Established in 2008, the undergraduate Arabic Flagship Program at the University of Maryland offers students a unique opportunity to attain professional level proficiency in both Modern Standard Arabic and in the Egyptian dialect. Funding from The Language Flagship supports an innovative approach to language teaching and provides scholarship support. The program is open to students in any major (including Arabic Studies). In addition, there are multiple options for scholarship funding for overseas study. Students who obtain a Level 3 proficiency rating on the ILR scale earn a Flagship Scholar Certificate.
The University of Maryland's proximity to Washington, DC allows for a rich calendar of cultural events and field trips as well as regular collaboration with government and business professionals.
The Arabic Flagship Program Includes:
- Intensive courses in Arabic, focusing on language skills
- Area studies on topics such as: Arab Literature, Cinema, Contemporary Society, Islamic Culture, and History of The Arab World
- Distinguished guest speakers
- Bi-weekly one-on-one sessions with native-speaking language partners
- Cultural exchanges
- Field trips
The program offers students opportunities to pursue intensive study of Arabic during the summer at UM. Overseas training is also an integral part of the program. Students spend up to a summer and a full year abroad in Alexandria, Egypt. The program has competitive scholarship funding for domestic and overseas study.
