Amman as your classroom. If you choose to intern abroad, we match you with an organization that allows you to explore your own interests in a professional setting. Build your résumé and test your language skills in a work environment. Leaning toward research? Spend your term deep diving on your topic with guidance from local experts and faculty. Then head home with a formal research project for your academic portfolio.
CET Jordan Study Abroad
CET Jordan: At-A-Glance
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Fall
- Arrival: 09/03/2023
- Departure: 12/14/2023
- Recommended Credits: 15-18
- Fee: $18,990
- Application Deadline: May 1
SPRING
- Arrival: 01/21/2024
- Departure: 05/03/2024
- Recommended Credits: 15-18
- Fee: $18,990
- Application Deadline: November 1
Fall
- Arrival: 09/03/2023
- Departure: 12/14/2023
- Recommended Credits: 15-18
- Fee: $18,990
- Application Deadline: May 1
SPring
- Arrival: 01/21/2024
- Departure: 05/03/2024
- Recommended Credits: 15-18
- Fee: $18,990
- Application Deadline: November 1
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.
Academics in Jordan
Semester
Snapshot
- Pre-requisites: None
- Intensive MSA & Jordanian Dialect
- Electives in Arabic and English
- Internship and research options
- Full or limited language pledge options
- Arabic language partner
- Official Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) score
Curriculum & Syllabi
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.
MODERN STANDARD ARABIC
- AM/LANG 150 Novice Modern Standard Arabic
- AM/LANG 200 Novice High Modern Standard Arabic
- AM/LANG 250 Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic
- AM/LANG 300 Intermediate High Modern Standard Arabic
- AM/LANG 350 Advanced Modern Standard Arabic
- AM/LANG 450 Advanced High Modern Standard Arabic
JORDANIAN DIALECT
- AM/LANG 110 Novice Low Jordanian Dialect
- AM/LANG 160 Novice Jordanian Dialect
- AM/LANG 210 Novice High Jordanian Dialect
- AM/LANG 260 Intermediate Jordanian Dialect
- AM/LANG 360 Advanced Levantine Dialect
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.
Language Learning Electives
- Course code corresponds with your own language level and will be determined on site.
AM/LANG 222/322/422 Living Language: Jordanian Dialect in Popular Culture - AM/LANG 233/333/433 Living Language: Modern Standard Arabic in Practice
Arabic Content Courses
- AM/LANG 310 Modern History of Conflict in the Middle East: Influences on the Arab Spring
- AM/LANG 325 Current Issues in Arabic Media
- AM/LANG 340 Jordanian Society
- AM/LANG 345 Arab & Islamic Culture and Economics in the Middle East (also taught in English)
- AM/LANG 365 Trappings of Legitimacy: Political Parties and Religious Rhetoric
- AM/LANG 370 Culture, Politics, and Religion in Arab Theater (also taught in English)
- AM/LANG 380 Islamic Shar’ia: Qur’an, Hadith, and the ‘Ulama
- AM/LANG 385 Marginalization & Discrimination in the Arab World: Changing Perspectives
English Content Courses
- AM/LANG 330 Art of Translation
- AM/ECON 340 Arab & Islamic Culture and Economics in the Middle East (also taught in Arabic)
- AM/PEAC 365 Refugees, Forced Migration, and Integration in Jordan
- AM/THTR 370 Culture, Politics, and Religion in Arab Theater (also taught in Arabic)
- AM/RELS 372 Ideology vs. Faith: Roots of Religious Conflict
- AM/INTR 375 The United States in the Arab World
Field-Based Electives
*Your internship placement and course provide 3 credits. Class and work hours will add up to a minimum total of 150 hours.
Choose your adventure in Amman
Take on immersive language learning. The curriculum emphasizes learning beyond the classroom—you have local neighbors and a language partner to practice with, a language pledge, and even take an official Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).
Tailor your learning. Use weekly one-on-one office hours to workshop tricky grammar patterns. Build a vocabulary related to your internship. Academic year students can customize even more with one-on-ones with an instructor and custom grammar lessons.
Learn more about
Housing and Meals
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- Apartment
- Live with CET peers
- 3-4 people/apartment
- 1-2 people/room
- 15-minute walk to the CET Center
- Shared kitchen, living room, bathrooms, in-house washing machine
- Wifi, central A/C and heat, bed and bath linens, basic furnishing, kitchenware, TV with satellite, laundry drying rack, drinking water
Living Like a Local
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 cafes within walking distance of your apartment. 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.
Life in Amman
- Known locally as: عَمّان ʻAmmān
- Population: 4.008 million
- Local Currency: Jordanian Dinar
- Famous for: Delicious food, rich history, Amman Citadel, hospitable people, central location, cultural diversity
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: visit a museum with your language partner or sip on Arabic coffee while befriending a barista on Rainbow Street.
Experience Amman with CET
Around the city. The program offers different activities that allow you to explore Amman, experience Jordanian culture, or just unwind. Master dancing the dabkeh, try Arabic calligraphy or play soccer with jiran. And there’s even more to see on your own.
A weekend away. Get ready for an unforgettable excursion—swim in the Dead Sea, gaze upon the Natabean ruins at Petra, and take a sunset jeep tour through the dunes of Wadi Rum. Then in true Bedouin fashion, stay up late chatting, drinking tea, and playing cards with peers, roommates, and language partners.
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Student Resources
On-site Staff
Manal Yosef, PhD
Academic Director
Mazen Bernieh
Director of Operations
Ahmad AbuShaikha
Resident Director, Student Life
"During one of our very first orientations, we were told that up until now, everything we knew about the Arab world had been from a Western institute, Western media outlet, or a Western point of view. We were now in an Arab world, being educated by Arab teachers and living amongst Arab perspectives. With my two content classes, this factor played an important role in helping me see both sides of the conflict while assessing sources and media more critically."
— Rojina Timsina,
Kalamazoo College | Fall student
Kalamazoo College | Fall student
Program Fees
Fall/Spring
$18,990
What's Included
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.
If you choose to conduct an internship, we help you land the job, make sure you’re prepared, and then stay in close touch with your host organization… all semester long.
We also cover your transportation fees to and from your placement site—you pay for up-front costs and on-site staff reimburse you twice during the term.
A local network of peers provides you with cultural and language support that will transform your experience.
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.
More on finances
Program Fee Breakdown. Of the total program fee, $14,990 goes to tuition and fees, and $4,000 goes to housing and other student life fees.
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:
- Round-trip Airfare: $800 - $1,250
- Meals: $1,250 - $1,450
- Personal Expenses: $900 - $1,100
- Medical Expenses: Varies
additional resources
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).
How to Apply
- • Pre-requisites: None. Open to students of any Arabic level, including absolute beginners
- • Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
- • Open to students from any US college or university
- • GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
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.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous instructors.
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.
Application
Deadlines
Fall Semester:
May 1
Spring Semester:
November 1
Have a question? Get in touch!
Melanie MacKenzie
Senior Student Services Coordinator
202.846.7662
[email protected]
Price Subject to Change:
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.
