Tell me about the AMIDEAST Mission.
Where can you study
abroad with AMIDEAST?
Jordan
Morocco
Oman
Do you offer
scholarships?
Yes and we really try to
offer scholarships to students who are need based.
Semester- two separate scholarship opportunities
- Need Based- $500-$5,000 for semester
- Blog Abroad- every two weeks you submit a blog post and its $1,000 off of the tuition cost
Summer- Only need based scholarships
What majors are these
programs developed for?
Mainly International
Studies, Arabic, History, Anthropology, Political Science, but we have had
students from medial or science backgrounds who were interesting in language
specialties.
How are classes set up?
Semester- Each student is required to take 2 Arabic
classes. The other 2 or 3 classes can be chosen from the other classes offered
at the Amideast Center.
Summer- For students who are interested in Intensive
Arabic. Two classes are offered teaching the Modern Standard Arabic and
Colloquial Arabic.
No Arabic experience is
needed before departure but classes do go up to Advanced Arabic.
How are students
introduced into community life?
Cultural dialogue
sessions are a great way to meet local university students. They meet 5-6 times
a semester and focus discussions on politics, cultural issues etc. In addition,
each student is introduced to a language partner who can help with homework and
is a great way to exchange cultures.
Do you have excursions?
During the semester
there are three large excursions while in the summer there are 1-2 depending on
the length of the program.
What is the service learning program?
Semester- 3 credit class in Morocco and Jordan
Students are placed in local nonprofits that are aligned with their majors or interests. Students volunteer for 6 hours a week and then in class learn about nonprofits in their host country which enhances their intercultural communication and knowledge of working in a foreign workplace.
Students are placed in local nonprofits that are aligned with their majors or interests. Students volunteer for 6 hours a week and then in class learn about nonprofits in their host country which enhances their intercultural communication and knowledge of working in a foreign workplace.
What does housing look like?
In Jordan and Morocco
students live with host families. In Oman students share apartments with other
Amideast students close to the University Campus. Most meals are included in
host families and for Oman breakfast and lunch is included during school days.
All other meals are the student’s responsibility.
What was your personal experience studying abroad in Jordan, Lauren?
Academics
I majored in Middle East
Studies and International Affairs during a spring semester and then extended to
stay for the whole summer. Throughout the semester I was enrolled in
International Relations in the Middle East, Contemporary Islamic Thought, two
Arabic courses and the service learning course.
Service Learning
I worked in the
Jordanian Women's Union which offers divorce services and support for Jordanian
women. My role was helping with research for the United Nations program and
also helping out with outreach through social media.
Community Engagement
I met a lot of my
friends through Amideast and my language partner. Some of the professors
introduced us to other students as well. I was able to meet a lot of Jordanian
friends
Housing
I lived with a host
family and loved the cultural experience.
One piece of advice…
To go with the flow and
don’t get frustrated because the perception of time is very different in the
Middle East. The best word to know is “insha’allah,” it means “if god wills
it.” That encompasses the culture. The lifestyle is relaxed and chill so don't
expect to have everything scheduled. Just take opportunities that present
themselves because it’s a really hospitable culture as well. Always go and
adventure!
To learn more about studying abroad with Amideast, visit http://www.amideast.org/.
