Middle East Studies Program Study Abroad

Study Abroad Opportunities

The Middle East Studies Program encourages students to spend time abroad, especially if they are independent majors or certificate students. Studying in a Middle Eastern country provides firsthand exposure to the region's society and culture and leads to greater fluency in foreign languages through interaction with native speakers. In addition to these intellectual benefits, students will have the opportunity to travel and make new friends, leading to memories that will last a lifetime!

The University of Wisconsin's International Academic Programs currently has four study abroad opportunities in the region, with semester or academic year programs in Cairo and Jerusalem and Summer International Seminars in Nicosia, Cyprus and Izmir, Turkey. You can find out about each program by clicking on the links below, or just scroll down to read about them all.

Study Abroad in Cairo, Egypt

Words can't describe what you're about to experience.

Spend a semester or a year studying in the cultural heart of the Arab world, just a $5 subway/microbus trip from the Pyramids of Giza and a short walk from the historic yet still-living medieval city of the Fatimids and Mamluks! Through this program, you can attend the American University in Cairo (AUC), the most prestigious institution of higher education in Egypt which draws its student body from the top ranks of its Arab applicants. Egyptians make up approximately 90% of the almost 4,000 undergraduates; the rest represent dozens of nationalities, including many Americans. The language of instruction is English.

With a population of over 16 million, Cairo is the largest city in the Arab world and Africa. AUC is located on Midan Tahrir, also home to the Arab League headquarters and the Egyptian Museum, the latter of which is filled with unique treasures from Egypt's pharaonic past. The university also has active student organizations and regularly sponsors trips to more distant sites. You will be able to explore the scenic and historic Nile Valley, the peaceful western oases, the Red Sea with its fascinating coral beds, and the austerely beautiful Sinai Peninsula, including the purported Mt. Sinai itself.

Cairo holds a unique place in the modern history of the Middle East as the birthplace of political movements such as Arab nationalism, singers such as the renowned Umm Kulthoum, and Nobel Laurate Naguib Mahfouz who until the mid-1990's was a regular at the Ali Baba Cafe half a block from the AUC gates. Egypt has also been a leader among Middle East countries in promoting peaceful relations with Israel. Today, you will find it a land of diversity, with Islam and Coptic Christianity both playing important cultural roles and ancient customs integrated into a world of modern sports, movies, and Egyptian coffeehouses and fast food joints that will become your local hangouts.

You can read more about this program and apply here.

Study Abroad in Jerusalem, Israel

Walk in the footsteps of holy figures from the world's great monotheistic religions when you study in Jerusalem! The capital of David and Solomon, home to the Dome of the Rock, and place of the Crucifixion of Jesus, Jerusalem is one of the most important religious and historical cities in the world as well as a key center of modern Middle East politics. You will attend the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University, which opened in 1925 and has a student population of approximately 20,000.

You will enjoy the Rothberg School's location atop Mt. Scopus, a hill adjacent to the Biblical Mount of Olives which overlooks the ancient walls and historical sites of Old Jerusalem. You can easily explore Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, as Hebrew University arranges inexpensive weekend and holiday trips, and public transportation is convenient and inexpensive. Whether you fall for the beaches of Tel Aviv, the deep spirituality of the region's holy sites, or the history you take in with every breath, you will form a relationship with the land that will continue throughout your life. Students can also travel easily to Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, and some Gulf states.

The program begins with intensive Hebrew language study during the presession Ulpan. You can continue Hebrew language study throughout the year. Courses at the Rothberg School are taught in English and include a variety of social science and humanities offerings with a strong emphasis on the Middle East and Israel's place within it.

You can read more about this program and apply here.


home about news calendar certificate courses languages faculty study abroad outreach resources contact	Study Abroad Opportunities The Middle East Studies Program encourages students to spend time abroad, especially if they are independent majors or certificate students. Studying in a Middle Eastern country provides firsthand exposure to the region's society and culture and leads to greater fluency in foreign languages through interaction with native speakers. In addition to these intellectual benefits, students will have the opportunity to travel and make new friends, leading to memories that will last a lifetime! The University of Wisconsin's International Academic Programs currently has four study abroad opportunities in the region, with semester or academic year programs in Cairo and Jerusalem and Summer International Seminars in Nicosia, Cyprus and Izmir, Turkey. You can find out about each program by clicking on the links below, or just scroll down to read about them all. Study Abroad in Cairo, Egypt Words can't describe what you're about to experience. Spend a semester or a year studying in the cultural heart of the Arab world, just a $5 subway/microbus trip from the Pyramids of Giza and a short walk from the historic yet still-living medieval city of the Fatimids and Mamluks! Through this program, you can attend the American University in Cairo (AUC), the most prestigious institution of higher education in Egypt which draws its student body from the top ranks of its Arab applicants. Egyptians make up approximately 90% of the almost 4,000 undergraduates; the rest represent dozens of nationalities, including many Americans. The language of instruction is English. With a population of over 16 million, Cairo is the largest city in the Arab world and Africa. AUC is located on Midan Tahrir, also home to the Arab League headquarters and the Egyptian Museum, the latter of which is filled with unique treasures from Egypt's pharaonic past. The university also has active student organizations and regularly sponsors trips to more distant sites. You will be able to explore the scenic and historic Nile Valley, the peaceful western oases, the Red Sea with its fascinating coral beds, and the austerely beautiful Sinai Peninsula, including the purported Mt. Sinai itself. Cairo holds a unique place in the modern history of the Middle East as the birthplace of political movements such as Arab nationalism, singers such as the renowned Umm Kulthoum, and Nobel Laurate Naguib Mahfouz who until the mid-1990's was a regular at the Ali Baba Cafe half a block from the AUC gates. Egypt has also been a leader among Middle East countries in promoting peaceful relations with Israel. Today, you will find it a land of diversity, with Islam and Coptic Christianity both playing important cultural roles and ancient customs integrated into a world of modern sports, movies, and Egyptian coffeehouses and fast food joints that will become your local hangouts. You can read more about this program and apply here. Study Abroad in Jerusalem, Israel Walk in the footsteps of holy figures from the world's great monotheistic religions when you study in Jerusalem! The capital of David and Solomon, home to the Dome of the Rock, and place of the Crucifixion of Jesus, Jerusalem is one of the most important religious and historical cities in the world as well as a key center of modern Middle East politics. You will attend the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University, which opened in 1925 and has a student population of approximately 20,000. You will enjoy the Rothberg School's location atop Mt. Scopus, a hill adjacent to the Biblical Mount of Olives which overlooks the ancient walls and historical sites of Old Jerusalem. You can easily explore Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, as Hebrew University arranges inexpensive weekend and holiday trips, and public transportation is convenient and inexpensive. Whether you fall for the beaches of Tel Aviv, the deep spirituality of the region's holy sites, or the history you take in with every breath, you will form a relationship with the land that will continue throughout your life. Students can also travel easily to Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, and some Gulf states. The program begins with intensive Hebrew language study during the presession Ulpan. You can continue Hebrew language study throughout the year. Courses at the Rothberg School are taught in English and include a variety of social science and humanities offerings with a strong emphasis on the Middle East and Israel's place within it. You can read more about this program and apply here.

The Middle East Studies Program is a member program of the International Institute. This site was last updated on January 3, 2007 . For technical questions & comments contact us. Copyright © 2006 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.