |
Where else can you study the AOU majors?
If AOU does not admit you, the same majors appear at other universities on our list:
- Accounting: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), KFUPM (Dhahran), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Taibah University (Madinah), UPM (Madinah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
- Marketing: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), KFUPM (Dhahran), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Taibah University (Madinah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
- Information systems: Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), KFUPM (Dhahran), Majmaah University (Majmaah), Taibah University (Madinah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
- Information technology: KAU (Jeddah) and Majmaah University (Majmaah)
- Computer science: Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), KFUPM (Dhahran), Majmaah University (Majmaah) and Taibah University (Madinah)
- Cybersecurity: Alfaisal University (Riyadh), Dar Al-Hekma University (Jeddah), KAU (Jeddah), Taibah University (Madinah), UPM (Madinah) and Al Yamamah University (Riyadh)
- English language: Majmaah University (Majmaah) and Taibah University (Madinah)
Where does the AOU information on this page come from?
Every figure and name on this page was copied by hand from official pages. These are the sources we used,:
- arabou.edu.sa
Before you apply, read the unified admission guide and the university transfer guide.