RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Internships
Internships help students gain valuable real-world experience, providing opportunities for career exploration and development. We encourage students to apply for internships at organizations such as the US State Department, the Middle East Institute, the Leadership Development Program, AMIDEAST and the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Study Abroad
Studying abroad is an important and integral part of a student's educational experience. Immersion in the culture you are studying enriches your knowledge, broadens your perspective, and hones your language skills. If you’ve ever wondered if there are good study-abroad opportunities in the Middle East, we can assure you that the answer is yes!
The Center for Arab and Islamic Studies and its faculty have extensive knowledge of study-abroad programs in the region for both language training and non-language courses. We are happy to advise both AIS students and non-AIS students about the available opportunities, and we strongly encourage both majors and minors to study in the region. The Office of Education Abroad has further information about programs whose courses may already be approved for Villanova transfer credit.
For each major, the Office of Education Abroad has a Major Advising Page, designed to motivate students to frame their study abroad experience from an academic perspective.
St. Augustine Scholarship for Arab and Islamic Studies
The St. Augustine Scholarship for Arab and Islamic Studies is given to an undergraduate student in Arab and Islamic Studies every year who exhibits academic promise and financial need. The student is encouraged to use the award for a study abroad experience in an Arabic speaking country, although this is not required. The amount of each award is determined by the scholarship awards committee in conjunction with the Director of Financial Aid.
In order to be considered, students must meet the following requirements.
- Declared a major or minor in Arab and Islamic Studies
- Exhibited evidence of academic achievement in line with standards of the program: a minimum GPA of 3.3 in Arab and Islamic Studies and a minimum of 3.0 total
- Demonstrated financial need as determined by the University's guidelines
- Demonstrated participation in the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies’ activities (Arabic Club, lectures, conferences, etc.)
Students must write a two-page paper articulating how they intend to use the scholarship to support their study abroad experience, research, internship or other academic endeavor. The deadlines are:
- March 1: to support an experience the following fall semester
- Oct. 15: to support an experience the following spring semester
Applications will be reviewed by the Center's committee who will also gather faculty input. The Director of Arab and Islamic Studies will make the final decision and present the award to the recipient.
External Educational Resources
The Arabic We Speak is an online resource offering free, high-quality Arabic-learning videos.
Mideastwire is an Internet-based news service that employs a team of translators from around the region to gather important stories from and about the Middle East. Villanova students, faculty and staff can access this resource for free.
College and University Resources
In addition to resources and opportunities through the Center, Villanova provides support in all aspects of your collegiate experience and beyond through the centralized services of the Office for Undergraduate Students, Office of Education Abroad and Career Center.
