Programs by Region

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO

Program Provider: American University in Cairo (AUC)

Program Site: AUC is located at a state-of-the-art, 260-acre campus in New Cairo, about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours from central Cairo by bus.

The American University in Cairo is the region’s premier English-language university. Its student population of about 5,500 includes students from 70 different countries, and each semester the university welcomes more than 200 study abroad students. Study abroad students are directly enrolled at AUC and take courses alongside Egyptian students. All courses are taught in English except for those in advanced Arabic literature and Arabic as a foreign language.

Duration: Fall, Spring, or Year. Fall semester runs from late August to mid December; spring semester runs from late January to early June.

Description: Egypt is an amalgam of many peoples and cultures resulting from successive invasions and migrations since Pharaonic times. Nowhere are the contrasts between the ancient and modern worlds displayed as colorfully as in Cairo, a massive city of 16 million inhabitants teeming with life and the sounds of car horns, markets, Arab pop music, and muezzins summoning people to prayer.

Academics: AUC is well-known for its strengths in Middle Eastern studies, political science and international relations, Egyptology, gender and women's studies, comparative literature, religion, history, and sociology, as well as the teaching of Arabic as a foreign language.

Course load and Credit: Students take five 3-unit courses, at least one of which must be Arabic language, and can earn a maximum of 15 USC units per semester. Students who want to take more than one Arabic language course may take Semi-Intensive Arabic for 6 units, or they may wish to take Modern Standard Arabic for 3 units and Colloquial Egyptian Arabic for 3 units. Except for Arabic language courses, USC study abroad students should take AUC 300- and 400-level courses and may take one 500-level (graduate-level) course if they have the necessary academic background.

Accommodations: AUC has student residences on campus and a dormitory in the Zamalek neighborhood of central Cairo. AUC runs a regular shuttle bus (with free wi-fi) between the campus and Zamalek as well as shuttles between campus and other parts of central Cairo.

Activities and Other Program Features: AUC has a number of academic, cultural, and community service clubs which students are encouraged to join. Some clubs and other campus entities arrange trips to different parts of Egypt. Some courses, especially Egyptology courses, have a number of off-campus excursions. AUC offers students a number of opportunities to do volunteer work, such as work with migrants and refugees.

Eligibility: Minimum 3.0 GPA and two semesters of college-level Arabic (or the equivalent).

Estimated Semester Cost:
Tuition..............................$14,195
Additional Expenses*..........$12,160
Total.................................$26,355

Cost Updated: 04/30/12
Text Updated: 5/3/11

*Additional expenses include estimated costs for airfare, room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, and personal expenses (which can vary greatly from student to student). USC financial aid, scholarships, and tuition remission may be applied to program costs. Please visit the Office of Overseas Studies for more detailed cost information.