Studying in Morocco as an Anglophone Student: French Requirements and Preparatory Year Programs
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • Admissions & Applications
Most Moroccan public universities teach science, engineering and medicine in French, so Anglophone applicants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and elsewhere need a working French level before they enroll, proven by a DELF or TCF certificate around B2. Arabic covers law and humanities in the early years at some faculties, and English-taught tracks exist mainly at private and international institutions. If your French is not there yet, a preparatory French year closes the gap.
🎓 French-medium degrees (engineering, medicine, business schools) typically expect DELF B2 or TCF at an equivalent band, selective postgraduate tracks look for C1.
📩 Confirm the exact score with the university's international relations office. Morocco has no single centralized portal for Anglophone applicants the way Campus France works for France-bound students.
🏠 Institut Français centers in Rabat, Casablanca and other cities run French courses and DELF/DALF preparation for foreign students.
⏱️ Budget six to twelve months of French study if you are starting from little or no French.
Why French still gates admission at Moroccan universities
Morocco runs a bilingual higher education system shaped by its ties to the French university model and its Arabic curriculum. Public universities teach law, Islamic studies and several humanities faculties in Arabic, while science, engineering, medicine and business programs run largely in French. If you come from an Anglophone country, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda or elsewhere, and you target one of these French-medium tracks, you need working French before you can follow lectures and sit exams.
Where Arabic, French and English each apply
Arabic covers the early years of law and several humanities faculties at public universities. French dominates engineering schools, medical faculties, business schools and most graduate research programs, a legacy of Morocco's ties to the French university system. English-taught programs exist, mainly at private universities and a handful of international partnership tracks, but they cover a smaller share of available seats than French-medium programs.
Check the language of instruction for your specific program before you apply. Two universities in the same city can run the same subject in different languages.
What French level you need
For French-medium degree programs, universities and the preparatory tracks that feed them typically expect a B2-level French certificate, proven through the Test de Connaissance du Francais (TCF) or a DELF B2 diploma. Selective or research-oriented master's programs often ask for C1. Morocco does not run a single centralized application portal for Anglophone international applicants comparable to Campus France's system for students heading to France, so confirm the exact required score with your target university's international relations office rather than assuming a fixed continent-wide number.
Preparatory French year options
If your French sits below the required level, an annee preparatoire, a preparatory year of intensive French, closes the gap before you start your degree. Options include:
Institut Français centers in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech and other Moroccan cities, which run French courses and DELF/DALF exam preparation for foreign students.
University-affiliated language centers attached to the public university you are applying to, some run bridging French courses ahead of the academic year.
Private language schools offering intensive French, useful if you need to move from beginner or intermediate level to B2 within a set number of months.
How to apply as an Anglophone applicant
Contact the international relations office (service des relations internationales) of your target university directly. Most public universities in Morocco list this office on their website. Ask for the current language requirement for your specific program, the accepted certificates, and whether the university itself runs a preparatory French track for incoming international students. Submit your secondary or prior degree transcripts alongside your French certificate or proof of enrollment in a preparatory course.
Timeline and budget
If you are starting from little or no French, budget six to twelve months of dedicated study to reach B2 before your intended intake. Book your TCF or DELF exam sitting several months ahead of your application deadline, test centers in some cities fill up during peak application periods. Factor preparatory course fees into your study budget separately from tuition. They vary by provider and city.