Capstone Year Abroad
Summers Abroad | Capstone Year
The Flagship experience culminates in the Capstone year, a twelve-month study abroad experience in Meknes, Morocco, during which time students participate in intensive language coursework, community service and an internship to facilitate a smooth transition to using Arabic in their careers.
The Language Flagship and UM partner to fund the Capstone experience.
Emily Stewart (’24) and Dana Arneal (’24)
Intensive Coursework
UM Arabic Flagship students join Flagship students from partner schools across the country to attend Capstone language classes at the Flagship overseas site AALIM located in a converted riad in the historic district of Meknes.
Coursework includes language classes in Modern Standard Arabic, Moroccan colloquial dialect, and supplemental Egyptian/Levantine colloquial dialect courses, as well as content courses such as Gender in the Arab World, Urban Areas of the Arab World, Issues of the Maghrebi Region, and more.
University Lectures
Flagship students experience Moroccan higher education by attending lectures hosted by professors of local University Moulay Ismail (UMI) alongside UMI students. Lectures are held entirely in Arabic, and include diverse topics, such as Moroccan history, Climate and the Environment, Women in Moroccan Society, and Islamic Law.
Internships can vary, some involving learning traditional Moroccan art practices, and others interning at hospitals or law offices. There are also opportunities to learn about local agriculture by interning at tree farms and nurseries
Internship & Service
In the fall and spring, students gain practical language experience by participating in a professional internship. UM students have interned with a local Moroccan news station, a social development institution, a private clinic, a fig tree nursery, a pottery studio, and in primary/secondary education.
Gabe Robin (’25) visits Chefchaouen as part of a Capstone excursion
Language Partners
Students work one-on-one with talented language instructors as well as with Moroccan conversation partners. Tutoring with instructors is two hours a week during the summer and fall, and increases to three hours a week in the spring. Moroccan language partners meet with the students for three hours a week and show them their favorite spots in Meknes, teaching them about the culture, and practicing Moroccan dialect as well as standard Arabic.
Host families showcase Moroccan hospitality.
Housing
Students live with Moroccan host families for the first two months of Capstone while they search for apartments of their own. Host families provide traditional Moroccan meals as well as an inside look into Moroccan society. Even after moving out, students often continue to visit their host families for holidays and family dinners. Students have the option to stay with their host family instead of moving to an apartment.
Adam Koussih (’24), Jackie Stewart-Kuhn (’25), and Mark Baisier (’25) visit Casablanca
Cultural Excursions
Capstone students explore Morocco’s diverse landscape and unique history. Excursion locations include Chefchaouen, Marrakech, ancient city Volubilis and desert village Merzouga among others. Students complete week-long volunteer internships and present on their experiences in Tangier and Essaouira, both coastal cities with rich histories. Students also present at symposiums hosted by universities in Ra