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Courses - Spring 2025
ARAB
Arabic Department Site
Open Seats as of
11/11/2024 at 11:30 AM
ARAB101
Elementary Arabic I
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Introduction to modern standard Arabic in both its spoken and written form. Equal emphasis on all four skill areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
ARAB102
Elementary Arabic II
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ARAB101; or must have appropriate World Language Placement Test (FLPT) score.
Continuation of ARAB101. Introduction to both spoken and written Arabic. Equal emphasis on all four skill areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
ARAB205
Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II
Credits: 6
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ARAB204; or must have appropriate World Language Placement Test (FLPT) score.
Restriction: Must not be a fluent/native speaker of Arabic.
Continuation of ARAB204, with exposure to a wide range of Arabic texts from different domains. Focus on vocabulary, more complex grammatical forms, and a better understanding of the formal aspects of using MSA as well as the cultural aspects of using the language.
ARAB207
Egyptian Colloquial Arabic II
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ARAB206; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Restriction: Must not be a fluent/native speaker of Arabic.
Further develops communicative skills and cultural knowledge in Egyptian Arabic, extending range of contexts and types of social interaction. Focuses on various aspects of Egyptian popular culture.
ARAB222
Arabic for Daily Life I
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ARAB102; or equivalent; or must have appropriate World Language Placement Test (WLPT) score.
Restriction: Must not have completed ARAB202.
Develops students' speaking and listening abilities in both formal Arabic and a dialect. Focus on activating vocabulary and grammar structures, speaking at the sentence level, and selecting an appropriate register based on context.
ARAB305
Advanced Modern Standard Arabic II
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ARAB304; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Restriction: Must not be a fluent/native speaker of Arabic.
Further advanced grammar, reading, writing, speaking in Arabic; study of current issues within the Arab World.
ARAB317
Key Moments in the History of the Middle East
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ARAB202 or must have appropriate World Language Placement Test (WLPT) score.
Credit only granted for: ARAB499I or ARAB317.
Formerly: ARAB499I.
Provides students with an overview of major political and social events in the history of the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on Arabic-speaking regions in the modern period. Makes use of a range of source materials and secondary readings (in Arabic and English) to illuminate how major events and changes impacted everyday life for different groups across the region. Assessments are intended to develop linguistic competence in Arabic and to guide students to become self-directed language learners and to conduct and present research on a topic of their choosing in modern Arab history.
ARAB325
Structure and Function of the Arabic Language
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ARAB102; or must have appropriate World Language Placement Test (WLPT) score.
Credit only granted for: ARAB398I or ARAB325.
Formerly: ARAB398I.
Facilitates logic-based understanding of Arabic grammar and syntax. Explores different grammatical structures and related elements, including through writing and translation.
ARAB398W
Special Topics in Arabic Studies; Language of the Quran and Hadith II
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Continuation of ARAB399E: Language of the Quran and Hadith. It further develops understanding of the language of Quran and Hadith through reading skills, discussion of content, and recitation practice. Assumes basic reading ability in Arabic, perhaps gained through exposure to the Quran.
ARAB410
Ideology of Stereotyping: American and Middle Eastern Film and Television
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
GenEd: DVCC
Credit only granted for: ARAB410, ARAB499Q, FILM429Q.
Formerly: ARAB499Q.
Exploration of cultural stereotyping, using examples from American and Middle Eastern cinema and television. Students will examine ideological constructs of Otherness and its history, including Orientalism; propaganda techniques; and audiovisual aspects of stereotyping. While the focus is on American and Middle Eastern cultural production, the course will engage broader issues of stereotyping in contemporary society and media. Readings include theories of propaganda and cultural ideology.
Cross-listed with CINE429Q. Credit only granted for ARAB410 or CINE429Q.
ARAB499J
Special Topics in Arabic Studies; Islam in Africa and the African Diaspora
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with AASP498U and HIST429F. Credit only granted for ARAB499J, AASP498U, or HIST429F.

Offers a history of Islam's spread in Africa and among Afro-diasporic cultures across the Middle East, South Asia, and Atlantic world from the 7th century until today, touching on questions of politics, theology, race, ethnicity, migration, and cultural memory. We will situate Islam in the context of African religions, explore the complex relations that developed among Muslim societies across the continent and beyond, and study thinkers from Ahmad Baba to Malcolm X in their own words. Taught in English.