University of St Andrews

At a glance

Qalam wa Lawh, established in 2007, is an institution widely recognised for its comprehensive programme in Arabic language studies. Qalam wa Lawh is situated in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, and aims to immerse its students in the language but also in every aspect of Arabic culture including calligraphy and cooking, with optional weekly excursions to sites around the area. Classes are taught by native Arabic speakers and will tackle reading, writing, speaking and listening through various projects and exams. Class size is deliberately kept small to allow for a more personal learning experience. Every year there are more than 800 students enrolled at Qalam wa Lawh from all around the world.
Established : 2007
Student Population : 800

Website and links

Website : Qalam-wa-lawh homepage

Who can go

Students on degree programmes in the following subject areas may apply to study abroad during their Junior Honours year at Qalam-Wa-Lawh (Centre for Arabic Studies):

• Arabic and Persian

Semesters Available

• First Semester
• Second Semester

Levels Available

• UG

Note: Joint Honours students may only apply for a full year abroad if BOTH subjects are listed above. Joint Honours students applying for one semester must seek permission from both Schools.

Study abroad coordinator

Each School has a designated Study Abroad Coordinator.

Semester dates

Semester dates are as follows

2022/3
Semester 1 Aug 2022 to Dec 2022
Semester 2 Jan 2023 to May 2023

Your studies abroad

Partner Course Catalogue : Courses will be taught in Arabic and the programme of study will be determined by the Arabic Department in St Andrews.

See our Credits and modules abroad webpage for information on the number of credits we expect students to take at our partner institutions. St Andrews expects students to attend all classes as part of their programme abroad. Assessment methods may vary across partners and could include class participation, continuous assessment in the form of homework and final exams. All courses must be agreed with your Study Abroad Coordinator. See Academic information for further details, as well as information about credit and grade conversion.

Application and selection

This is a School Abroad programme.

Places available

Places available : Places with be determined each year by the Arabic department.

Places available may vary from year to year depending on the exchange balance. Numbers for the following academic year will be confirmed at the information meeting.

Getting there and getting around

Most students fly to either Casablanca airport or Rabat itself. Qalam wa Lawh offer a pick-up service for an additional fee; alternatively, a train service runs from Casablanca to Rabat.

The Centre is situated 10 minutes from Rabat city center.

Accommodation

For students studying at Qalam wa Lawh, three categories of housing are available.

School residence: Living with other students within easy walking distance of Qalam centre, classrooms and Qalam Medical facilities. Please note that you must obey the regulations of the School Residences. Visitors of the opposite sex are not allowed to enter the Residences. Students who violate the gender policy may be expelled from the Residences without refund. Outside guests are not allowed, unless there is permission from the Residence adminsitration. You should be mindful of the security of the Residences, and considerate towards other students who live with you.

Host Family: Host families are vetted by the centre. Students who choose to live with a family are expected to respect household rules and local culture in every aspect. Meals may not be provided.

Studio apartments: These may be situated further from Qalam wa Lawh and will not offer the same inclusive experience as the school residences.

Living in a school residence is strongly recommended.

Further details can be found on the school's webpage.

Please note that St Andrews is unable to guarantee housing at any of our partner institutions. Guidance on finding accommodation abroad is available on the Global Office webpage.

Student services and orientation

Information about student life can be found on Qalam’s webpage.

Please be aware that student support services will be different across all of our partner universities.