Amman, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an ancient city facing distinct modern challenges, thus making it an exciting place to live and study.  Built on seven hills, Amman has expanded in size and population from a quaint sleepy town at the close of World War II, to the bustling, multicultural metropolis it is today.  At the heart of the city is the ancient Citadel containing ruins from many civilizations.  It overlooks a well-preserved and restored Roman Amphitheater, today used for concerts and cultural events.  Further afield in Jordan there are Roman ruins in Jerash and the spectacular Nabatean city of Petra in the south.

Students in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Amman carry a 16 credit hour course load per semester.  All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic and Jordanian Arabic and select three other courses from offerings in Middle East and North African studies in a variety of disciplines.

Students enrolled in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Amman, Jordan have a choice of living arrangements and meal plans:

1. Living with a Jordanian Family – students who select this option will live with a Jordanian family that has been carefully screened by AMIDEAST/Jordan from a database of qualified applicants; families generally host two AMIDEAST students at a time. All host families are Arabic-speaking; English, however, is spoken in most of the homes.
   
   AMIDEAST matches students with host families using a variety of criteria. While all placement preferences may not be met in every case, AMIDEAST will strive to make the best match to ensure a rewarding and pleasant living experience. In the event of a problem, AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program staff members will be available either to mediate or to arrange a new host family placement.  Students living with host families will be provided with all meals by their host families but may find that some days it is not possible to return to the family for lunch because of class schedules.
    

Language Courses

· Modern Standard Arabic (5 hrs/wk; 4 credits)
· Jordanian Colloquial Arabic (3 hrs/wk; 3 credits)
· Media Arabic (3 hrs/wk; 3 credits) – elective  

Partner Institution – Qasid Institute for Classical & Modern Standard Arabic

The Qasid Institute for Classical and Modern Standard Arabic is the partner for AMIDEAST's Education Abroad Program in Amman.

The Qasid Institute has developed a reputation as one of the leading programs in the Middle East for Arabic language learning. Its comprehensive curriculum begins with the proper pronunciation of Arabic letters and continues through to a high degree of proficiency. As the Qasid Institute's reputation has grown, its programs have made it the program of choice in Amman for embassies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and U.S. colleges and universities seeking excellence in Arabic language instruction.  In 2008 it hosted the U.S. Department of State's Critical Language Summer Intensive Institute in Jordan; it will do so again in 2009.  Though its programs are designed mainly for university-level students and busy professionals, Qasid students range in age from 15 to 65. They include embassy and consular officers, Fulbright researchers, full-time mothers, medical doctors, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship recipients, and Ivy League graduates.