North Africa & France Comparative Studies

French immersion summer studies along the Moroccan Mediterranean coast.

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Academics

Over the course of six weeks, gain a better understanding of the relations between Morocco, the greater North African Maghreb region, and France. Led by expert local professors, each course, taught in French, examines how these locations have continued to influence one another within different facets of society.

All students benefit from weekly, 60-minute darija lessons to learn key words and phrases of the Moroccan dialect of Arabic. Equipped with some common vocabulary, you will be bartering in the medina in no time!

Consider extending your stay in Rabat by two weeks by giving back to your home away from home. Community engagement and volunteer opportunities at local NGOs make for a great ending to your time in Morocco.

Download the Academic Calendars

Summer 2023

Coming soon!

Take Your Pick

All students follow two courses and receive dedicated academic and language support. Courses are taught in French and four credits each.

Colonialism and Postcolonialism in Morocco: Issues and Debates

How did Moroccans experience colonial conquest and governance, and how did they attempt to formulate alternative cultural and political systems? What problems did they face in their attempts to build a postcolonial state? What remains of this entangled history between France and North Africa? Explore the Moroccan colonial and subsequent postcolonial timeline and its legacy.

Departure and Return in Francophone Fiction in the Maghreb

Analyze the back-and-forth movement between France and the Maghreb in a corpus of Francophone novels, examining the cultural perspectives and personal trajectories of characters who experience either exile, return, or a feeling of in-between-ness (crossing).

Economics of Development in North Africa

Gender, Sexuality and Feminism in North Africa

Why is gender and sexuality so central to questions of identity in the Maghreb? Is Islam a real factor in determining women’s position in society? Investigate the concepts, theories, and influences that affect laws and policies that regulate sexuality, gender and family relations in Morocco, the debates surrounding gay rights, prostitution, and female emancipation, with attention to both state narratives and the plurality of voices from civil society.

Migration in the Mediterranean

Immigration has been a major factor behind the interaction of France and North Africa, fueling the alleviation of poverty, the spread of ideas, technology and labor force as well as sparking tension and conflict. France is an important receiving country, while North Africa is both a sending country and a transit country for Sub-Saharan Africans on their route to Europe. This multidisciplinary overview of the study of international migration examines state and European laws, as well as the services and institutions in charge of the administrative management of migrant workers and the role of NGOs’ development assistance.

View Course Catalogs

At the end of the term, APA will send the following to the student’s home institution:

  • Transcript (includes credit hours, Moroccan grades and their American equivalents)
  • Professor’s evaluation (includes detailed report of the grades earned)
  • Course descriptions and bibliographies
  • Student’s academic schedule

Extend Your Stay: Volunteer

Students may prolong their study abroad session by partaking in a 2-week community engagement project at a local NGO. Placements are made based on the student’s language level and the needs of our NGO partners.

Examples of volunteer placements:

  • Teach English to the refugee and migrant community
  • Spread awareness of human rights in marginalized communities
  • Help anti-corruption movements with their social media campaigns
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