About Open Education

The American University of Armenia Extension is the non-degree arm of the University that aims to serve the educational needs of the public at large. Our courses are designed to offer students opportunities to expand their knowledge and assist them with personal growth and professional development undertakings to best suit their individual educational goals and career choices. Thus, Extension helps students reach their highest potential, whether for admission to AUA or for expanding their knowledge and skills to become more competitive specialists in the labor market.

The certificate programs, courses and workshops offered by Extension are especially geared to address the diverse educational needs of individuals from different backgrounds and occupations.  Additionally, as part of our corporate training program, we work closely with public and private sector organizations to identify the unique training needs they may have to move to the next level of excellence in performance.  In that regard, AUA Extension continuously reviews and expands its reach designing and offering new courses in professional development.  Also, through our regional centers across Armenia —Yerevan, Gyumri, Kapan, Goris, Yeghegnadzor, Dilijan, and Vanadzor — we aim to create a rich learning environment for local residents to thrive and confidently move forward and contribute to the development of their communities.

At Extension, our mission is to facilitate growth and manage change by way of addressing the transformations taking place in the educational landscape. Through the use of a comprehensive and fundamental strategy that considers the technological advancements taking place, along with the societal shifts and evolving student needs, we reaffirm AUA Extension’s vital role in regional development by offering accessible and quality education, which enables participants to acquire new skills, attain advanced qualifications, and enhance their professional standing in the job market. Extension plays a crucial role in transforming students’ social, economic, political, and intellectual capacities to better meet the challenges of a globalized world.

The origins of AUA Extension, goes back to the establishment of the University in 1992, just a year after its inception. Initially, the focus was on offering English language and TOEFL preparatory courses tailored to the educational needs of adult learners, as well as potential applicants to AUA graduate degree programs offered at inception. During the founding years, Extension had the exclusive responsibility for administering paper-based TOEFL tests.  As the degree programs and enrollment grew and campus facilities were accordingly expanded, Extension underwent significant development, diversifying its offerings of English language and standardized tests preparatory courses for college admission, to also include professional development and certification programs.

In 2015, the Prometric Test Center (TC) was established on campus under the administration of Extension. Presently, TC accommodates a variety of professional certification assessments (such as USMLE STEP 1 and STEP 2, CFA, SHRM) and other international tests for college and university admission (including TOEFL iBT, GRE). Alongside the Prometric TC, Extension also administers ACT, SAT, and numerous other tests.

Starting in 2006, Extension was charged with responsibility for the training under the Turpanjian Rural Development Program (TRDP), funded by the Turpanjian Family Foundation, offering a variety of courses integral to advancing startups in Gyumri, Dilijan, Yeghegnadzor, and Stepanakert.  Subsequently, another significant initiative, the Entrepreneurs in Health program (EIH), was launched by the Turpanjian College of Health Sciences . This program aims to enhance access to quality healthcare services in rural areas of Armenia by introducing advanced technologies and innovative approaches to support healthcare professionals. In the same year, Extension also initiated the women's empowerment program to bring about meaningful and lasting change in the lives of women and their communities. In partnership with the Armenian International Women's Association, AUA Extension has successfully run the Women's Entrepreneurship Program for more than ten years.

A more recent initiative is the "Sarkis Cabayan Small and Emerging Business Development Program in Armenian Provinces with “Scholarships for Women" launched in September 2022. It aims to support the growth of small businesses in rural areas and advance the economic development of Armenian provinces by supporting female entrepreneurs in the regions. This program offers full scholarships to female entrepreneurs and consists of a six-month business training followed by six months of mentoring and coaching.

Through its Center for Research in Applied Linguistics , AUA Extension organizes the Afterschool English Program, offering English courses to schoolchildren interested in enhancing their language skills.

Extension Today

Currently Extension offers variety of courses covering language and professional topics.

Our English language program is comprehensive and includes international test preparatory courses as well as English language courses offered at six levels of competency.  Beyond language learning, we are currently offering several workshops in areas recently identified as primary training needs: Persuasion in Negotiation designed to help participants acquire the knowledge and skills to develop actionable strategies and grow their personal confidence to achieve excellence in their professional endeavors. Public Sector Governance comprising fundamentals of effective governance in the public sector for better decision making, efficient use of resources, and strong stewardship of public resources.  Legal Standards & Practices of Corporate Governance which covers corporate policies and internal control measures that are instrumental for identifying potential legal issues and addressing them proactively.  Essentials of Product Management that tackles the challenges and efforts for overseeing the development of a product across the entire product lifecycle, from ideation to launch and endurance for success.  Behavioral Marketing that addresses understanding consumer behavior as an instrumental tool for building a marketing plan and strategy.  And, Brand Management that identifies the special characteristics of a strong brand to fuel growth and built a trustworthy image of a brand in the public eye.  Monitoring and Evaluation that allows successful managers to gauge the relevance, effectiveness, and impact of their product(s) at different stages of the product life-cycle.  Employee Engagement and Retention specially geared to enhancing employee satisfaction, productivity, and overall team cohesion.  Design Thinking that enables people to think creatively and approach common problems with a solution-focused mindset.  Creative Thinking that enables people to acquire the necessary skill-set for generating ideas in the process of tackling new challenges.  And many more.