The word qasid is used to describe a path that is direct and smooth. This is the way we believe the Arabic language should be taught. The Qasid Institute for Arabic has quietly developed a reputation as one of the leading centers in the Middle East for Arabic language learning. A comprehensive curriculum taught over five distinct levels takes a student from the proper pronunciation of letters to a level of mastery.

Graduating students who have applied themselves will find that understanding an all-Arabic university course to be within reach, and translating general texts to be manageable. Our graduate-level modules prepare advanced students to teach Arabic and Middle East Studies, something that a number of our alumni now do at universities throughout the US and Europe. To indicate something about its level of rigor, Qasid’s Summer Intensive Program (SIP) has a higher percentage of Ivy League students vis a vis the rest of its student body than any other private Arabic language institute in the Middle East.

The term qasid is also used to describe an individual who strives forward with a direct, specific intention, which is a dictionary-perfect definition for the kind of student that Qasid attracts. Although designed mainly for university-level students and time-starved professionals, Qasid students have come as young as 15 and as old as 65. Our students include consulate officers, Fulbright researchers, full-time mothers, medical doctors, FLAS recipients, and Ivy League graduates, and hail from nearly two dozen countries.