Academic Year Study Abroad Programs in Rabat, Morocco

Delve into the fascinating layers of this North African nation as you learn Modern Standard Arabic with courses at all levels (no prior language experience is required). Learn Colloquial Moroccan Arabic to communicate with local Moroccans. If you have taken advanced French, French-taught area studies courses at the IES Abroad Center or local universities are also an option. Our area studies courses focus on North African and Islamic Studies and introduce you to the many influential forces shaping the history and culture of Morocco. Live in a homestay or residence hall, and travel to cities like Meknes; Volubulis; the Middle Atlas Mountains; and Granada, Spain on IES Abroad field trips.

Learn Arabic in Rabat and enjoy a learning vacation in this dynamic city by the sea, a great central location to explore the surrounding region and other great Moroccan cities on weekends. Rabat offers some of the most surprising monuments in Morocco, such as the Royal Palace surrounded by the Andalusian Gardens, the Hassan Mosque that with its tower dominates the whole city, and the interesting ruins of Chellah that resembles to another medina but it has actually been abandoned since the 12th century. Rabat has the largest number of restaurants in Morocco, and after class, participants can even enjoy the beach. The school is located in the residential district of Agdal, close to the old medina and the financial district of Rabat. Students can walk to the old Medina and the sea is only three kilometers away. The campus is next to a university, many restaurants, cafés, and museums.

Fortify your Arabic language skills or begin your Arabic learning journey with the Amideast Education Abroad program in Rabat! Students have the option of taking a blended Modern Standard and Moroccan colloquial Arabic course and a diverse set of area studies courses. Participants can choose not to take Modern Standard Arabic, but will still hone their skills in Darija, the local Moroccan colloquial dialect, in a required course as well as with their homestay families. The homestay family experience gives students an intimate look at daily life and culture in Rabat. Organized excursions span exciting locations from the ancient medina of Fez to the quiet village of Zawyat Ahansal in the Atlas Mountains. Students can also take our Community-Based Learning course where they will strengthen and deepen their understanding of the Middle East through direct experience in local organizations and lectures that provide a theoretical framework for studying and interacting with Moroccan politics, society, and culture.

For thousands of years, Morocco has benefited from the cross-cultural exchange of Berber, Arab, African, and European peoples, customs, learning, and gastronomy. Today, Morocco is home to 34 million and is one of the most stable and moderate constitutional monarchies in the Arab World. The Middlebury School in Morocco, based in the capital city of Rabat, offers cultural and linguistic immersion through a rigorous curriculum and adherence to the Middlebury Language Pledge. By promising to speak only Arabic abroad, students have the best chance of acquiring fluency and actively engaging in the local environment. All coursework is conducted in Arabic, and students take their courses in a variety of subjects, from advanced Arabic courses to electives in North African Studies.