CET Jordan study abroad students get top-tier intensive language instruction with unbeatable curricular customization. Enroll in two core courses and the rest is up to you—pick engaging electives in Arabic or in English, take on directed research or an internship with a local organization… you even choose your own language pledge. Combined with field-based learning, language partners, and a housing setup designed to engage and acclimate you, it’s a full semester of learning on your terms.
You combine two core language courses and two to three 3-credit electives to meet the recommended 15 to 18 total credits.
You are placed into one 6-credit Modern Standard Arabic course and one 3-credit Jordanian Dialect course.
Note: All core courses are front-loaded. They meet more in the beginning of the term, and taper off after that.
Choose two to three 3-credit electives to meet the recommended 15 to 18 total credits. Arabic electives are back-loaded and start later in the term after your language skills have warmed up.
Take on immersive language learning. The curriculum emphasizes learning beyond the classroom—you have your Jordanian neighbors and a language partner to practice with, a language pledge, and all your classes have excursions that make the city your classroom.
Individual attention for impressive results. Use weekly one-on-one office hours to workshop tricky grammar patterns and get the attention you need to succeed in an intensive language program. Then see exactly how much your skills have progressed when you take an official Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) at the end of your term.
Jordanian neighbors. You live in an apartment with CET peers in a residential neighborhood of Amman. Sharing the building with you are jiran, Jordanian neighbors. The jiran are part of the program—not only are they your built-in community, they also plan activities that show you the city and bring local culture and language into your life. You might cook Jordanian dishes together, have game nights, go for hikes, or simply hang out when you’re taking a break from studying. Learn more about living with locals.
Eating in Amman. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés within walking distance of your apartment in Amman’s Swefieh neighborhood. Be sure to try mansaf, the national dish of roasted lamb served over rice. Feeling a home-cooked meal? Have a night in with your housemates and trade cooking tips as you prepare dinner together. Learn more about accommodating your dietary needs in Jordan.
Amman is the place to be—it’s lively, diverse, and there’s no shortage of opportunities to take your Arabic language skills for a spin. After class at the CET Center, peruse local shops or get a bite to eat at a neighborhood café. Explore the city’s traditional side by shopping at the Friday flea market or browsing the Gold Souq. Or enjoy Amman’s more cosmopolitan perks: attend a film screening at the Royal Film Commission with your language partner or sip on Arabic coffee while befriending a barista on Rainbow Street.
Beyond Amman. Get ready for an unforgettable weekend—gaze upon the Natabean ruins at Petra, take a sunset jeep tour through the dunes of Wadi Rum, and then stay up date chatting, drinking tea, and playing cards with jiran and language partners in true Bedouin fashion. And after your midterm break, travel to a nature reserve in Ajlun to relax and reconnect with your peers and your own goals for your semester in Jordan.
Manal Yosef, PhD
Academic Director
Mazen Bernieh
Director of Operations
Ahmad AbuShaikha
Resident Director, Student Life
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We arrange your housing in a fully-furnished apartment about a 10-minute walk from the CET center. Your program fees go toward rent, utilities, furnishing, and other management costs.
A local SIM card and basic phone plan are included with your program fee. You pay for costs up front, and on-site staff reimburse you at the end of the term.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
We cover the official Oral Proficiency Interview. Your scores will look great on a résumé…and on your fridge.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan through GeoBlue that even includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!
We guide you step-by-step through the visa process. You’ll purchase your visa upon arrival and we’ll reimburse you in local currency once on site for one entry. Any additional entries needed because of personal travel are on your own.
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you on site.
At the end of your term, you’ll receive academic documentation as proof of all you’ve accomplished abroad. Depending on your home institution, you will either get a CET grade report or a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota.
Local Cost of Living. Depending on your lifestyle, the cost of living in Amman can be very cheap or expensive. Things like groceries, restaurant prices, and taxis are cheap, but electronics, imported products, and western chains (e.g. Starbucks) are expensive.
Estimated out-of-pocket expenses:
Note on Medical Expenses: Students should expect to initially pay out-of-pocket for most medical care before reimbursed for expenses by GeoBlue insurance. Estimates for common expenses include: treatment for common stomach issues ($85), therapy session ($70), & visit to a specialist ($50).
Complete the application through your online CET account. This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Upload a scan of your passport to your online CET account. This should be a single scan that includes the signed signature page and the photo/personal details page. Don’t have a passport yet? Let us know and we can help advise you.
This is an online form that your study abroad office completes to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of your online account.
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Manager, Student Services
202.846.7662
[email protected]
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.
Go home with an official Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) score as proof of your language abilities.
Since 2011, the majority of students have improved at least 4 OPI sub-levels in just one term at CET Jordan. Explore our data and see how your skills might progress during your time in Jordan.
We help you identify opportunities that align with your Arabic abilities, professional interests, and skills. Then, we provide you with support to make sure you have the structure and guidance to get the most out of your placement.
Commit to speaking Arabic all the time—in your classes, out in the city, interacting with CET peers, and even your daily life at home. Under a full pledge, you’re housed with other full pledge students, attend extra-curricular activities together, and are challenged to consume Arabic language media/art in your free time.
Students who uphold a full language pledge can reasonably expect to progress as follows:
Over the years, we’ve built a strong network of locally-based faculty that we’re proud to call our peers. These faculty make up our Academic Consultation Board—a select group of local voices and thought leaders that help advise and shape components of the CET Jordan program.
Board members support the program in many ways, including but not limited to:
Get a list of possible internship placements in Jordan.