The Lebanese American University (LAU) () is a secular and private American university located in Lebanon. It is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). It has two campuses and offers 58 degrees. Campuses LAU has two main campuses, one in the capital Beirut and another in the city of Byblos, 35 kilometers north of Beirut. LAU also has a small campus located in New York, NY. The Byblos campus, inaugurated in 1991, hosts the nursing, medicine, engineering and pharmacy programs, while most of the other programs are offered in both campuses. LAU's Beirut and Byblos campuses are respectively 2.54 hectares and 15.94 hectares wide. In both campuses, students have access to libraries, gymnasiums, residence halls, theaters, wireless internet, computer centers, laboratories, and academic support services. On June 30, 2009, LAU acquired the LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital (LAUMC-RH).[14] LAUMC-RH offers medical services such as radiology and imaging, dialysis, endoscopy, dermatology, ophthalmology, IVF, and cardiology.[15] In 2013, LAU moved its New York City headquarters to mid-town Manhattan and opened a new Executive Center in downtown Beirut. In April 2017, the LAU broke ground in its Byblos Campus on a new US$7 Million sports center, the "Antoun Nabil Sehnaoui - SGBL Athletics Center", donated by Lebanese banker and philanthropist Antoun Sehnaoui. The new center will feature an 8,500 square meter athletics center, a swimming pool, a multipurpose indoor court, outdoor football, basketball and tennis fields, as well as a gym and several other related amenities. Accreditations, Affiliations and Charters The Lebanese American University is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Its business majors (as well its economics major) are some of the few accredited by the elite Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Some of its programs are also accredited: LAU's Bachelor of Architecture degree is recognized by the French Ministry of Culture & Communication, and has been recently accredited by the NAAB (accreditation board). Academics and Rankings LAU has seven schools divided into several departments. School of Arts and Sciences: Communication Arts, Computer Science and Mathematics, Education, English, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences. School of Architecture and Design: Art and Design, Architecture and Interior Design, Foundation Program. Adnan Kassar