Studying in Morocco

Types of universities in Morocco

Morocco has public universities in most cities. These generally offer degrees free of charge and have programs that allow many non-Moroccan African students to more easily enroll. There are also many vocational and technical schools, which often ask a small fee. There are also several private universities, which are perhaps more popular among expats. Some of these universities offer exchange programs. However, they are generally quite expensive, sometimes even equalling the costs of American or British university programs.

 Good to know:

Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane offers an American-style university program run entirely in English.

Requirements for enrolment

International students wishing to enrol in a Moroccan university must hold a baccalaureate or equivalent issued in the year of entry in university. Students enrolling in Master courses must have the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree. Students enrolling in PhD must hold a Master's degree and must specify the sector and the selected university. Most university programs are conducted in French, though the number of programs offered in English is growing. Very few are offered in Standard Arabic.

Programs offered by Moroccan universities

For public universities, you can pretty much study any basic course. There are law faculties where you can study law, French law and economics. Science faculties offer degrees in biology, geology, physics and chemistry, mathematics and computer science, and faculties of letters offering degrees in literature, psychology, history and geography, Islamic studies, philosophy and other humanities. There are also medicine faculties. The courses taught at each faculty. Also, faculties available differ from city to city, so make sure to visit the faculty's website, where you can also find specialised courses like journalism, book publishing, theatre production and others.

There are also specialised public schools like film institutes, art schools, and architecture schools.

Private universities offer courses only in specialised fields like engineering, business, management or logistics. But you can also find others offering courses in psychology, medicine, architecture, fashion design and others.

Procedures

To enroll in most public institutions of higher education in Morocco, you have to go through the diplomatic channel of your home country, which will help you in your application. Your application will then be sent to the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation. To apply for most private universities, you can send your application directly to the university you wish to attend.

Keep in mind that the matriculation procedure differs from one institute to another, and from one course to another. Usually, for an undergraduate course in public universities, there are no restrictions and no tests. However, for private universities, you may be required to take a written examination and a final oral one, which also applies to graduate degrees in public universities. From specialised public schools, you will have to take an entry exam, and for some, like medicine and architecture schools, you must meet the required high school grade average.

On arrival in Morocco

Once in Morocco, you will have to report to the Department of Professional Training within the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation to complete the registration form. You will then be able to join the university to validate the final registration. You need to send a certified copy of the registration certificate issued by the training institution to the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation.

Resident permit in Morocco

You need to consult the Moroccan embassy or consulate in your area for more information about visa requirements based on your nationality. You will either need to apply for a student visa before arriving or within 90 days of arrival. For more information on requirements by country, see the article Travelling to Morocco.

General pre-requisites

Unless you're studying letters (either it's your native language, or you can provide proof of efficiency), most courses in humanities are taught in Arabic in public universities. They may not be taught in private ones. For sciences, business, engineering and others, they are taught mostly in French in both private and public universities, and some in English in private universities. So always check the language requirements on the website, and if the information is not updated, consider making a phone call or a visit.

Living costs and student life in Morocco

Moroccan universities don't all offer dorms for students. Very few private universities offer living spaces for students (which are also quite limited). What most international students do is share a flat. You can easily find rent in the neighbourhoods near the institution where you study as homeowners there are accustomed to it.

There are scarce student jobs to be found in Morocco, but you can secure a job in a company and request a part-time schedule (which usually demands proof; a school certificate would suffice). Rent in neighbourhoods near most institutes comes around 2,000 DH and 3;000 DH but some high-end private universities are located in neighbourhoods that are far from the downtown area, and housing there could be expensive to almost non-existent, but in such cases, the institutes offer living space for students.

If you wish to make most of your student's stay in Morocco, make sure to register in cultural centres (e.g., the Dar America cultural centre offers an extensive library and social and cultural events with a yearly subscription of only 60 Dh).

 Useful links:

International University of Rabat
International University of Casablanca
Al Akhawayn University