URSA is a research abroad program. You will not be sitting in classes in Morocco. You will be out meeting people, collecting data, enjoying Morocco. Rabat is home base, but students go where their research takes them. Below are some of the cities that students have visited for their research. Also, students sometimes travel with their peers, host families, or UIR buddies. 

URSA is culturally immersive. Your research project will require you to connect with Moroccans because they are the gate keepers for the information you need. You will quickly learn that in Morocco relationships are rarely transactional. You will find Moroccans warm, kind, generous and interested in you and your research. 

URSA gives you independence and support. Even though you are working independently, we have set up several support contacts for you. You will have a UMD faculty to support you as well as your URSA faculty. In country, each student has a Moroccan peer buddy assigned to them, as well as a Moroccan faculty advisor whose job it is to make sure you understand the cultural nuances of your research and to connect you to the people you need to do your research. URSA students also stay in pairs with Moroccan host families in Rabat to ensure you have a culturally immersive experience.