Jordan: Middle Eastern Studies Program
Learn about our Program in Jordan
Spend the summer in Amman, the capital city of Jordan, in cooperation with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, or the CCCU.
Program Dates
May 3, 2022 - June 3, 2022
*The dates listed above are planned group flight departure dates from LAX and in-country return departure date.
Costs
Tuition: $1,865 per unit ((same as Malibu tuition per unit)
Room & Board: $2,452
Program Specific Costs:
- Visa: $99
- Global Health Insurance Fee: $84
Required Vital Documents and Deadlines
Completed IP Document Submission Form including the following documents:
- Passport Copy
- Health Clearance Form and Flight Itinerary
- Programs departing in May 2022: Due March 11, 2022
- Visa Copy: April 22, 2022
Course Requirements
4 unit minimum requirement, and students may take up to 5 units. Students can choose to take either INTS 365 or REL 301. Students cannot take both INTS 365 and REL 301. All students must take HUM 295.
Course Offerings
HUM 295 Enriching the International Experience (1)
This course is designed to enrich the student’s international experience by providing opportunities to engage more fully with the culture and to reflect more deeply on the experience. It is the goal of this course to help students know how to look at and listen to their new culture and how to give meaning to their international experience. Taught only in International Programs. May be repeated in a different location. Cr/NC grading only.
INTS 365 People and Cultures of the Middle East (4)
GE: World Civilizations
This course, taught in Jordan, seeks to acquaint students with some of the diversity of peoples and cultures in that country and in the Middle East region as a whole. Emphasis is placed on understanding key elements of the Arab-Muslim culture which creates the sociocultural context both for Jordan and the broader region. In addition to looking at the specific local culture(s) and cultural diversity of Jordan and the region, emphasis will be placed on understanding the concept of culture and the nature and challenge of intercultural understanding, adaptation and growth—i.e., how do we become people who can understand and engage any cultural context in a positive way. Offered only in the Jordan International Program.
REL 301 Christianity and Culture (3)
GE: Christianity & Culture
Prerequisite: REL 101
A study of ways in which Christianity shapes such aspects of culture as art, literature, music, medicine, law, secularization, ecology, racial and ethnic issues, and education, and ways in which these, in turn, influence Christian life and faith.
Faculty-in-Residence
Dr. April Marshall
Professor of Hispanic Studies, International Studies and Languages Division, Seaver College
Office: PLC 195
April D. Marshall has explored El Yunque in Puerto Rico, snorkeled with sharks in the Galápagos, walked the city walls of Dubrovnik, and boated across Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and a double alumna of the University of Louisville. Her doctorate is from New York University in Latin American literatures and cultures. She studied abroad in Spain and Venezuela. She has been at Pepperdine since 2003. April is a professor of Hispanic Studies in the International Studies and Languages division at Seaver College. She has traveled with Pepperdine students to Buenos Aires and Madrid. April is looking forward to more adventures with students in Washington DC during the Spring 2022 semester.
CCCU/MESP Partner
MESP Director Dr. Doug Magnuson is in charge of the program in Jordan. He has lived in the Middle East for more than 30 years and has a wealth of experience and stories. Many of your class sessions will be taught by local guest lecturers, and nearly every week, you'll get to meet and hear from at least one world-class expert who may also be a religious leader, embassy official, member of the Israel-Palestine negotiations team, or author.
Dr. Magnuson has a heart for teaching students to grow in how they relate to and live effectively among people from different cultures. His passion is to see students truly understand what it means to engage in another culture, not just live there as tourists. This is a huge part of the cultural immersion you will engage in while on the Jordan: MESP program.
In addition to the interactions you'll naturally have while living immersed in this culture, the Jordan program provides opportunities for you to make progress in these areas by facilitating service projects, homestays, and multiple cultural exchanges.
"On MESP you won't be a tourist; you'll be a pilgrim. Students immerse themselves in Arab culture until they're on a first-name basis with members of the community. Of course, you'll get to see all the tourist sites too, with plenty of free time to explore—but you'll likely spend most of that free time discussing in coffee shops, playing soccer with the neighborhood children, or bargaining with the shopkeepers as you get to know them.
The weather is clear and dry, and from your neighborhood, you'll have easy access to all of the restaurants, gatherings, and attractions that Amman has to offer." - CCCU Website
Travel
Students will visit incredibly significant historical and religious sites such as the Dead Sea, Petra, Jesus' baptism site, Aqaba, Jerash, Madaba, Wadi Rum, and Mt. Nebo.
Last Updated: 08.16.21
