Overview | Academics | Cost | Location | Life Abroad | Student Voices
Co-sponsored by the School for International Training (SIT) and International Academic Programs (IAP)the Modernization and Social Change program focuses on crucial issues in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a moderate Arab state coming to terms with political responsibility, social change, and the effects of regional conflict. The program features a Modernization and Social Change seminar, intensive Arabic language study (Modern Standard with a mix of Jordanian Colloquial Arabic), a field study seminar and an independent study project. Students are housed in two homestays: one in Amman and a brief one-week homestay in Badia with a Bedouin family.
As the capital, Amman is the largest city in Jordan with a population of approximately 3 million inhabitants and is the cultural and commercial center of the country. With a history that reaches back 5,000 years, Amman is renowned for its ancient ruins and traditional downtown souk (marketplace). Amman also has a modern side with American-style shopping malls, art galleries, theaters, and cinemas. This cosmopolitan city offers a safe, stable environment to study the Arabic language.
As the capital, Amman is the largest city in Jordan with a population of approximately 3 million inhabitants and is the cultural and commercial center of the country. With a history that reaches back 5,000 years, Amman is renowned for its ancient ruins and traditional downtown souk (marketplace). Amman also has a modern side with American-style shopping malls, art galleries, theaters, and cinemas. This cosmopolitan city offers a safe, stable environment to study the Arabic language.
Getting to Your Program
Participants are responsible for arranging round-trip transportation to the program site.
Visa
A visa is required for U.S. citizens prior to departure. Participants must have a passport valid for six months after the end of the program.
Orientation
IAP expects you to be an active participant in preparing yourself for your study abroad experience. As a participant on an IAP program, you will receive a pre-departure orientation, either in-person or online. The type and format of this orientation will vary by program and will be provided to you upon acceptance to the program.
Housing
In Jordan, you will be staying in two homestays, one in Amman and one in the Badia area. Except for excursions and orientation, you will be in a homestay for the duration of your time in Amman. There is a short one-week rural homestay in the Badia area, where students will stay with Bedouin families either nomadic or semi-nomadic. Homestay accommodations in Amman vary among the families but many are middle to upper class with a high level of comfort while the rural homestay in the Badia would be considered a simpler standard of living. Other accommodations during the program include hostels, research institutes, or small hotels.
Excursions and Activities
Within Jordan short excursions highlight the country's natural history and resources and show the contrasts between urban and rural Jordan. Visit Petra, (a World Heritage Site), the desert of Wadi Rum and the port city of Aqaba. Contrast Jordanian policies and culture with its neighbor Egypt with a week-long excursion, conditions permitting.
Insurance
All participants in IAP programs are enrolled in health insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and the cost of the insurance is included in the program fee.
On-Site Support
SIT on-site staff (Faculty Director and other Student Services Staff)
Returned Student Network
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here to see testimonials from students abroad or to contact a returned student.
Coursework in Jordan accommodates any level of Arabic language instruction, including a focus on the Jordanian colloquial dialect. The thematic seminar introduces key aspects of modernization and social change. Lectures and excursions introduce students to the history and politics of Jordan, the rapid transformation of land and technology, shifting identities and roles within Jordanian culture, modernity and gender questions, economic and social development practices and regulations, immigration, media, and religion. There are four required academic components: Modernization and Social Change seminar, Intensive Arabic language study, a field study seminar and an in-depth independent study project. Course syllabi can be found on the SIT web site, linked in our righthand menu.
Affiliate Institution(s)
www.sit.edu/studyabroad/overview_jor.cfm
Program Web Page(s)
www.sit.edu/studyabroad/program_costs.cfm
Course Equivalents
Use the links below to see a list of courses that students have taken on this program before and the UW equivalents. Note: this list only includes pre-approved courses for your program and may not be an exhaustive list of courses or departments. You will get instructions on the course equivalent process after acceptance.
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