ALIF FAQs

Yes, we do. Online courses are always available. You are welcome to start online classes before your in-person arrival, continue studying online with your professor after you leave Fes, or substitute online lessons for in-person ones if you are unable to travel to Fes for any reason.

For group courses, students choose to study either in-person or online, and are grouped accordingly. Slight exceptions may be made for private courses.

Yes, it is. Our 30-week academic year program begins in early September and runs through late May.

Have a look at our Academic Calendar page for more information.

We have 8 different starting points throughout the year, designed to accommodate all needs.

Depending on when you begin your Arabic studies with ALIF, you can do anywhere from 3 to 30 weeks of study.

If you are the only student in your group class, you will still be able to study your chosen content for the term you wish, but you will be enrolled in a private course.

It depends. If you are interested in a language course and a content course, or both MSA and Darija, we recommend that you choose one group course and enroll in the other as a private student for reduced hours. Otherwise, you will be too busy to enjoy our other activities and to explore Fes!

See our Available Courses for more details.

It’s up to you and really depends on your interests and career. One option is to enroll in our Summer 4A term and do an intensive 3 weeks of Darija, followed by 6 weeks of MSA.

Yes, many students come to Fes with specific requirements beyond our standard offerings. If you need extra hours, for example, you can enroll in a group course and add private lessons.

If you have other specific needs, please contact our staff at alif-fes@acamorocco.org to learn about your options.

We provide an official transcript of your courses and grades at the end of your studies. 15 hours of instruction is 1 credit hour. Our 6-week, 120-hour course is the equivalent of 8 US credits or 16 ECTS.

While some schools have special requirements that we may or may not meet, the vast majority of our students are able to transfer credit back to their home school without issues. Please verify with your home institution in advance to ensure credit transfer.

In addition to lessons, students will have access to all of our facilities, a language-partner, regularly-scheduled student clubs, and special cultural events such as concerts, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops.

You will also have access to our staff during regular working hours, and access to a dedicated 24/7 emergency phone number.

Yes. We regularly offer a selection of academic excursions from a full day to three days, and can arrange others by special request.

Our excursions offer deeper cultural and linguistic immersion than those run by the average tour operator. Academic excursion fees are not included in tuition costs.

If you choose to live in our residence hall, which is across the street from the center, you will be sharing space with other students. You may also choose to rent an apartment with other students.

See our Housing page for details.

In some cases, you may still be able to walk to ALIF. If you live in the medina, we recommend you take the shared taxis.

If you live more than a 20-minute walk away in the new city, a metered cab is your best option.

Yes, we can. ALIF maintains a list of potential apartments both in the medina and the new city, and can assist with advice about location, price, amenities, etc.

See our housing page for more information.

Yes, homestays are quite popular with ALIF students. Please refer to our housing page for more details.

At ALIF, we can typically accommodate special diets or restrictions (halal/ vegetarian/ vegan/ pescatarian/ gluten-free/ have a food allergy) with advance notice. Eating out on your own, it is usually possible to find vegetarian and pescatarian options, though vegan and gluten-free options are more challenging.

Most food in Morocco is halal (but not all!). If you have a strong food allergy or restriction, we recommend living where you can self-cater.

Many generic medicines can be purchased over-the-counter at pharmacies in Morocco, even if they require a prescription at home. However, if the quality of your health depends on a certain medication, we recommend that you bring enough with you to last for the duration of your stay, or verify availability and access in advance.

Please contact our staff at alif-fes@acamorocco.org about this as soon as you can after you are accepted to the program.

Obtaining residency in Morocco can take up to a full year, and requires materials from an ever-changing list of documents. As most students stay with us between six weeks and six months, applying for residency is an unnecessary burden.

Most students arrive on a tourist visa, and extend or renew as necessary.