Morocco

Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East – syllabus
(MDES3000 / 3 credits)

Please note that syllabi are representative of a typical semester. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of unique learning opportunities, actual course content varies from semester to semester.

Over the last two decades, the Middle East has been the stage of some mega events that continue to reshape the geopolitical map of the region. Based in Morocco, students examine these regional dynamics from a North African perspective while maintaining a strong focus on Jordan and the broader Middle East. Jordan, as a key regional actor and peace broker, remains an important case for examining. Issues of relevance to the theme of the seminar include territorial conflict and state sovereignty, international intervention and dominant paradigm of international relations, geopolitical imagining and refugee crisis, and the impact of political crises on social organization, economy, and human ecology. We will study the nature of dominant International Relations paradigms in the Middle East and geopolitical discourse. The Morocco-based setting also provides opportunities to examine North Africa’s connections with Middle Eastern, African, and European geopolitical dynamics. In Istanbul, you will learn from local academics how Turkey has become a strong geopolitical regional player in Middle Eastern politics and international relations, and the extent to which Turkey is influencing the future political arena of the Middle East. This seminar includes classroom activities (lectures and reading assignments) and incorporates educational excursions, visits to organizations, agencies, critical thinking exercises, voluntary work, and field-based assignments. The Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East seminar has an interdisciplinary, integrative, and critical focus.

Beginning Modern Standard Arabic
Beginning Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB1006-1506 / 6 credits)

Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic
Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB2006-2506 / 6 credits)

Advanced Modern Standard Arabic
Advanced Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB3006-3506 / 6 credits)

The language course is offered at different levels: Choose to take either two thematic seminars and a 3-credit language course OR the thematic seminar Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East, and a six-credit language course.

The language course emphasizes speaking, reading, and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic (fusha) through classroom and field instruction. You will be placed in intensive beginning, intermediate, or advanced classes based on in-country evaluation, including oral proficiency testing. A component on Moroccan Colloquial Arabic is also part of the course.

Beginning Modern Standard Arabic
Beginning Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB1003-1503 / 3 credits)

Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic
Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB2003-2503 / 3 credits)

Advanced Modern Standard Arabic
Advanced Modern Standard Arabic – syllabus
(ARAB3003-3503 / 3 credits)

The language course is offered at different levels: Choose to take either two thematic seminars and a 3-credit language course OR the thematic seminar Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East, and a six-credit language course.

AND

The Psychology of Peace – syllabus
(MDES/PSYC3500 / 3 credits)

This interdisciplinary seminar addresses theory and practice of peace psychology, the psychological causes of violence and nonviolence, nonviolent struggle, non-violence and social change, the role of emotions in peacebuilding, negotiations of political disputes, and the impact of exiled and displaced populations on the psychology of peace and conflict resolution. The seminar also assesses applications of human psychology to the study of international politics. Psychological analyses of foreign policy and decision making, international conflict, and conflict resolution greatly contribute to the understanding of international relations. You will study the psychology of diverse actors of international relations, international relations and foreign policy decision making, role of biases, role of emotions in political decision making, and other psychological factors contributing to better understanding and explanation of international relations and politics. Through field visits with NGOs working in psychological services, health institutions, and discussions with academics, diplomats, and peace negotiators, you will learn about the psychology of peace as it impacts conflict resolution and peace processes in Jordan and the Middle East.

Social Science Methods and Ethics in Global Contexts – syllabus
(RSCH3500 / 3 credits)

This course is designed to introduce you to the methodological tools deployed by social scientists to conduct empirically grounded and theoretically engaged research. The course will cover the basic elements of research design, the role of theory in empirical research, and the ethics for social scientific research, with particular attention to the complex ethical considerations that arise when conducting research in international and cross-cultural contexts. You will gain hands-on experience with both basic quantitative and qualitative methods, with the flexibility to emphasize your preferred methodological approach in their final work. Using this project-based approach, the course will prepare you to design and execute social science research projects while developing competency across methodological traditions.

OR

Course Global Organizational Culture & Ethics – syllabus
GOCE-3500 (3 credits)

This course equips you to engage meaningfully and ethically in internship experiences across diverse sociopolitical, cultural, environmental, and global contexts. Using a critical, practice-based approach, you will examine the nature and purpose of internships as transformative experiential learning opportunities that connect to the program’s Critical Global Issue theme. Emphasis is placed on navigating workplace and organizational cultures, reflecting on identity and positionality in professional settings, and applying ethical principles to working globally with communities, individuals, and environments—particularly in collaboration with vulnerable populations and in sensitive ecological or habitat settings.

You will develop key professional intercultural competencies, including communication in context, critical self-reflection, and ethical engagement in applied settings. The course guides you through the process of designing a learning plan, establishing shared expectations with host organizations, and presenting a comprehensive internship proposal. While this course does not include a formal academic research component, it supports you in making connections between field-based learning and broader structural, ethical, and cultural considerations. The knowledge and skills learned through this course can be applied to this internship, but also beyond as you embark on your professional journeys.

The overall aim is to equip you with the tools and mindset to approach internships not only as professional opportunities, but also as sites of meaningful cross-cultural learning, solidarity, and critical engagement aligned with the program’s thematic focus.

In addition to taking the above courses, students will also need to enroll in one of the following two courses:

Independent Study Project
Independent Study Project – syllabus
(ISPR3000 / 4 credits)

The Independent Study Project (ISP) is a self-designed research project offering students the opportunity to undertake a personally significant and independent investigation, which highlights the regional and cultural reality that can only be encountered during a study abroad experience. The ISP is the academic component in which you most directly applies the concepts, skills, tools, and techniques of experience-based learning articulated through the Research Methods and Ethics and the thematic courses, while enabling you to further integrate your language skills and the contacts you have developed in the homestay and in the broader community. You will plan, develop, and independently undertake a research project, with the advice and guidance of the academic director and an ISP advisor, a local academic and/or experienced field professional. The topic of study may be anything of interest to you, within the scope of the program and the immediate region, and is usually developed out of lectures, discussions, and educational excursions. The final project should provide material evidence of your capability in utilizing appropriate methodologies and in synthesizing experiences in the host culture. You are expected to complete 180 hours of field-based (non-archival, non-library) research on your topic, submit a substantial written paper, and deliver an accompanying oral presentation. It is not uncommon for ISPs to strongly contribute to the your choice of subject for graduate studies or a professional career.

Sample ISP topic areas may include:

• The Arab Spring and political change in Jordan, Morocco, and the broader Middle East and North Africa
• Refugees, migration, and regional politics
• Jordanian and Moroccan foreign policy and regional relations
• Political power, tribal structures, and changing identities
• Women’s participation in politics and civil society
• NGOs, civil society, and international donor relations
• Freedom of expression, media, and political discourse
• Environment, natural resources, climate change, and sustainable development
• Islam, politics, and state discourses on development
• Migration and human rights in Morocco
• African and Euro-Mediterranean migration and border politics
• Amazigh identity, cultural rights, and political representation
• Environmental and land rights in Morocco
• Art, cultural transformation, and political expression
• Political pluralism and social change

Browse this program’s Independent Study Projects / undergraduate research.

OR

Internship and Seminar
Internship and Seminar – syllabus
(ITRN3000 / 4 credits)

This seminar consists of a four-week, 120-hour internship with a local community organization, research organization, business, government agency, or international NGO. The aim of an internship is to enable you to gain valuable experience and enhance your skills in a career field/professional environment related to the core program themes.

SIT will use its extensive network to facilitate an internship placement for you where interviews may be required. The organization and your internship activities, including the Internship Learning Agreement, must be approved by SIT’s academic director. SIT will maintain oversight over internship placements in line with SIT academic policies and student health and security guidelines. Ultimately, you will need to take responsibility for making optimal use of resources available at the organization and to be proactive in engaging with local experts to achieve internship objectives. Regular reflection and assessment meetings are held with the academic director or internship coordinator to review the progress of the internship, learning associated with the internship experience, and to draw out broader issues related to program themes, positionality, culture and ethics in the context of the internship.

Modules will be implemented at weekly reflection meetings. Discussion and reflection sessions take place on a weekly basis. You will be expected to discuss experiences in the internship, reflect on the professional learning process, and respond to any prompts assigned by the internship instructor. These discussion and reflection sessions are key elements for personal, academic, and professional development during the internship. Depending on the circumstances, these sessions may be held in person or virtually.

You will be informed of the types of internships available and the placement process early in the semester. You must decide whether you want to undertake an internship by the fourth week of the program and will have ample opportunities to consult with SIT program staff. Internship placements may include organizations in political research and studies, social empowerment and refugees.

Sample internships:

• Conducting political and international relations research with research centers or universities
• Supporting migration, human rights, policy, or civil society initiatives with local or international organizations
• Contributing to education, community development, and civil society programs
• Working with organizations addressing environmental sustainability, social change, peacebuilding, or regional development