The minor in Arabic Studies facilitates proficiency in the Arabic language, familiarizes students with the cultures of the Arabic-speaking world, provides facility with the Arabic textual tradition, and affords a foundation for professional and graduate work using the Arabic language. Coursework trains students to read, interpret, and contextualize “texts,” broadly construed as written, oral, and audio-visual. This is accomplished through mastering the Arabic language, increasing knowledge of Arab cultural themes, and engaging apposite scholarly literature necessary to understand Arabic texts in an informed, relevant way.
All students wishing to minor in Arabic Studies must earn 24 credit hours. Typically, after taking the Arabic Language and Culture sequence (ARB 301, 302, and 303) for 12 credits, students complete an additional 8-12 credits of upper-division coursework in Advanced Arabic. Students may count one 4-credit course for the minor from among a list of electives on the cultures and societies of the Arabic-speaking world. Those with come to UO already proficient in Arabic may place out of third-year Arabic by taking a skills exam equivalent to ARB 303.
Arabic Studies minors are encouraged to study Arabic in countries in which Arabic is spoken. They may earn up to 12 course credits toward the minor at the 300 or 400 level through Arabic programs at accredited universities and educational institutions abroad deemed acceptable by the Arabic Studies coordinating committee. Credits will be determined based on a formula combining classroom contact-hours and duration of the program.
Requirements
The minor in Arabic Studies consists of three types of courses as outlined below. Students must complete each required course with a C+ or better grade.
Category i. 12 Credits: ARB 301-303 (Arabic Language and Culture)
ARB 301 Arabic Language & Culture (part one)
ARB 302 Arabic Language & Culture (part two)
ARB 303 Arabic Language & Culture (part three)
Category ii. 8-12 Credits: Advanced Arabic. Students must take a minimum of two additional advanced 300- or 400-level Arabic courses from the following list.
ARB 331 Advanced Arabic Grammar/Reading Classical Arabic (text course)
ARB 410/510: Topic course. Any course with this designation counts for fulfilling the Advanced Arabic elective
Category iii. 0-4 Credits: Arabic Culture & Society Electives. Instead of a third course from Category ii Advanced Arabic, students may count four credits from the following list of courses toward fulfillment of the minor.
ARB 199 Any Course with This Designation
COLT 370 Comics, Colonialism and Images of Empire
COLT 461/561 Studies in Contemporary Theory
COLT 462/562 Cultural Intersections
COLT 470/570 Studies in Identity
CRES 435/535 Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
GEOG 209 Geography of the Middle East and North Africa
HIST 199 Islamic Civilization I
HIST 199 Islamic Civilization II
HIST 199 Islam in the Modern World
HIST 322 The Crusades
HIST 410/510 Shi’ism & Revolution
HIST 410/510 Muhammad & the Qur’an
HIST 410/510 Palestine/Israel
HIST 410/510 Syria
HIST 410/510 Islamic Conquests
HIST 450/550 The Iraq War
INTL 323 Islam and Global Forces
INTL 407/507 Militant Islam
INTL 407 Middle Eastern Politics
INTL 407 Development and Social Change in the Middle East
INTL 423/523 Development and the Muslim World
J 467 Arab World & Media
JDST 340 Israelis & Palestinians
PS 399 Egypt
PS 399 Politics of the Middle East
REL 102 World Religions: Near Eastern Traditions
REL 233 Introduction to Islam
REL 324/325 History of Eastern Christianity
REL 335 Introduction to the Qur’an
REL 432/532 Topics in Islamic Mysticism
REL 435/535 Advanced Topics in Qur’an and Interpretation
REL 410/510 Islamic Law & Society
REL 410/510 Islamic Political Thought
TA 472/572 Arab American Theatre
WGS 410 Islam, Gender and Modernity
Modified requirements for students with prior literacy in Arabic
Students who already have skills that satisfy the equivalent of the ARB 301-303 third year sequence—whether from native proficiency, study abroad, or courses from another university—may choose to test out of one or more of these courses by passing a proficiency examination which will be administered by the UO Testing Center, designed to demonstrate basic literacy in Arabic. If students wish to transfer their third-year Arabic courses from other universities or study abroad, they may do so contingent on the successful completion of an examination at the appropriate level, to ensure proper placement.
Students who pass the proficiency exam must still complete 24 credits for the minor in Arabic Studies, including at least 12 from among Category ii Advanced Arabic courses and up to 12 from among Category iii Arabic Culture & Society electives.