Fez

Fez is a modern city of approximately 950,000 residents with a great historical and cultural heritage. It is really three cities in one. The oldest section, Fez el-Bali, is a bustling walled city of narrow pedestrian streets filled with shops, mosques, and tourists. In the adjoining Mellah, the Jewish quarter, balconies overlook the busy streets below. The new city, or Ville Nouvelle, centers on the Boulevard Hassan II where in the evening men, women, and children of all ages leisurely stroll and chat with friends. The predominant languages are Colloquial Moroccan Arabic and French.

Academic Program

Students take three courses for a total of 8 credit hours. In the first week, students will study Colloquial Moroccan Arabic, culture, and society. For the following six weeks, students study Modern Standard Arabic at an appropriate level. There are approximately 22 hours of classes each week, Monday-Friday. Two afternoons per week, students meet with conversation partners (Moroccan students who attend the American Language Institute in Fez). Grading is based on oral and written work, exams, and the final paper. Instruction is provided by the Arabic Language Institute in Fez (ALIF). Housed in a villa in the Ville Nouvelle, ALIF is an ideal setting for studying Modern Standard Arabic. The instructors are native speakers with years of experience teaching Arabic to American students. ALIF resources include a computer lab with high-speed Internet, Wi-Fi, a library, a small bookstore, and an on-site café.

Cultural Activities & Excursions

Students will participate in two Saturday excursions as well as a three-day trip to the Sahara. Optional cultural activities include the Fez Sacred Music Festival (June 4-12, 2010) and weekend trips to Rabat, Chefchauen, and other cities in northern Morocco.

Accommodations

During the first week, students live in a hotel near ALIF. Then, students live with carefully chosen Moroccan families that provide living accommodations and three meals daily. Students may choose between the medina (a more traditional Arab home) and the Ville Nouvelle (a more European-style home). Usually two students are placed with each family.

Transportation

Students arrange their own transportation to Casablanca; those who do not have extensive experience traveling internationally are encouraged to book the same flights as the resident director. A bus will transport students from Casablanca to Fez.

Cost

The course fee for Summer 2013 is estimated at $4,650 for all students attending an Iowa Regents university. Additional study abroad fees, which vary by university, will also be assessed. The program fee includes instruction, lodging, insurance, three meals daily, and the required excursions. The fee does not include incidentals or transportation to and from Morocco. The estimated cost of a round-trip flight from Cedar Rapids to Casablanca is $1,800.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

In general, financial aid received to attend the Iowa State University may be applied toward the cost of studying abroad. Aid eligibility is adjusted to reflect the total cost of participating in the program. In addition, students are encouraged to apply for need- and merit-based scholarships awarded by their college and the Study Abroad Center.

Eligibility

The program is open to all students who have at least one year of college-level study of a foreign language or two years of high school, and a minimum 3.0 GPA. No previous study of Arabic is required.

Program Description

The Iowa Regents' Arabic Program in Morocco is a seven-week intensive language program. A University of Iowa professor, Denise Filios, accompanies the students, oversees their studies, and helps them adjust to life in Morocco. The program begins with a one-week orientation during which students live in a hotel, study Moroccan Colloquial Arabic, and familiarize themselves with Moroccan culture. During the remaining six weeks, students live with a Moroccan family and study Modern Standard Arabic as well as Moroccan culture. Students earn 8 s.h. resident credit.

This program offers students a unique learning experience living with a Moroccan family, studying with native professors, and acquiring enormous cultural competency during their stay in Morocco.