Summer Intensive

Our Summer 2025 and 2026 Intensive Program will be available in-person and online

We will be offering our intensive summer program in-person and online. Students studying in-person and online will follow the same rigorous curriculum and all students will participate in enriching cultural events.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW (IN-PERSON AND ONLINE)

• Intensive ten-week program equivalent to one full academic year; split into two five-week sessions (available in-person and online)

• Immersive online experience rich with cultural activities, film screenings and lectures (for both our in-person and online students)

• Open to all qualified students (traditional and non-traditional)

• Meets FLAS fellowship requirements​

• Eligible for credit transfer through our School of Record, the University of Montana

The Sijal Institute for Arabic Language and Culture offers students the opportunity to study for the summer in a rich and immersive environment, with lessons led by our experienced teachers. Our summer program moves beyond pure language study by fully incorporating Arab cultures into the curriculum with lectures, film screenings, cultural activities and language partnerships.

Our communicative, proficiency-based curriculum integrates Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Levantine dialect to get students interacting as native speakers do, even from the earliest proficiency levels. Based on the methodology of the popular Al-Kitaab textbook series, students systematically practice all four linguistic skills in their core classes and can seamlessly transition from our coursework to that of their home institutions. For more information on what successful students will be able to achieve at each course level, please visit the following link.

Building on our belief that languages are not learned solely through textbooks, we offer content courses based on a variety of authentic materials at all levels as part of our core summer curriculum. Beginner level students enroll in an introductory course on Jordanian culture, where students are taught the fundamentals of Colloquial Jordanian Arabic through different thematic units relevant to daily life in Amman. Students at the Intermediate and Advanced levels choose the content course that best suits their interests and linguistic needs. Most content courses are taught in Arabic and course offerings for the Summer 2024 sessions include:

An Arabic Kitchen: Cooking around the Arab World 

Past, Present, and Future: The Archaeology of Jordan and the Middle East (Taught in English by Dr. Matthew Jameson)

Modern Arabic Literature Divine Geometry: An Introduction to Arabic Calligraphy

The History of Arabic Music (Taught in Arabic by Dr. Ramzi Salti, Stanford University)

Our program and teaching staff are committed to offering a rigorous academic and intellectual environment that challenges students to engage both linguistically and culturally. For every challenge, however, we are there to offer support and guidance along the way. With daily open tutoring and weekly office hours, Sijal provides a warm and friendly environment where students and teachers alike form a close and encouraging community.

SESSION DATES & TIMES (IN-PERSON AND ONLINE)

Intensive Summer Session 1, 2025: June 15 - July 17 (Orientation: June 14)

Intensive Summer Session 2, 2025: July 20 - August 21(Orientation: July 19)

Intensive Summer Session 1, 2026: June 7 - July 9 (Orientation: June 6)

Intensive Summer Session 2, 2026: July 19 - August 20 (Orientation: July 18)

Placement tests will be administered prior to coursework commencing.

These dates are for both in-person and online classes. Students will have 19 contact hours per week, for a total of 95 hours per session, or 190 hours for both sessions.

Our in-person classes will take place between 9 AM - 4 PM Jordan time. Online classes will take place in the evenings Amman time (5-9 PM), which is in the mornings in the US and the afternoon/early evening in Europe.

IN-PERSON SCHEDULE

*Please note that the standard work week in Jordan is Sunday-Thursday. Course hours are standard educational hours, meaning fifty minutes of class time with ten minutes of break.

ONLINE SCHEDULE

*Please note that should any online class have two students or fewer, they will conduct two hours of MSA per day versus three. Courses will run from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM GMT. Course hours are standard educational hours, meaning fifty minutes of class time with ten minutes of break. Additionally, Sijal will offer a limited number of cultural activities online to which students are highly encouraged to attend.

PRICING

For our online classes, the tuition fee is 1,800 USD (1,278 JOD) per summer session and a discounted 3,420 USD (2,428 JOD) for both sessions, which covers all coursework, cultural activities, and language exchange placement.

For our in-person classes, the tuition fee is 2,000 USD (1,418 JOD) per summer session and a discounted 3,600 USD (2,553 JOD) for both sessions, which covers all coursework, cultural activities, assistance with visa extensions and language exchange placement.

Our Summer Institute is eligible for FLAS funding. We encourage students to seek scholarship opportunities through their home institutions and we are happy to provide any documentation necessary to fulfill their funding requirements.

WORK STUDY

We award a limited number of competitive work-study scholarships each term. Work-study applicants are evaluated on the basis of merit and need, as demonstrated in the application form. If you are currently the recipient of any scholarships or financial aid, we ask that you submit an official letter indicating that (e.g. from your university's financial aid office), as part of our evaluation process.