Spring Study Abroad Programs in Morocco

I graduated from high school a semester early, and the only way I wanted to spend my semester was by being abroad. I've known about Semester at Sea for around 6 years and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I searched up the requirements to be accepted and luckily fit all the requirements most importantly being 18, so immediately I applied. I then got an email back the next morning saying I got accepted into the program and that email brought me to tears in the middle of one of my classes. I couldn't wait to board the MV World Odyssey and embark on this journey of a lifetime. On the ship, I gained so much knowledge about different cultures and I was able to be fully immersed in them, not just sticking to the touristy things offered. Semester at Sea does an amazing job keeping the students' safety in country as a priority with having mandatory “Pre-Port meetings” the night before arriving in a country, and offering field programs which are ship run excursions with ship faculty leading them. The community on the ship was nothing I have ever experienced before. We were so close knit and it felt like I was truly in a connected, caring, and welcoming environment. I met the people I never imagined I'd connect with, and they ended up becoming the best connections I've ever made with people. Semester at Sea also helped me get out of my comfort zone which led me to have experiences I would have never imagined I'd have, best example being running a half marathon in Vigo, Spain even though I'm not a runner and have never been a runner. Semester at Sea has given me the world and the opportunity to appreciate it to its fullest. I left the ship with my passport full, but my heart is even fuller with people, memories, and connections I will forever cherish. Semester at Sea was truly the best experience I have ever had and would recommend it to anyone as it was life changing.

One of the most underrated aspect of semester at sea is the ship campus itself. Being able to live so close to your friends and just walking a few flight of stairs to your classroom and being able to sit down with your professors for lunch is such an amazing experience. It's eternal sunsets, it's endless travel stories from your friends, it's lifetime of memories. Highly recommend. One of the best decisions I made. And still day dream about this experience, still talk and travel to meet my SAS friends 4 years later.

I have not experienced anything like semester at sea before, therefore giving me a whole lot of different lenses to look at the world with. I completely enjoyed my experience and understand the importance of understanding others concerns, communication, communities, and countries. A overall wonderful experience that has changed my views as well as the way I live and who I am as a person.

One of the best parts of my study abroad experience was my homestay. They made sure I had everything I needed and were committed to helping me learn Arabic. They would help me with my homework and provide me with different opportunities to practice my language skills at home.

The unique aspects that this SIT program offered influenced my decision to ultimately choose the Switzerland: Global Health and Developmental Policy Program. My favorite academic aspects of the program were the countless briefings at NGOs and IGOs, the week-long WHO model-UN-like simulation, and the Independent Study Project that required students to take initiative on conducting public health research on a topic they found interesting and networking with experts in the respective fields. The Morocco excursion, where we stayed with host families in the city of Rabat and experienced their culture through their cuisine, music, and local markets. We spoke with many local organizations that aimed to serve smaller populations where their impact was truly felt. Living with a host family in Switzerland also provided an immersive experience. Eating with a family, sharing stories of our day, and even going on hikes together were memorable. The connections I made with my host family and my friends in my cohort will last a lifetime, and I am very grateful for the many adventures we took together that made my study abroad so special.

SIT did a great job of connecting us with public health experts and showing us the different NGOs in the Geneva/Rabat area. The independent study project was rewarding and prepared me for future academic research. My French skills also developed, thanks to my time with a host family and French classes. Finally, my cohort and the SIT staff were very welcoming and made me feel at home in the program!

My semester with SIT was one of the best of my life. My class on queer and feminist theory grew my comfort and knowledge within the subject, both academically and practically. The hands-on experiential learning component is central to the SIT curriculum and allowed us to continuously apply what we learned in the classroom to the real world. I've learned so much about the Netherlands and its history, peoples, and politics. From classes to my homestay to the people I met when I explored the city, I have grown significantly in my understanding of myself, the Netherlands, and the world at large. The homestay was absolutely a highlight of my time with SIT. I felt loved, cared for, and greatly supported. I was able to continuously work on my Dutch language skills with my homestay, too. Overall, I could not recommend this program enough.

I had an absolutely incredible time at CIEE. I have never met people more dedicated to full immersion in the beauty of Moroccan culture than Madiha and Haddou, the amazing directors at the Rabat site. There was a beautiful balance between academic education and teaching in ways beyond the classroom, and my perspective was respected and engaged with. Moreover, all the language and culture peers who routinely visited the site were incredibly kind and welcoming. If a student is looking to feel entirely at home in a new country, they should look no further than CIEE!

My experience studying with IES Abroad in Rabat was truly life changing! The small and tightly-knit community that formed here amongst students, program staff, and faculty, as well as our loving and hospitable host families, contributed to a warm, inclusive, and welcoming environment. IES staff went above and beyond to ensure my classmates and I felt supported and safe, and enjoyed our experiences in Morocco. Navigating culture shock and language barriers became much more doable and fulfilling with the preparation IES gave us. Our classes were rigorous yet enjoyable, with many opportunities for students to expand their knowledge in fields of interest to them. Additionally, weekly cultural activities and field trips ensured that we saw many perspectives of life in our host country, while also becoming immersed in Moroccan culture. Without a doubt, I would recommend IES Rabat to any students looking for an immersive and exciting study abroad experience different from a typical exchange semester.

I just studied abroad with SAS in spring of 2025. To say this experience changed my life would be an understatement. I cannot recommend this enough. The learning opportunities are amazing, the staff and faculty do everything they can to make this your home away from home, and the traveling experiences are ONCE IN A LIFETIME!

When I completed Semester At Sea in the fall of 2024, it was my first time traveling over seas. Growing up going on cruise’s I was super excited to start this new journey on the floating campus. Going in knowing no one else I was nervous but soon felt so welcomed, the community on the ship is amazing. Getting to travel the world with other college kids that have the same interest as you is such a wonderful experience. The professors and other staff members are there to make your learning come to life and it was magical to watch that happen, exploring your learning in each country was eye opening. Not only getting to explore a country but 10 countries allowed for a broad variety of cultures that we get to dive into and explore was so rewarding. I would 1000% go on Semester At Sea again and would recommend it to everyone if you’re deciding to study abroad.

I don’t even know where to begin! Semester at Sea was truly a life-changing experience. There’s no other program where you can see so many different places in a single semester. For example, I visited 10 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe, experiencing diverse cultures and meeting people from all over the world. Semester at Sea also gives you incredible freedom: while docked, you can join field programs or explore each country independently. Through this journey, I not only learned about the world but also about myself. I became more independent, more confident, and gained a global perspective that has completely changed the way I see the world.

Semester at Sea was truly the most enriching and inspiring experience of my life. It was invaluable being exposed to so many beautiful cultures, connecting with students, faculty, and staff from around the world, and learning that the world is so vast and yet so interconnected. Because of SAS, I am a more empowered, empathetic, and curious person—and I will forever be grateful for my voyage.

Semester at Sea was by far the best experience I’ve ever decided to do in college! I got to travel to places that I never thought I would visit in my lifetime while also taking college courses. I also created so many lifelong friendships that I will cherish forever.

Studying abroad with Semester at Sea was hands down the best semester of my life. I had the chance to travel the world, meet amazing people, and experience so many different cultures (all of which helped me grow in ways I never expected). Every stop along the way challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and grow in ways a classroom never could. If you’re looking for a sign to just commit and do it, this is it. You won’t regret it!

Almost three years ago, I decided to apply for SAS and give this once far-fetched idea a try. As I covered logistics with my study abroad office, watched tons of videos about it, and read every handbook I could find, I thought I had it all figured out. But little did I know what would await. From newfound confidence in social situations, I learned many life skills, that have had a significant impact in personal growth. Today, whenever people ask me how my semester at sea was, I give them the biggest smile I can and attempt to summarize an experience that no words will ever do justice. I use adjectives like “amazing” and “life-changing” to describe something that was truly more than that. The thought of what this program was and what it did for me brings back so many memories, and I can’t even begin to describe them all in just 30 seconds. I instantly think of the daily bing bong announcements, Berlin story times, and never knowing what day of the week it was. Semester at Sea wasn’t just studying abroad, and traveling the world with some awesome friends. It was an experience built with challenges that translated to how I now view the world, and to me, that’s one of the greatest beauties of this program.

My experience with Semester at Sea was amazing and I would do it again if I could! Its such a unique study abroad program since you go to 10+ countries. I can confidently say it was the most transformative and impactful semester throughout my college experience.

I was part of the Fall 2024 APA:FMS program and my experience served as a pivotal point in my academic and personal life. So much so that I joined my colleges's study abroad advising team to urge students to not only go abroad but to go abroad with APA. My review will be divided into multiple parts, ranging from the program's structure to its impact, as I look back a year later. When I approached planing to study abroad my focus was on the country(ies) that I wanted to live and study in, I did not realize how much the program I selected would influence my experience. I was lucky to be recommended APA by a friend, but I think it should be public knowledge how much of a gem APA's structure is for anyone looking to study in a francophone country. The program's mission is immersion, so there is a great emphasis and effort put towards ensuring that students experience the country as a local would. This means the team of the program is greatly involved in helping the students navigate and integrate into local life. for example, I remember the program arranged for all students to arrive at the same time so that the director of the program could pick us up and welcome us to France. Another example of how APA go about immersion is excursions. APA value academic exposure as much as cultural exposure. Meaning, while in another program I would have to plan weekend-trip, and research on my own activities to do, APA already arranged. At the beginning of the program students receive both an academic and excursion calendar. Meaning Upon arrival I had a calendar packed with plays, concerts, wine tasting, cheese tasting. museums visit, and weekend getaway to different parts of the countries already planned and organized for me to attend. to go back to the involvement of the team, I remember how the founder of the program would sometimes join the cohort to attend concerts, we had mental-health workshops, and students were invited to have coffee chats with the founded of the program. Going abroad can seem daunting, but APA has such a diverse team and they are so involved, I not only felt supported but I felt like I joined a family. APA-FMS: APA-FMS is the acronym for the multi-country study abroad program I did with APA where during one semester I lived in studied in 3 countries! whenever it is proposed to students to go abroad it's often a semester in 1 country, so I was totally captivated by the idea that within one semester I could study in three countries across two continents with very different culture(France;Morocco;Senegal). It was the best decision I could have made. Aside from immigrating to the united states as a child I had never travelled, so the program was appealing for me in the sense that it would afford me the chance to travel and get to know the countries from a local perspective. AS part of the program students will stay in each country for 5-8 weeks, and take classes that will be taught across the historical context of three countries. YES, your institution will accept the credit for the FMS classes, I go to harvard and they counted the APA:FMS classes as elective credit, but I know other institutions will count the classes towards your major requirements. The FMS program requires that all students live in homestays, meaning with host family. I was little apprehensive about the concept but it turned out to be one of the best parts of the program. first the "host family" structure looks difference for everyone, while I stayed with a family of 6 with children, someone in the program lived with an elderly grandmother living alone, another a young filmmaker. The families we lived in depended on our preferences and requests. Staying with host families helped with my homesickness as I had a support system to whom I went home to every day abroad. In France, as a Christian, I was placed with a Christian family who took me to church on Sundays and nurtured my love for yogurt by teaching me how to make it fresh. In Morocco, my host mom taught me how to bargain and my host sisters helped me discover the beaches. In senegal my host mom taught me how to cook local cuisine, she took me to her favorite hairtylist, and took me to her friend's wedding. However, the beauty of FMS is that it ensured that my experience is one and my own. My friend in the program, who is a film major, was matched with host who is a young filmmaker so while I was making yogurt thursday nights, she was out at different bars in Paris brainstorming ideas for future projects. Additionally APA's mission of immersion carries on across all three countries, meaning in every countries we are taken to art exhibition, concerts, plays, movies, restaurants.APA also organized various week-end getways to different parts of each country. Meaning, while in lived in the capital of all three countries during the program, I am well acquainted to the country side of each country and various cities in each country. Ultimately studying in 3 countries was an amazing experience. APA-FMS taught me how to trust myself as I had to navigate three countries. The multi-country program APA offers is unique as it not only provides provides substantial support and resources for students to live and study in three countries but it helps students built a network of connection that will facilitate returning to these countries. Having done the program I now have the connection 12 professors spanning from France to senegal. One of the professors from the program even wrote my recommendation letter for an internship in Europe. Having done the program I have a network of loved ones across the world as a year later I am still in contact with my host families. Academic: the program has an academic structure where professors are solicited from different universities across the the country and come to the students to teach classes. This means that as part of the FMS program you are not going to be enrolling in a university in each country but rather APA will have professors come teach your cohort at their office space. The great plus of this structure is that the cohorts are not big so you will have the opportunity to get to know your professors who are often renowned for their work in the country. Another benefit of this structure is it facilitates participation, as you are not intimidated by local students but are learning with your friends in the program. My review is overwhelmingly positive, because my experience was overwhelmingly positive. But, while the reality of this program was fun, adventurous, exciting, and beautiful, it was also difficult in some ways. As a french program, immersing yourself in french in the classroom and home can be a challenge and at times tiring when you are not used to speaking french all the time. Therefore I would recommend watching french tiktoks, reading french book, and listening to french music before and throughout the program! I would also recommend doing APA’s pre-program where you go ahead of the program and APA’s teaching staff will help you become acquainted with academic writing in a francophone context. Travelling, living and studying broad in three countries within 4 months can also be mentally and physically taxing(fatigue and mental health). So keeping up with hobbies, families and friends back home, and resting is indispensable.

SIT Switerland was academically rigorous, immersive, and rewarding. The program blends classroom learning (guest speakers) with experiential learning, such as site visits to WHO and MSF, fieldwork in Morocco, and an independent research project that spans the entire month of April. The ISP was especially demanding and required strong time management, self-direction, and critical thinking as we conducted interviews and produced a 30-page research report. The classes were interdisciplinary and interesting. While Switzerland was experience and integrating into Swiss culture/norms took time, the program's location in Geneva (global hub for health/the world capital of humanitarian aid) made the experience uniquely place-based offering access to international organizations that shape international health policy.

My favorite part of the program academically was the ISP--I was able to study a topic I was passionate about, and spoke with a number of high-level professionals in the field regarding my topic. I also really loved my homestay family, living in a small, idyllic town, yet being so close to bigger cities. It was so freeing being able to hop on a train and travel anywhere in Switzerland, there was never a dull moment, and every day was filled with a new hike, destination, or activity!