Programs Schedule and Credits
Every program is built around one unit; a four-week module of 80 lessons. Each lesson lasts 55 minutes, with 20 lessons per week, from Monday to Friday, plus five hours of supervised study. Supervised studies are listed separately and are not included in contact hours.
- Weeks
- 12
- Academic hours
- 240
- Contact hours
- 220
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 14–15
- Dates
- Aug 30 to Nov 19, 2027
- Weeks
- 16
- Academic hours
- 320
- Contact hours
- 293
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 19–20
- Dates
- Aug 30 to Dec 17, 2027
- Weeks
- 4
- Academic hours
- 80
- Contact hours
- 73
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- up to 4
- Dates
- Dec 21 to Jan 15, 2027
- Weeks
- 12
- Academic hours
- 240
- Contact hours
- 220
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 14–15
- Dates
- Jan 18 to Apr 9, 2027
- Weeks
- 16
- Academic hours
- 320
- Contact hours
- 293
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 19–20
- Dates
- Jan 18 to May 7, 2027
- Weeks
- 8
- Academic hours
- 160
- Contact hours
- 146
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 9–10
- Dates
- Jun 7 to Jul 30, 2027
- Weeks
- 12
- Academic hours
- 240
- Contact hours
- 220
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 14–15
- Dates
- Jun 7 to Aug 27, 2027
- Weeks
- 28–36
- Academic hours
- 560–720
- Contact hours
- 513–660
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 34–44
- Dates
- From Aug 30, 2027
- Weeks
- —
- Academic hours
- 60
- Contact hours
- 60
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 4
- Dates
- Flexible
- Weeks
- —
- Academic hours
- 24
- Contact hours
- 24
- Indicative US/ECTS credits
- 1–2
- Dates
- Flexible
"+" means one additional module: four further weeks.
Electives are optional and may be taken on their own or alongside a semester or the full Academic Year.
The figures shown in the table are indicative. Credit is awarded by the student's home institution, and we do not determine the amount granted. We provide the contact hours, syllabus, assessment record, and grade conversion so the home institution can make its decision based on the relevant documentation.
Many institutions also require a minimum program length for transfer credit. Students should check with their home institution before relying on any credit figure.
The Curriculum, module by module
The curriculum unfolds module by module, taking you from the basics to proficiency in Arabic.
In the first weeks you master the full Arabic alphabet, its sounds and its handwriting, from the first letters and long vowels to the emphatic letters, the hamza, the shadda and the taa marbuta. Then you move into the textbook itself, you introduce yourself, say where you are from and describe your studies.
- the alphabet and script
- sun and moon letters and the definite article
- grammatical gender
- the nisba
- subject pronouns
- the equational sentence
- demonstratives
- the idaafa (possessive construction)
- question words
- numbers from zero to ten
- adjective and noun agreement
- your first plurals
an Arabic calligraphy workshop where you write your own name, and an orientation walk through the Rabat medina, reading signs and numerals in the real world.
Learning materials
We use a mix of materials, including Arabic textbooks, videos, newspapers, and Arabic songs, alongside our own original materials developed at Al Minbar to support and complement your learning.
Electives: Content Courses & Area Studies
Electives allow you to take your studies in a more specific direction. They can be taken on their own or added to a semester or Academic Year program.
Content Courses in Arabic
These courses use Arabic as the language of instruction while focusing on a specific subject or type of material. They allow students to continue developing their Arabic through increasingly specialized content rather than through a general language sequence.
Courses may focus on areas such as media, business, and classical texts, depending on the program and level. Each course includes 60 hours of instruction across a semester and counts toward your Arabic contact hours.
Area Studies in English
Area Studies courses approach the Arab world from an academic perspective, with instruction in English. They are designed for students who want to deepen their understanding of the region alongside their Arabic studies.
These 20-hour, one-to-one courses can cover subjects such as history, politics, society, culture, or other areas of academic interest. They can be taken independently or added to a semester or Academic Year program.
The two types of electives serve different purposes. Content Courses strengthen your Arabic through subject-based study; Area Studies deepen your knowledge of the region through academic study in English.
Academic Evaluation
Every Core Program module is assessed the same way: continuous evaluation through the module, two written tests and an end-of-module oral, all aligned to the ACTFL scale. The short weekly quizzes are for feedback only and carry no weight in your final mark. Your results decide progression to the next module, and we report them to universities on request.
| Component | Weight | When, within each module |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance and participation | 20% | Continuous |
| Homework | 15% | Daily |
| Weekly quiz | 15% | Weeks 1, 2 and 3 |
| Oral presentations | 20% | Weeks 2 and 4 |
| Final written test | 20% | Week 4 |
| Oral assessment | 10% | Week 4 |
If you need to leave before a module ends and your home institution needs a record, you can sit a short exit assessment, a written paper and an oral interview, during your final days of study.
Every student on a Semester, Semester+ or Academic Year package sits an official ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) with an independent certified examiner.
Assessment and grading
Every module is assessed on attendance, quizzes, a mid-term examination, a final examination and an oral presentation. Exact weightings are set out in the module syllabus, sent to departments on request.
| Al Minbar | US and ECTS grade | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | A | Pass |
| 80–89 | B | Pass |
| 70–79 | C | Pass |
| Below 70 | F | No credit |
Seventy is the passing mark, set at the US/ECTS threshold for credit toward a major. A course passed here meets a "C or better" requirement without further argument.
Academic Records
A certificate
Course taken, level of the course, contact hours completed, proficiency level assessed, dates of enrollment.
A transcript
Module by module, with numerical grades and the conversion chart above.
ACTFL OPI
An official oral proficiency rating from Language Testing International, issued directly to the student, for programs of eight weeks or longer.
An attendance record
Where financial aid or fellowship reporting requires one.
Documents are issued within a fixed number of working days of course completion and sent directly to the institution on request. We are finalizing the exact working-day commitment and will publish it here.
Partnership
For departments considering a cohort.
Write to contact@alminbar-institute.com or reach us on WhatsApp at +212 649 65 54 10. A named academic contact with a stated response time is being confirmed and will be published here.