Arabic Summer Language Institute
The Arabic Language Summer Institute implements an innovative language curriculum that focuses on real communication skills.
Summer Language Institute participants
Our language and content-based courses create a rich learning environment that simulates immersion while on campus. Students are effectively immersed in an Arabic-speaking environment during their time at Maryland, with approximately seven hours a day of structured language-learning experiences.
Students also gain language exposure with individual and small group language partner hours with high level Arabic speakers.
The average student attending will have made a serious, long-term commitment to learning Arabic, will be prepared to study intensively for nine weeks, and be performing well academically at his or her home institution.
For additional information about the Arabic Summer Language Institute including classes, cultural components, scholarships, and fees & housing, contact us at umdsi@umd.edu.
For UMD Arabic majors and minors, please click here to learn more about how these credits will apply to your degree program.
Courses are part of the University’s Summer Term, follow University policies and procedures, and are subject to change. The University reserves the right to cancel courses due to insufficient enrollment or for other reasons it deems necessary.
QFI Full Scholarships for High Schoolers
For summer 2024, the Summer Language Institute offered scholarships fully-funded by Qatar Foundation International (QFI) for high school seniors who wished to study Arabic. These scholarships covered the full cost of attendance for the Summer Language Institute. We hope to offer this opportunity again in Summer 2025. High school seniors and incoming college freshman are encouraged to apply for this opportunity. No prior Arabic experience is required. A beginner Arabic course designed specifically for these high school scholars was offered and began two weeks after the start of SLI at the end of local high school classes and graduations.
These scholarships were made available through support and funding from Qatar Foundation International (QFI)
To apply for this scholarship, please write us at umdsi@umd.edu and mention that you are interested in the QFI scholarship so that we can give you access to the application.
Curriculum and Classes
The Summer Institute will run in two sessions, and students may apply to one or both sessions. (Preference for admission will be given to students who are applying for the entire nine week summer program).
Summer 2025 Program Dates: June 2 - August 1, 2025
Session 1: June 2 - July 3, 2025
Session 2: July 7 - August 1, 2025
Students will participate daily in core classes, which will focus on principle language instruction: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as well as afternoon courses with a specialized focus on culture, politics, media, etc. Our small class sizes (~15 or less) and use of materials developed specifically for an intensive environment will allow attendees to complete a full academic year (12 academic credits) of language study across all areas of language learning.
Schedule
Cultural Activities
In addition to intensive classes, students in the Summer Language Institute participate in a variety of activities designed to increase their knowledge of the Arabic-speaking world. Please see here to learn more about these cultural activities.