University of Michigan Partner Program
Michigan State University
Dearborn Public Schools
University of MD - College Park
University of Oklahoma Partner Program
University of Texas - Austin
Arabic Overseas Flagship Program

Michigan State University and Dearborn Public Schools

The philosophy of the Arabic Language Instruction Flagship (ALIF) program at Michigan State University is to form a partnership between the university and a K-12 school district in order to develop a national model for foreign language instruction that flows smoothly across all grades and builds on previous learning. Michigan State University has partnered with the Dearborn Public School District in order to achieve this goal.

Michigan State University Undergraduate Program

At the Arabic Language Instruction Flagship (ALIF) program at Michigan State University, students major in a subject of their choice while completing specialized coursework in Arabic language and culture. The program goal is to develop advanced speakers of the language with the cultural and linguistic skills needed to function professionally in the Arabic language. Program highlights include:

• Four years of Arabic language instruction
• Selected general education courses taught in Arabic
• A senior project written and/or presented in Arabic in each student’s field of study
• Study abroad at Alexandria University in Egypt
• Creation of an ongoing, electronic portfolio to showcase Arabic skills
• A supportive learning environment where flagship scholars live and study together
• Extracurricular activities such as visits to local areas of cultural interest and film series which support and enhance the learning experience

The program is open to incoming or current undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines. Applicants should have a strong academic record, a demonstrated interest in advancing their Arabic skills, and a desire to share their understanding of this language and culture within the larger community.

Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Sue Gass, Director MSU Arabic Flagship Program, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://arabicflagship.msu.edu/

Dearborn Public Schools

Michigan State University and Dearborn Public Schools are collaborating to enhance Dearborn’s Arabic world language program. Starting at the elementary level, students study Arabic language and have it incorporated into content area instruction under the direction of the Dearborn Foreign Language Assistance Program (DFLAP). The Arabic language instruction flagship (ALIF) program is ensuring excellence in K-12 instruction by partnering with DFLAP to strengthen elementary and middle school instruction and to create and implement a new curricular model of Arabic instruction for high school students.

At the high school level, the creation of innovative curriculum, assessments, and materials coupled with teacher professional development all contribute to the goal of increasing student competency in Modern Standard Arabic. The revised curriculum and newly developed materials will align curriculum to Michigan World Languages Standards. Extracurricular events provide students with a richer understanding of the culture as well as the language. This new curriculum creates a national model for K-12 language instruction. Students will graduate with excellent communication and intercultural skills, and will be ready to continue their Arabic studies in higher education.

Contact: Kathleen McBroom, Director Dearborn K-12 Arabic Flagship Program,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

University of Maryland-College Park

The Arabic Flagship Program at the University of Maryland, College Park trains professionals to attain superior proficiency in Arabic, both Modern Standard and either Levantine or Egyptian dialects. Graduates earn either a graduate certificate or a master’s degree in Arabic Studies and are able to use Arabic in their respective fields at the ILR level 3 or beyond. As of spring 2008, the Flagship graduate program has successfully trained 37 users of Arabic who can speak, read, understand, and write Arabic at a professionally functional level.

This full-time intensive program simulates immersion and offers an innovative, modular, multi-strand curriculum, which may be customized for individual students' professional domains. In addition to offering courses in Arabic language and culture, focusing on the skills of reading, listening, speaking, writing, and translating, the Arabic Flagship Program at the University of Maryland offers content training in area study on a variety of topics, including the Role of Religion in the Middle East, Islamic Culture, the Arab-Iranian Relations, and the geopolitical situations in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq. In its curriculum, the Arabic Flagship Program benefits from its location in the Washington, D.C. area and incorporates distinguished guest speakers, language partners, cultural exchanges, and field trips.

Graduates of the Arabic Flagship Program report great success in finding high paying jobs both with the U.S. government and in the private sector. In many instances recruiters from all over the professional spectrum contacted them well before they had finished the program.

The Arabic Flagship Program at the University of Maryland is in the process of admitting its first cohort of undergraduates in the fall of 2008. This is an exciting development, as it makes it possible for the undergraduates in the East Coast to benefit from the Arabic Flagship experience.

Contact: Dr. Alaa Elgibali, Co-Director UMD Arabic Flagship Program,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Website: www.arabic.umd.edu/flagship

The University of Oklahoma Flagship Partner Program

The OU Arabic Language Flagship Partner Program is an undergraduate program designed for learners of Arabic who seek to achieve superior language proficiency while pursuing degrees in the academic majors of their choice. The program offers an innovative five-year curriculum in Arabic language and culture designed to produce graduates with strength both in Arabic language proficiency and their chosen career fields.

During the five-year program, students take three years of core courses in Arabic language as well as content-based courses taught exclusively in Arabic. “Arabic Media and Politics,” “Arabic Culture and Society Through Modern Fiction,” “Arabic Culture Through Film,” “Genres in Modern Arabic Literature,” and “Readings in Islamic Religious Texts” are among the content-based courses offered. To advance and hone their language skills, instruction relies on:

• Class discussion and debate
• Individual and group projects
• Oral presentations
• Writing assignments
• Individualized writing tutorials

To enhance classroom learning and to provide students with opportunities to use Arabic outside of the classroom, the program offers extra-curricular activities on campus including:

• an Arabic language house in an OU dormitory where only Arabic is spoken
• a regular Arabic table at meals
• regular screening and discussion of Arabic-language films
• hosting of events related to Arabic culture and arts, such as music and calligraphy

Students will be eligible to apply for two scholarships to join two study-abroad programs at the Arabic Flagship site in Alexandria, Egypt. After completing their second year of Arabic at OU, students are eligible for a ten-week Summer program. After completing their fourth year at OU, students are eligible for a year-long program.

Qualified students must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• full time OU student, or accepted at OU
• commitment to complete the entire Arabic Flagship program and achieving Superior level Arabic proficiency
• Arabic as a long-term career goal
• GPA of 3.25 or higher

Prospective students are strong academic achievers pursuing different majors, such as Arabic, business, engineering, history, health sciences, international and area studies, journalism, political science, pre-law, pre-med, etc. OU offers many different merit-based scholarships. In addition, many Flagship scholarships are available to cover tuition and partial living expenses.

Contact: OU Arabic Flagship Partner Program at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Mohammed Alhawary, Director OU Arabic Flagship Partner Program, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://www.ou.edu/flagship

University of Texas-Austin

The Arabic Flagship Program (AFP) at the University of Texas at Austin offers a five-year training program in Arabic language and culture for undergraduates. Students receive the resources and training to reach Superior level Arabic while pursuing an undergraduate major or their choice.

Students join the AFP after enrolling in Arabic, and developing a passion for the language. A typical UT AFP Scholar is a student with a GPA of 3.5 or above, who has taken Arabic for two semesters and excelled. S/he is committed to the language, and has career goals that can’t be truly fulfilled without it. Current Scholars plan to work for the government, in international business and trade, education, public relations and advertising.

AFP Arabic Courses

The UT AFP requires three core years of Arabic that includes training in standard and colloquial Arabic. Intensive summer studies are available at UT at the Novice and Intermediate levels. After completing the core language program, scholars choose an Advanced dialect course in Egyptian or Levantine Arabic. They can also enroll in content-based courses offered in Arabic (e.g., Media Arabic, Lebanon between Formation & Transformation, Issues in Arab Cinema, Critiques of Language & Culture).

Scholars are encouraged to take courses in history, political science, literature, and religion that are taught in English but have an Arabic Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) component. LAC students work with authentic Arabic texts and discuss them in Arabic, in small groups. Examples of LAC courses include 1001 Arabian Nights, Modern Egypt: A History, and Shiite Political and Religious Ideologues.

AFP scholars have two opportunities to study abroad through programs in Alexandria, Egypt and Damascus, Syria, both of which are administered by the American Councils for International Education. After finishing their second year of study in Arabic, Scholars are eligible for a summer program at the TAFL Center in Egypt. After the fourth year of study at UT, students undertake a capstone year in either Alexandria or Damascus, where the final transition from Advanced to Superior Arabic is made. These funded opportunities make this program vastly unique and are part of the reason why UT Scholars are highly sought after upon graduation for careers that that require Arabic.

Student Funding

The UT AFP offers merit based funding for Scholars in the amount up to $4500 per academic year. Many AFP Scholars are eligible for in-state tuition waivers and receive other merit based scholarships as well.

Who Can Apply

The AFP is open to talented undergraduate students of any major who meet the following criteria:

• Full time UT student, or accepted at UT
• Commitment to achieving Superior level Arabic
• Arabic is a long term career goal
• Academic excellence
• Some experience of Arabic

How to Apply

To apply for the program, students are asked to submit the following:

• A completed application form and statement of purpose
• A teacher recommendation form and waiver
• An official University of Texas transcript

Application forms can be downloaded from the UT Arabic Flagship Program website at: http://utarabicflagship.org/

Contact: Chelsea Sypher at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or Mahmoud Al-Batal, Director UT Arabic Flagship Program, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://utarabicflagship.org/

Arabic Overseas Flagship Program

Graduate Program 

The overseas portion of the Graduate Arabic Flagship Program administered by American Councils began in the fall of 2007. This program is designed to address the need for greater numbers of U.S. professionals in business, government, academia, and the third sector that are able to speak, read, understand, and write Arabic at the highest levels of functional proficiency. With guidance by the Arabic Overseas Flagship Academic Council, the eleven-month program consists of regular tutorials and small group instruction combined with formal and informal professional language utilization. Participants in the Graduate Arabic Overseas Flagship Program study Modern Standard and Syrian Colloquial Arabic at Damascus University in Damascus, Syria. Students attend lectures and seminars in their fields of specialization, reside with local host families, and work regularly with peer tutors. In the second semester, students also participate in an Arabic language internship with a local company or NGO, which provides an excellent opportunity both to use their language skills in a real-life setting, but also provide valuable work experience in their field of interest. The program is open to advanced-level learners of Arabic who are committed to attaining "professional" or "distinguished-level" language proficiency (ILR 3, 3+, 4/ACTFL "Superior" or “Distinguished”) through an intensive yearlong language training program tailored to their professional interests and academic specialization. Students receive academic credit for graduate-level courses through Bryn Mawr College or the University of Maryland. Support services include mandatory pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C.; accident and illness insurance; a full-time resident director; and American Councils offices in Washington, D.C. and Syria.

Undergraduate Program

The overseas portion of the Undergraduate Arabic Flagship Program, administered by American Councils, began in June 2008 with both a summer and an academic year program in Alexandria, Egypt. Hosted by The University of Alexandria, the program consists of intensive classroom instruction in both Modern Standard and Colloquial Egyptian Arabic, cultural excursions and language practice with peer tutors. Classes will be taught by Alexandria University faculty on the university campus, and students will live in university dormitories for the summer. A full-time Resident Director with extensive experience in the Middle East will supervise the program and serve as advisor to participants. The program is currently open to undergraduate students enrolled at one of the designated Arabic Flagship Universities. While participants are not expected to be Arabic majors, they should have reached the intermediate level in their Arabic skills in order to qualify for the program. As with the graduate program, the undergraduate program is intended for students who are committed to using Arabic and a knowledge of the Middle East in careers that include business, science, education, and government, as well as many others. Support services include mandatory pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C.; accident and illness insurance; a full-time U.S. resident director; and American Councils offices in Washington, D.C. and Egypt.

Contact: Flagship Programs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://flagship.americancouncils.org/splash.php

University of Michigan Partner Program

The UM Arabic Language Flagship Partner Program (ALFP) is a three-year program mainly designed to produce undergraduate students with superior language proficiency in Arabic while pursuing degrees in their academic majors. The program is open to current or incoming undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines who have been accepted for admission to UM and have achieved the Intermediate Mid L1 proficiency or above in Arabic.

The UM ALFP is a part of a comprehensive Arabic program in the Department of Near Eastern Studies which offers a variety of courses at all levels, including advanced Arabic language courses in modern standard Arabic, Communication Media and Business, in addition to content courses taught in Arabic and colloquial Levantine and Egyptian dialects. It incorporates cultural activities, guest speakers, conversation practice, one-on one tutoring and field trips. It partners with the University of Texas Arabic Flagship program and other Arabic Flagship Programs in sharing and field testing newly developed content-based and media courses and in coordinating summer intensive Arabic language courses and Arabic teacher training workshops.

The program offers three levels of Arabic at UM in addition to intensive summer and/or full year study at Alexandria University in Egypt. The overseas component consists of intensive advanced Arabic language and culture courses, Colloquial Egyptian Arabic, and other courses related to the students undergraduate majors, as well as internships and/or community service. The Advanced L2 proficiency level is required for participation in the full year program.

The UM AFP is open to highly qualified undergraduate students, from all disciplines, who meet the following Flagship entrance requirements:

• Full time student admitted to UM
• Intermediate Mid (L1) proficiency in Arabic (one year of Modern Standard Arabic at the elementary level)
• GPA of 3.25 or higher
• Commitment to achieving Superior level (L3) in Arabic
• U.S citizenship or permanent resident

The UM ALFP program offers tuition support, not to exceed $6,500 per year, to qualified students whose program of study at UM includes at least one course in Arabic language, culture or content courses, each term. The American Councils for International Education cover the travel, tuition, housing, and a small stipend for study overseas. The students who receive Flagship support are also eligible for other merit based scholarships from UM, Critical Language Scholarships, Boren Scholarships and other sources, as well.

To apply for this program, please send in the following:

• Completed application form (available here)
• Statement of purpose
• Official UM transcript
• Two letters of recommendations from your teachers with accompanying recommendation waiver form (must be received directly from recommenders)

The UM ALFP is part of the Language Flagship, which leads the nation in designing, supporting, and implementing a new paradigm for advanced language education. Through an innovative partnership between the federal government, education, and business, The Language Flagship seeks to graduate students who will take their place among the next generation of global professionals, commanding a superior level of fluency in one of many languages critical to U.S. competitiveness and security.

For more information about the UM Arabic Language Flagship Program:
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or Dr. Raji Rammuny, Director UM Arabic Flagship Partner Program, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: (734) 763-4539

Website: http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/arabic/flagship.html