Study for a Semester or Year in Morocco!
Institution
Founded in 1993 by Royal Dahir, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane is a Moroccan public university accredited by the government of the Kingdom of Morocco following the vision of His Late Majesty Hassan II. Al Akhawayn opened its doors to students in January 1995 on a completely modern and networked campus. The university is coeducational, residential and primarily undergraduate but has rapidly growing graduate programs. The outlook is international and tolerance is promoted and expected of students, staff and faculty belonging to many nationalities that live and work together. Most of the nearly 2,040 students are enrolled full-time and live on campus. About 1,845 students are undergraduates and 194 are graduates. The student population is approximately 50 percent female and 50 percent male.
Location
The resort town of Ifrane, nestled in the Middle Atlas Mountains at 1600 meters, has a regular population of 12,000 that expands to nearly 100,000 on weekends, holidays and during the summer because of its beauty in all four seasons. The Province of Ifrane is home to the largest cedar forest in North Africa and is the most biologically diverse area in Morocco. Two ski slopes are about 25 minutes from campus. The imperial cities of Meknes and Fez are an hour from Ifrane. The capital city of Rabat on the Atlantic coast is two hours from Ifrane, and the Sahara desert is six hours away.
ISEP Chance of Placement - Very Good
Academic Calendar
- Fall Semester: Late August to Mid December
- Spring Semester: Early January to Mid May
Housing
Students on the Al Akhawayn program will stay at university arranged housing.
Students participating on the ISEP Exchange program option will pay the ISEP Full Exchange Program Fee to Appalachian and will not pay housing or meal costs to the Moroccan university.
Financial
Program Costs
Paid to Appalachian State
1The OIED Program Development Fee will be placed on students’ accounts upon acceptance by the Education Abroad Office. The fee payment confirms your spot and is non-refundable.
Estimated Additional Costs
| |
Semester Exchange |
| ISEP Application Fee |
$100 |
| ISEP Placement Fee |
$375 |
| Housing Deposit |
$100 |
| Moroccan Health Insurance |
$70 |
| Airfare |
$1200 - $1800 |
| Additional Meals |
$50 - $200 |
| 1Personal Expenses |
$800 - $1200 |
| Books and Materials |
$200 - $300 |
| Local Transportation |
$100 - $300 |
| Visa (for US Citizens) |
$20 |
| Passport |
$150 |
| US Based Health Insurance |
Varies |
| 2Personal Travel and Spending |
$800 - $1500 |
1Personal expenses includes but is not limited to: toiletries, cell phone, emergency funds, laundry, basic travel and entertainment, etc.
2Personal Travel and Spending amounts will vary by student and will be affected by how often a student goes out, travels, and the items they purchase.
Please note that non-billable costs are estimates only and will be affected by personal spending habits, currency fluctuations, etc. Prices listed in USD unless otherwise noted.
Students are encouraged to start planning for their study abroad program costs well in advance. Please use the Student Financial Planning Worksheet to help estimate your anticipated expenses and your anticipated financial resources. When planning for estimated additional costs students are encouraged to research currency conversion rates.
Financial Aid
The majority of financial aid and scholarships can apply to semester and year-long study abroad programs. For more information please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid web page.
Scholarships
OIED Scholarships
Each semester OIED offers a variety of different scholarship opportunities for students. Scholarship awards range from $250 to $2000.
Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship
The Gilman Scholarship Program application is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.
Fund for Education Abroad
Applicants from groups underrepresented in study abroad and those destined for non-traditional locations are given preference, in an effort to make the demographics of U.S. undergraduates studying abroad reflect the rich diversity of the U.S. population.
For information about additional scholarships please visit our External Scholarships web page.
Academics
Al Akhawayn offers a number of courses taught in English. For more information about course offerings please visit the ISEP Al Akhawayn webpage.
All students are expected to maintain at least the equivalent of a full time course load according to Appalachian State and the host university while abroad (whichever is greater). Students participating on the ISEP program will be required to enroll in 12-18 credits per semester. For more information about study abroad enrollment policies, credit approval, and credit and grade conversions please visit the Academics section of our website.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and some programs may fill up before the listed deadline. Each year applications for Fall, Spring, and Summer will open up on August 1st. Once open the deadline will be listed below and an Apply Now button will be available at the top and bottom of this page. Most applications will have a 2 part application process so students are encouraged to complete their OIED application well before the listed deadline.
Students applying to an ISEP program should complete the
ISEP application while also completing the Appalachian application.
For more information about deadlines and how to apply please visit our
Guide Me web page.
