Arabic (ARAB)

ARAB 0900 Language Placeholder

Level: Graduate

Grading: Audit

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 1001 1st Level Mod Standard Arab I 3 Credits

This course welcomes undergraduate and graduate students seeking academic course work for credit and others who wish to acquire or improve proficiency for professional or personal reasons. Non-intensive language courses offer 1.5 hours of daily contact for 5 days and award 3 credits and build skills for speaking as well as proficiency in reading, writing, and listening. The three-volume series Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-Arabiyya by Brustad, Al-Tonsi and Al-Batal et al., Georgetown University Press provides the foundational materials for this program.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1002 1st Level Mod Standard Arab II 3 Credits

This course is video-based and develops proficiency in the standard written Arabic language, as well as formal spoken Arabic. It begins with script and phonology, and moves on to cover a wide range of situation-based texts and topics that build vocabulary, grammar, and general communicative competence. Emphasis is placed on communicative activities, but some time is also spent learning to use Arabic in non-traditional, more technologically-advanced ways. By the end of the first session, you can expect to have completed all of Alif Baa and up to Chapter 3 in al-Kitaab. You will know the alphabet, be able to read and write basic sentences, and talk in limited ways about yourself and your family. You will also be able to type in Arabic and navigate the Internet using the Arabic language.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1003 Arabic for Heritage Speakers I 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1004 Arabic for Heritage Speakers 2 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1011 Intens 1st Lev Mod Stand Arb I 0-6 Credits

This intensive multi-media course focuses on developing proficiency in the standard written Arabic language, as well as formal spoken Arabic. It begins with learning of script and phonology, and works rapidly into a wide range of situation-based texts and topics that build vocabulary, grammar, and general communicative competence.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1012 Intens 1st Lv Mod Stnd Arab II 0 or 6 Credits

Successful completion of ARAB 011 or placement by exam. The Intensive Beginning Arabic II course continues the sequence of ARAB 011 in teaching Modern Standard Arabic. Using multi-media tools, the course continues to develop students’ skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing with a progression throughout the semester from understanding simpler to more complex texts and topics that build vocabulary, grammar, and general communicative and cultural competence.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 011 or ARAB 1011)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1014 Intens 1st Lv Mod Stnd Arab II 5 Credits

This Summer Main-Second Session intensive (5 credits) multi-media course focuses on developing proficiency in the standard written Arabic language, as well as formal spoken Arabic. It begins with learning of script and phonology, and works rapidly into a wide range of situation-based texts and topics that build vocabulary, grammar, and general communicative competence.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1015 1st Lev Mod Arb I: Herit Sprkr 3 Credits

This non-Intensive Beginning Arabic I course in Modern Standard Arabic is aimed at heritage students with background in Arabic. This is an accelerated course that builds on the students background and brings them to the level necessary to transition into the next intensive course. Using multi-media tools, the course is devoted to the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing with a progression throughout the semester from learning of script and phonology to understanding a wide range of texts and topics that build vocabulary, grammar, and general communicative and cultural competence.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1020 Begin MSA Heritage I 6 Credits

This course seeks to enable students to perform some daily tasks related to their personal circle, immediate needs, daily routine and familiar topics, while focusing on the four major language skills, starting with listening and reading, then writing and speaking. Students will be able to write short texts consisting of several paragraphs and revolving around daily life matters and closely related interests, summarize some of the material they read, listen to brief television news, engage in conversations and discussions about daily life matters and immediate surroundings, and deliver short and basic formal or personal speeches.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 1021 Begin MSA Heritage II 6 Credits

This non-intensive multi-media course is designed to expand proficiency in the basic communicative skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Modern Standard Arabic. As an intermediate course, it builds students’ familiarity with various genres of Arabic texts in such realms as Arabic media, literature, and culture. Also, this course focuses on facilitating the students’ acquisition of more complex grammatical structures and expanding vocabulary and discourse skills while developing competence in a wide range of communicative situations. This course is for SFS-Qatar students only.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1025 Beginner Arabic Grammar Review 0-1 Credits

A grammar review session for students in first-year Arabic language courses at Georgetown.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1111 Intens 2nd Lvl Md Stnd Arab I 0-6 Credits

This intensive multi-media course covers topics and situations relating to contemporary Arabic media, literature and culture. Focus is on acquisition of more complex grammatical structures, expanding vocabulary and discourse skills, and on developing competence in a wide range of communicative situations.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1112 Intens 2nd Lv Mod Stnd Arab II 0 or 6 Credits

Successful completion of ARAB 111 or placement by exam. The Intensive Intermediate Arabic II course continues the sequence of ARAB 111 in teaching Modern Standard Arabic. Using multi-media tools, the course expands students’ competence in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Modern Standard Arabic through a variety of texts and topics that aim at promoting students’ acquisition of vocabulary and grasp of grammar to achieve general communication skills and cultural competence.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 111 or ARAB 1111)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1113 Spoken Arabic I 3 Credits

This course is intended to increase Levantine spoken Arabic proficiency through focusing on intensive practice of interactive functional skills necessary in communicative situations, such as vocabulary retention and retrieval, listening comprehension, and fundamental conversation strategies. It assumes some knowledge of Arabic script and grammatical structure and is designed to enable nonnative speakers of Arabic to communicate actively and appropriately with educated native speakers on a wide range of topics. Prerequisite: at least one year of Modern Standard Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Arabic, Arabic, Arabic or Arabic.

ARAB 1114 Formal Spoken Arabic II 3 Credits

This course is intended to increase spoken Arabic proficiency through focusing on intensive practice of interactive functional skills necessary in communicative situations, such as vocabulary retention and retrieval, listening comprehension, and fundamental conversation strategies. It assumes some knowledge of Arabic script and grammatical structure and is designed to enable nonnative speakers of Arabic to communicate actively and appropriately with educated native speakers on a wide range of topics. Prerequisite: at least one year of Modern Standard Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Arabic, Arabic, Arabic or Arabic.

ARAB 1117 Intens Spoken Levantine Arab 3 Credits

This course is intended to build proficiency in the Levantine dialect, through practice of interactive functional skills such as listening comprehension, conversation strategies (linguistic and cultural), and vocabulary building. It assumes knowledge of Arabic script and Modern Standard Arabic grammatical structure. It is designed to enable students to communicate actively and appropriately on a wide range of topics. Prerequisite: at least one year of intensive Modern Standard Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1118 Levantine Arabic II 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 1120 Interm Mod Stand Arab:Heritge 3 Credits

Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic for Heritage Speakers I is a continuation of the course ARAB-021 that is designed for students who speak fluent Arabic but who require instruction at the Intermediate level on how to read and write Modern Standard Arabic. ARAB-120 will focus on improving the student’s performance of four basic skills: (1) reading authentic texts covering various topics at the Intermediate level; (2) writing structurally sound compositions on both abstract and concrete subjects with correct usage of vocabulary items and textual cohesion; (3) listening to authentic Arabic audios and videos in related topics to the reading themes; (4) speaking in formal situations using Modern Standard Arabic with increased comfort and ease. By the completion of this course, the student will have the proficiency needed to continue to the Intermediate High Level.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 1121 Interm Arabic Heritage II 3 Credits

This course introduces students to the comparative study of political systems. By necessity, it encompasses examination of the histories, institutions, leaderships, ideologies, and controversial issues of selected nation states in various parts of the world. It is a survey course and a foundations course, meant to equip students with the specialized vocabulary, knowledge, and analytical tools they will need as they move on to more advanced and specialized subjects in this field. The course has four primary objectives: (1) to introduce students to the core concepts and basic premises of leading schools of thought and interpretation in the study of comparative politics; (2) to familiarize students with important variations in the governmental institutions, norms, events and practices of contemporary nation states; (3) to develop in students the capacity to identify and critically examine arguments and counter-arguments in discussions of important issues and trends in comparative politics; and (4) to sharpen student analytical skills of information-gathering, conceptual definition, and systematic organization and presentation of ideas. Besides furnishing students with greater ability to undertake intelligent assessment of the contemporary politics of the world’s nation states, this course aims, along the way, to instill in students a passionate awareness of both the urgency and excitement that lies ahead of them in the study of comparative politics.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 1122 Intermediate MSA HL 6 Credits

This course builds on ARAB 1021, guiding Heritage students toward achieving Intermediate High to Advanced Low proficiency, as outlined in ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Students will develop listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills through tasks related to personal interests and academic topics relevant to the Arab world. Emphasis is placed on producing detailed, organized texts and engaging in extended conversations while minimizing dialectal features. Students will explore diverse genres, strengthen cohesion strategies, and analyze authentic materials. By the end of the semester, students will be able to express opinions, summarize complex information, and sustain discussions with increased fluency and accuracy.

يشكل هذا المقرر امتدادًا لمقرر ARAB 1021، ويهدف إلى مساعدة الطلاب الناطقين بالعربية على تحقيق مستوى الكفاءة المتوسط الأعلى إلى المتقدم الأدنى، وفقًا لإرشادات الكفاءة اللغوية التي وضعها مجلس تدريس

اللغات الأجنبية (ACTFL) . يركز المقرر على تنمية مهارات الاستماع والقراءة والكتابة والتحدث من خلال مهام تتعلق بالاهتمامات الشخصية والموضوعات الأكاديمية ذات الصلة بالعالم العربي. تُولى أهمية خاصة لإنتاج نصوص مفصلة ومنظمة والمشاركة في محادثات مطولة مع الحد من استخدام العامية. يستكشف الطلاب أنماطًا نصية متنوعة ويعززون استراتيجيات الترابط النصي ويحللون مواد أصلية. بنهاية الفصل الدراسي، سيكون الطلاب قادرين على التعبير عن آرائهم، وتلخيص المعلومات المعقدة، والمشاركة في مناقشات مطوّلة بطلاقة ودقة متزايدة.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 1021

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2202 Intro to Islamic Civilization 0 or 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Course attributes: Core: Theology, Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

ARAB 2213 Intro to Islamic Civilization 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2214 Arabic Media I 3 Credits

This course focuses on authentic Arabic media, including print media, video, and computer-based materials. Activities include reading/listening for comprehension, and discussion of topics related to current events, politics, economics, society, and culture. Taught in Arabic. Prerequisite: two years of Arabic, or permission of the instructor.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2215 Arabic Media II 3 Credits

Successful completion of ARAB 213 or placement by exam. This course focuses on authentic Arabic media, including print media, video, and computer-based materials. Activities include reading/listening for comprehension, and discussion of topics related to current events, politics, economics, society, and culture. Taught in Arabic. Prerequisite: two years of Arabic, or permission of the instructor.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2216 Intens 3rd Lvl Md Stnd Arab I 0-6 Credits

This is an intensive, largely media-based course focusing on developing proficiency in reading and discussion of texts in international relations, history, Islam, and current affairs. In addition to extensive reading, it includes composition exercises, review of Arabic grammar, listening skills, and conversation practice.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 112 or ARAB 1112)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2217 Intens 3rd Lvl Md Stnd Arab II 0-6 Credits

Successful completion of ARAB 215 or placement by exam. The Intensive Advanced Arabic II course continues the sequence of ARAB 215 in teaching Modern Standard Arabic. Using multi-media tools, the course advances students’ competence in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Modern Standard Arabic. Through building vocabulary and grasp of grammar the course aims at enabling students to comfortably access a wide variety of texts and media that allows them to reach advanced communication skills and cultural competence.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2218 Arabic Media I 3 Credits

Arabic Media I is designed to enable students interested in media to master their Arabic skills. A detailed course description can be found under each section.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2219 NonInten Adv Mod Stand Arabic2 0 or 3 Credits

Successful completion of ARAB 215 or placement by exam. This is a non-intensive, largely media-based course focusing on developing proficiency in reading and discussion of texts in international relations, history, Islam, and current affairs. In addition to extensive reading, it includes composition exercises, review of Arabic grammar, listening skills, and conversation practice.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 215 or ARAB 2216)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2220 Arabic Media II 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 2222 Advanced MSA Heritage I 3 Credits

Advanced Modern Standard Arabic for Heritage Speakers I is a continuation of the course ARAB-121 which is designed for students who speak fluent Arabic but who require instruction at the intermediate level on how to read and write Modern Standard Arabic. ARAB 221 will focus on improve the student’s performance of three basic skills: (1) reading authentic texts covering various topics at the advanced level; (2) writing structurally sound compositions on both abstract and concrete subjects with correct usage of vocabulary items and textual cohesion; (3) speaking in formal situations using Modern Standard Arabic with increased comfort and ease. By the completion of this course, the student will have the proficiency needed to continue to the Advanced Level.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 2223 Advanced MSA Heritage II 3 Credits

Advanced Modern Standard Arabic for Heritage Speakers II is a continuation of the course ARAB-220 which is designed for students who speak fluent Arabic but who require instruction at the advanced level on how to read and write Modern Standard Arabic. ARAB 221 will focus on improve the student’s performance of three basic skills: (1) reading authentic texts covering various topics at the advanced level; (2) writing structurally sound compositions on both abstract and concrete subjects with correct usage of vocabulary items and textual cohesion; (3) speaking in formal situations using Modern Standard Arabic with increased comfort and ease. By the completion of this course, the student will have the proficiency needed to continue to the post-Advanced Level.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 2224 Spoken Modern Standard Arabic 3 Credits

This course focuses on improving students’ speaking skills and ability to use Modern Standard Arabic in different communicative situations. It also aims to enrich their vocabulary and develop accuracy and fluency in Modern Standard Arabic. One of the most hindering obstacles in learning sound Arabic for speaking purposes is grammar. However, the speaker, in fact, does not need to study grammar in depth to be able to deliver an error-free speech in Arabic. This course is delivered in a way that spares the student the hassle of delving into complicated grammatical issues, and concentrates instead on the necessary grammatical rules that would help in securing the solidity of speech, especially in how to avoid common mistakes. The course is designed for students who are looking to improve their ability to speak correct Arabic in formal situations and to be able to express themselves accurately and appropriately. While not counting as a post-advanced course for the purposes of attaining proficiency, it is highly recommended for students who are intending to take the proficiency exam since it enables students to speak fluently in different formal situations, enriches grammatical knowledge necessary for speaking, enables students to express their opinions in a sound and appropriate language, enables students to avoid common mistakes that are spread in the media, and helps students to express themselves more fluently in the proficiency exam.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221) or (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2225 Arabic Grammar Review Session 0-1 Credits

This session reviews Arabic grammar concepts from the Intensive Intermediate and Advanced Arabic courses. Students in ARAB111, ARAB112, ARAB215, ARAB216, and ARAB217 can register for the zero-credit OR the one-credit section.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2226 Arabic Grmr Review Session II 0-1 Credits

This Grammar Review Session is open for Intermediate and Advanced Arabic sections. Students interested in earning one-credit for this Grammar Review Session can register for section 2 of this course.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 1112 or ARAB 112

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2227 Advanced MSA HL 6 Credits

Building on ARAB 1122, this course guides students toward achieving Advanced Low to Advanced Mid proficiency, as defined by ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Students will develop advanced listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, focusing on both theoretical and practical topics related to the Arab world and academic fields. Emphasis is placed on composing medium-length texts, using intertextual cohesion strategies, and engaging with diverse genres. Students will listen to authentic recordings, take notes, and deliver oral presentations. Discussions and dialogues will emphasize fluency, accuracy, and minimal use of dialectal features, preparing students for professional and academic communication. يشكل هذا المقرر امتدادًا لمقررARAB 1122 ، ويهدف إلى مساعدة الطلاب على تحقيق مستوى الكفاءة المتقدم الأدنى إلى المتقدم الأوسط، وفقًا لإرشادات الكفاءة اللغوية التي وضعها مجلس تدريس اللغات الأجنبية ACTFL . يركز المقرر على تنمية مهارات الاستماع والقراءة والكتابة والتحدث على المستوى المتقدم، مع التركيز على الموضوعات النظرية والعملية المتعلقة بالعالم العربي والمجالات الأكاديمية. تُولى أهمية خاصة لكتابة نصوص متوسطة الطول وتوظيف استراتيجيات الترابط النصي بين الفقرات والتفاعل مع أنماط نصية متنوعة. يستمع الطلاب إلى تسجيلات أصلية ويدوّنون الملاحظات ويقدّمون عروضًا شفهية. تُركز المناقشات والحوارات على تعزيز الطلاقة والدقة مع الحد من استخدام العامية، ما يُعدّ الطلاب للتواصل في السياقات المهنية والأكاديمية.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2257 Pre-Advanced Arabic I 6 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2258 Pre-Advanced Arabic II 6 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2261 Inside Arabic:How it works 3 Credits

This course aims to help students understand how Arabic works linguistically and what socio-cultural factors contributed to its development, all the while comparing it to English in structure, processes and social realities. It aims to clarify the language for all learners of Arabic, native and non-native alike. Students are briefly introduced to the history of Arabic language study, both in the Classical period of Islam and in current studies. We proceed to examine the fundamentals that make Arabic what it is, while looking back to the unique socio-political and cultural motives and linguistic necessities that shaped the language. In this course, students will begin deciphering the “puzzle” of Arabic through discussions and exercises that will engage them with the language in a unique approach to enhance their grasp of the beautiful language of Arabic! Course taught in English Credits: 3.00 Pre-requisite: ARAB 011 or knowledge of Arabic

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 2270 Variations Std Arab Dialects 3 Credits

This course introduces the variation within and across Standard Arabic and the dialects. The focus will be on the variation in the structure of words (morphology) and the structure of sentences (syntax). We will study the variation within Standard Arabic and in Standard Arabic on the one hand and the dialects on the other hand. Although an introductory course, this course will increase your knowledge of the Arabic language system from a comparative perspective. This class will be conducted in English. The comparative aspect of this course will be discussed from a socio-historical and cultural perspective. The difference and similarities between the Standard and the colloquial and between the different dialects will be connected to the different socio-historical and cultural surroundings where these varieties of Arabic are. Pre-requisite: ARAB012, or ARAB021 or placement by exam.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 2281 Religious Discourse 3 Credits

Religious Discourse is multidisciplinary in nature as it touches on linguistics, religion, philosophy, politics and history. This course introduces students to discourse and discourse analysis, the history of religious discourse in the MENA region, and samples of religious discourse analysis. Students will discover and discuss the issue of “renewal” of religious discourse and consider what led to such need by analyzing discourse by major figures and institutions. Students, in turn, will have hands-on practice with analysis techniques based on what they learn in our workshops. The course will allow students to appreciate the techniques and strategies employed by authors to convey their intended messages.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

ARAB 2289 WOMEN GENDER IN ISLAM 3 Credits

This course traces the historical roots of contemporary Muslim discourses over issues pertaining to women and gender. We examine how perceptions of women and gender have been shaped and represented vis-à-vis changing and competing discourses. We read Islamic texts as sites of cultural production, which are shaped by social contexts and communal attitudes. Topics include conflicting representations of Muslim women; questions surrounding feminism and equality; the history and politics of veiling; women’s interpretations of the Qur’an; debates over female-led prayer; and perceptions of same-sex desires and practices. Throughout the course, we reflect on several questions: How does gender shape social and religious authority? In what ways do Muslims’ views of gender and sexuality mirror their cultural fabric and social contexts across time and space? And, how do Muslims use scripture and their intellectual heritage in their attempt to reform laws and deeply rooted practices? By the end of this course you should have an understanding of the complex ways in which Islamic texts address key issues and the diverse ways through which Muslim scholars have interpreted them throughout Muslim history.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2298 The Syntax of Arabic 3 Credits

This course explores the grammar of Arabic from a comparative perspective. We will study the grammar of major topics in modern Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic and major dialects). Topics include the grammar of noun phrases, adjectives, prepositional phrases, verb phrases, subjects, sentences, subordinate clauses, negation, questions, etc.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Equivalent to ARAB 401

ARAB 2299 Post-Advanced Arabic

This post-Advanced Arabic conversation session is a continuation of the advanced level session and is designed to help learners communicate about a variety of complex topics such as autobiographical, social, abstract, and academic topics. Learners will produce paragraph length conversations, and narratives in the past, present and future time frames. Learners will be able to compare and evaluate different points of view on concrete and abstract topics. This conversation session is open to students currently enrolled in ARAB courses and have completed at least Advanced Arabic II (ARAB216 or ARAB217). Students currently in ARAB216/ARAB217 may register for the Advanced Arabic conversation session (ARAB216-10).

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: No Grade

ARAB 2324 Arabic for Diplomats 3 Credits

The Arabic for Diplomacy course is designed for students who intend to pursue successful careers in the Foreign Service, government, UN agencies, local and international NGOs as well as in fields like politics, security, media and communication, economics and business. Students develop their communicative abilities and expand knowledge about Arabic for diplomacy, as well as customs, traditions and ways of life of the Arab world. This course is for students who have completed Advanced Arabic (Arab 2216) or its equivalent and focuses on conversation skills, speaking, listening, writing, reading comprehension, continued vocabulary acquisition and terminology related to diplomacy and international affairs.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 2216 or ARAB 215

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 2325 Theatre in the Arab World 3 Credits

Arab contributions to performance traditions have been ignored, and at times purposefully erased, from the global history of theatre. Traditionally, the Western world was viewed as the inheritors of the rich Greek dramaturgical tradition, while the Islamic world—due to its supposed aversion to modernity—was ill-suited to the complexities of performance arts. This course, arguing against this pervasive narrative, explores the rich histories, traditions, forms, and styles of theatre in the Arab world. The readings will cover the earliest manifestations of performance in the ta’ziya tradition, leading up to modern-day productions that seek to challenge sociopolitical oppression and despotism prevalent in the region. Throughout the semester, we will read plays from Syria, Egypt, and North Africa, with a special focus on performances that deal with social and political issues in the Arab world. These will be interrogated through the lens of critical theories of performance and semiotics by both Western and Arab scholars. We will endeavour to understand how the Arab identity is negotiated and constructed in performance, and how Arabs use the poetics of theatre as a tool to work through their post-colonial history and implement political change in their complex present moment.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 1011

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3101 Arabic Experiential Learning 1-4 Credits

This course offers students pursuing a minor in Arabic, Advanced Studies track, an opportunity to engage in Arabic-related experiential learning beyond the classroom. The course requires participation in Arabic-focused activities approved by the Arabic Program and designed to enhance linguistic and cultural proficiency. Activities may include on-campus or in-town events, such as Arabic Book Clubs, Arabic Corner conversations, and guided museum visits. Alternatively, students may participate in an Arabic faculty-led study abroad trip, when one is available. Through these immersive experiences, students will deepen their connection to the Arabic language and culture.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3218 Advanced Arabic Media I 3 Credits

The purpose of this course is to give students who have passed the MAAS Arabic proficiency exam another opportunity to further develop their reading, listening and speaking skills. The focus will be on current issues in Arab society and politics featured in the Arab media and social network sites. The materials to be tapped will be primary and secondary, most of which will be untranslated, such as film clips, articles, opinion pieces, interviews, statements, government and non-government reports, editorials, blogs, songs, slogans, posters and graffiti. One key feature of the course will be discussions of individual or group class presentations.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Equivalent to ARAB 4414

ARAB 3220 Advanced Arabic Media II 3 Credits

The purpose of this course is to give students who have passed the Arabic proficiency exam another opportunity to further develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The focus will be on current issues in Arab society and politics featured in the Arab media and social network sites. The materials to be tapped will be primary and secondary, most of which will not be translated, such as film clips, articles, opinion pieces, interviews, statements, government and non-government reports, editorials, blogs, songs, slogans, posters and graffiti. One key feature of the course will be individual or group class presentations and their discussions. It is also the objective of the course that by the end of the semester, students will reach the Superior level rating on the ACTFL scale, i.e. “they can support opinions, hypothesize, discuss topics concretely and abstractly, and handle a linguistically unfamiliar situation”; that their vocabulary will be enriched, their debating skills enhanced.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3225 Theater in the Arab World 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 1011

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Equivalent to ARAB 2325

ARAB 3303 Topics in Arab Islamic Civ 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3304 Qur'anic and Biblical Figures 3 Credits

This course will explore qur'anic and biblical figures through shared traditions and/or narratives in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptures and their interpretive traditions. We will primarily focus on depictions of some prominent figures found in the Qurʾan and reacquaint ourselves, whenever necessary, with how these same figures are represented in the Jewish and Christian traditions. Some of these figures will serve as case studies in comparative interpretation. Careful attention will be given to the cultural context surrounding the promulgation of competing figures and narratives in these traditions. Some of the figures we will explore include Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Mary and Jesus. Through the exploration of these figures, this course will offer students a glimpse into the development of the early Islamic tradition.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate level students.

ARAB 3308 Topics in the Arab World II 3 Credits

This course will focus on contemporary issues shaping the Arab world using various authentic texts. Students will improve their language skills through reading, writing, presentations and discussions related to different topics including, but not limited to, politics, society and culture. Course taught in Arabic Prerequisites: ARAB 216, 221 or placement exam

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3312 Arab Society 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3316 Arabic Language and Politics 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3317 Arabic-English Translations 3 Credits

This course explores translation as it applies to news and entertainment media. Translation is not an objective, mechanical one-for-one substitution of words and phrases but is instead a subjective, interpretive process that requires linguistic and cultural understanding of both the source and the target languages. This course provides students with the understanding they need to tackle the problems inherent in Arabic to English translation-interpretation and vice versa. Basic translation strategies and media content skills are also discussed. Course content includes exploration of the processes and techniques of translation, interpretation, examination of the nature and features of various texts, and intensive practical media translation followed by in class discussion and criticism.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3320 Arab Film 3 Credits

As a medium that is entangled in the complex relationship between cultural and artistic production and audience reception, this course introduces Arab cinema as a vehicle through which themes of social significance in Arab society are reflected upon, analyzed, upheld or challenged. This course will survey Arab cinema from different periods and genres, and will consider the ways in which cinema is used to explore themes such as gender and sexuality, national identity, war, displacement, poverty, urbanization, colonialism and religion. Students will learn to analyze films critically and become familiar with the key theoretical elements of modern critical and cultural theory as they apply to film study and criticism. The films screened as part of the course will be analyzed from an aesthetic perspective, but also as socially produced narratives that reveal some of the central tensions and concerns of the culture from which they emerged. Students will be introduced to various genres that characterize Arab cinema such as comedy, drama, documentary, musicals, historical and epic.

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3324 The Journey of Arabic 3 Credits

This class is an overview of the historical development of the Arabic language from its earliest stages through the modern era. A range of topics will be discussed, such as how Classical Arabic emerged, pre-Islamic dialects, the role of the Quran, the spread of Islam, contact with other languages, and diglossia, etc. Selected readings from leading scholars in the field will be examined. Course taught in English

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3325 Researching Arabic Dialects 3 Credits

This course will be taught primarily in Arabic. The Study of Arabic dialects has been a long concern that extends from modern times and dates back to the medieval times where Arabic dialects were investigated to describe and codify the Arabic language. This introductory course introduces the students to the study of Arabic dialects as a branch of Arabic linguistics in terms of theory, methods, goals, and results. It acquaints students with descriptive techniques and first-hand knowledge in Arabic dialect fieldwork. The techniques necessary for analyzing primary data, transcribing, analyzing, and interpreting oral data recorded in the field. By using examples from a variety of dialects, and from transcribed interviews conducted by the students, the basic principles of Arabic dialectology will be introduced. The course deals with the following themes: the place of dialectology in the linguistic theory, regional dialectology, urban dialectology, the medieval Arab grammarians theory of Arabic dialects, modern dialectology, diglossia: the issue of standard and non-standard, the structure of Arabic dialects, regional differences, social differences, dialect boundaries and transitions, methodology in terms of selecting speakers, data collection: interviews, questionnaires, and other tools followed in both the modern studies and traditional ones, transcribing data collected, describing the results, the issue of variation, classification and comparative analysis of Arabic dialects: Eastern and Western Arabic dialects.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3326 Arabic Academic Writing 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3327 Media Arabic 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3328 Business Arabic 3 Credits

Students are required to have Intermediate MSA or permission of instructor. This course explores the language of Arabic business as used in readings, correspondence, and documents. This course prepares high intermediate-level students for successful communication in the Arabic-speaking business world. The course builds upon students' existing knowledge with an emphasis on practical, real-life business applications of Arabic language vocabulary, structure and functionality. Its aim is to provide students with the basic cross-cultural understanding, and the accuracy in spoken and written communication necessary to effectively participate in the Arabic speaking business world. Course content includes exploration of the methods, vocabulary and techniques of Arabic language communications in finance, marketing, and general commercial transactions.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 112 or ARAB 1112)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3329 Arabic Formal Writing 3 Credits

This course is a career oriented Arabic writing course that tries to bridge the communication gap between a language course work and information- transfer needs of work . The course trains the student to write major forms of formal writing, including correspondence, memoranda and reports. This course is post-advanced level, aimed at students who have demonstrated their proficiency in Arabic, but want more practice in formal written Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3330 Arabic Lang Policies Politic 3 Credits

This course explores the language policy and its political, economic and educational ramifications in the Arab world. It discusses the linguistic situation of Arabic and language policies adopted by the governments in the Arab countries. It also discusses the initiatives and suggestions made in the Arab world in order to raise and support the status of Standard Arabic nationally and internationally and the problems that arise due to the absence of a strategic language plan at the state level. Topics will also include how to develop a fair, democratic, and strategic language policy; the economic cost of the language policies in a dynamic linguistic market; and the influence of language policies on education and academia. The class is conducted in Arabic, but readings will be from Arabic and English sources. Assignments are in Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3331 Arabian Nights in Western Lit 3 Credits

This course will analyze how the stories of the Arabian Nights have influenced throughout time and continue to influence Western narratives. It will compare some novels from the Western world to the Nights to show how they have recycled the text of the Nights in inventive ways on both the form and the content levels. The class will compare stories from The Nights to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Jorge Borges On Mysticism, and John Barth’s Somebody the Sailor, among others. Finally the course will endeavor to find points of encounter rather than differences between western narratives and the Arabian Nights. This unique approach will raise the question of universality and shared symbols between Arab/Muslim civilization and the West.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3332 Islam,Religous Auth,Modernity 3 Credits

This course focuses on the role of the ʿulamāʾ as bearers of religious authority, on the ways and institutional settings in which their authority is constructed, perpetuated, and transformed. After studying the historical and social environment of the ʿulamāʾ in the pre-modern period, the course examines in detail the structural and institutional changes and continuities that the age of modernity brought for this group with special attention to the intellectual thought associated with renewal and reform since the 18th century. The focus of the course is the Arab Middle East and Sunni Islam.

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3333 God, Nature, Society 3 Credits

Full Title: Reimagining African technology markets.Course Description: Technology plays an increasingly important role in Africa’s development and social and economic progress. Africa’s digital revolution can be attributed to demand from a youthful population, increased digitization and digital transformation and increased investment in innovative products. That said, there are pervasive challenges such as poor critical infrastructure, a wide digital divide and skills gaps. While the tech sector has positioned itself to help solve Africa’s challenges, there is inconclusive evidence on the sustainability of such corporate social impact and the sector’s role in solving systemic challenges. As such, the class will examine the market systems approach to development and how to leverage the corporate sector for good. Africa’s fast adoption of technology for development provides a shift from typical “brick and motor” business models that focused on the construction of dated infrastructure and the distribution of goods, to one that leapfrogs and focuses on leaning in to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a rising gig economy, increasing local manufacturing thus providing Africans with additional agency to craft their own progress. This course will introduce broad topics related to Africa’s development at the intersection of business, development and technology. Students will study factors relevant to the tech sector’s success such as geopolitical influences such as China’s digital belt road, cyber and information technology security, ethical considerations in product development and evolving legal frameworks. We will discuss the role of the private sector as a vehicle for change with a particular emphasis on how technological innovation is affecting the lives and livelihoods of Africans and African markets.The course will involve deep engagement with classmates, guest speakers, and readings and real-life focused assignments that allow students challenge, design and reimagine tech in Africa.

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3334 Short Stories Fr the Maghreb 3 Credits

This course is primarily a reading course, designed to enable students to read complete stories, to develop in-depth, analytical, reflective and fluent reading skills. The emphasis will be on self-reliant preparation. Students are expected to gain mastery of the text almost independently, to develop their own responses, and ask crucial questions. The course is also intended to explore the relevance of these stories to modern Maghribi societies; the extent to which they are part of a larger picture of modern Arabic fiction; and whether or not the Maghrib can claim a narrative voice of its own. The course will be conducted in Arabic. It will also give students an opportunity to review grammar as well as build up vocabulary.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3335 Intro Arabic Short Story 3 Credits

Language of Instruction: Arabic Prerequisite: ARAB216 or ARAB221 or placement by exam This course deals with the Arabic short story, covering its genesis and major developments, trajectories, contexts, and authors in the past century. It introduces students to the main influences that had an impact on the pioneers of the genre. Students will learn about the major social, political, and aesthetic themes of the Arabic short story and the various techniques and styles that writers employed to create their fictional worlds, such as realism, allegory, fantasy, and the narrative mode. Additionally, the course will ask why these Arab authors used the short story genre rather than poetry or the novel to convey their worldviews, dreams, and disillusions, exploring throughout the readings the potentials of the genre. A tentative list of authors may include Yusuf Idris, Baha’ Tahir, Zakariyya Tamir, Fu’ad al-Takarli, Ghada al-Samman, and Salwa Bakr. The course will be taught in Arabic. In addition to reading short stories in Arabic, students will read relevant critical and historical articles in both Arabic and English.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

ARAB 3336 Contemporary Arabic Novels 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3337 The Arab Novel 3 Credits

Since the late nineteenth century, Arab writers have experimented broadly and at times radically with the form of the novel. Yet, the very emergence of this literary form in the modern Arab context begs many questions. To begin with, there is the old question about whether the Arabic novel was imported wholesale from the West, or whether it emerged organically in conversation with indigenous forms. We might pose this old question more bluntly: Was the Arabic novel an instance of colonial-era borrowing or, worse, a cultural artifact imposed by Western cultural hegemony? Certainly, many early experiments with the novel borrowed directly from European models, just as others drew self-consciously upon older Arabic narrative fiction forms, whether from the realm of the popular (like the Thousand and One Nights), or from that of the elite (like the maqama). At the same time, in recent years, as Arab authors have begun to write in European languages, these connections have become increasingly complex. The apparent tension and even conflict between the novel and religious orthodoxy in the modern Arab world is one of the central questions we will explore in this course. Other related questions we will address are: the effective ability of the novel to critique political oppression; the role novels play in the articulation of human rights norms; the limits of the novel’s significance in illiterate (and post-literate) societies; the novel as a supplement to official history; the novel in conversation with other mass media, especially film. Throughout, we will also ask what it means to be a writer in the modern Arab world. Most of all, however, we will be reading some of the greatest landmarks of the modern and contemporary Arabic novel in translation.

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3338 Arabic Folk Epic 3 Credits

This course aims is a survey of the history of popular oral tradition (sira sha`biyya) narrated by storyteller (hakawati) in public spaces. It shows the importance of oral tradition to accent political and cultural values. Themes such as valor, proverbs and the role of women will be examined. The course will cover stories from the siras of Antara bin Shaddad, Dhat al-Himma, al-Zahir Baybars and Bani Hilal. In addition to print materials, students will make use of the Media and DVDs to watch, analyze and critique performances. Goals and Objectives The course aims to expand students’ understanding of Arab society and culture through reading and listening to renowned examples of the popular narrative tradition. At the same time it aims to consolidate and develop students’ command of Arabic in terms of aural-oral, reading and writing skills and to expose them to various styles of performances and narrative in both MSA and colloquial. Finally, it will develop students’ ability to compare, analyze and evaluate performance and narrative techniques, whether print or oral. The course will be taught in Arabic with Arabic texts and performance videos. Secondary readings on popular tradition and performance will be in English and Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3339 Themes Mod. Arab Novel Film 3 Credits

This course examines some of the major socio- economic and political changes in the modern Arab world through their representations in novel and film. Students will read excerpts from novels and watch movies on some of the dominant themes in Arabic fiction and film, including colonialism, nationalism, religion, gender, and exile. In addition to advancing student's competence at reading modern Arabic prose, class discussions will address the nature of literary and cinematic representations and their intersection with other narrative forms, including historical writing on the modern Arab world. A select number of relevant critical theory and social research articles will also be assigned. Novels and movies will be in Arabic; articles will be in English. However, the language of instruction, discussion, written assignments and final paper is exclusively Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3340 Arabic Drama 3 Credits

This course is a study of representative plays from the Arab world. Although it focuses on the modern era, the course will include a discussion on the existence of the dramatic genre in classical Arabic literature. Students will then learn about the rise of the dramatic genre in modern Arabic literature and the notable developments it has witnessed in respect of form, style, theme, and aesthetic concepts. We will read and analyze works penned by some of the major Arab playwrights, with a particular focus on Tawfiq al-Hakim and Sadallah Wannous. Further, we will examine how these writers responded to their social and political realities via drama, how they drew on and engaged with various religious and cultural sources such as the Quran, Arabian Nights, Greek mythology, and Arabic folklore, and how their works reflected the impact of major European dramatic figures and movements, including Bertolt Brecht and Theatre of the Absurd. In addition to dramatic works, reading assignments will also include relevant historical and theoretical articles. The course will be taught in Arabic. All plays will be read in Arabic, while articles will be in both Arabic and English.

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

ARAB 3341 Modern Arabic Poetry 3 Credits

Course Objectives This course has four main objectives. 1. The first objective is to study the influence that Western poetry had and continue to have on modern Arabic poetry since the nineteenth century. Arab poets have been greatly influenced by French and British Romantic poetry, represented by poets such as Woodworth, Coleridge, and by French Symbolist movement represented especially by the poet Baudelaire. Western poetry continued to influence Arab poetical writing in the 20th century, especially the French one (mainly Saint-John Perse and the Surrealist movement represented by Breton, Paul Eluard and Robert Desnos) and by American poets, mainly T.S.Eliot. 2. The second objective of this course is to focus on the decisive role played by literary reviews which offered Arab readers many translations of French, English, and American poets. Among these reviews are: Shi’r, Mawâqif, and Hiwâr. 3. The third objective is to analyze the impact of modern Arab poetry on Arab society. Despite the fact that novels are flourishing in the Arab world at a rapid rate, poetry continues to play a major role. We will delve into the relation of poetry to politics, to revolution, to wars, especially to the Arab Israeli conflict, and to some social issues such as poverty. 4. Our fourth objective will be to try to understand the specificity of the poetical text by contrasting it to the novelistic text. Poetry remains a sophisticated and difficult art. We will try through such a contrast to unravel the mysteries that Arab poets hide in their poems. Course Content: Because there is not a single textbook on modern Arabic poetry, this course will rely on handouts that the teacher will distribute weekly to students. We will analyze pomes form all over the Arab world.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 212 and (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3342 Islam in Late Antiquity 3 Credits

In contemporary media, Islam is often portrayed as an isolated and exotic religion. Scholars, too, have treated the emergence of Islam as the last definitive break with classical Antiquity. To evaluate and to challenge these views, this course will explore the emergence of Islam within its larger geographical and temporal frame, the fascinating period called Late Antiquity (c. 300-800CE)—a hinge between Antiquity and the Middle Ages during which Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were taking shape in the Eastern Mediterranean world. The course has two units. Unit One, titled “Culture and History”, will take up the emergence of the Islamic community chronologically and explore its relationship to the world around it, beginning with pre-Islamic Arabia and ending with the Greek-Arabic Translation Movement and the eruption of literary culture in the early Abbasid period. Unit Two, titled “Religion”, will examine Islam’s relationship to the religious traditions of Late Antiquity thematically, looking at: Scriptural narratives, asceticism, preaching, orthodoxy formation, theology, law, and philosophy, and religious encounters. In both units, we will begin with close study of primary Islamic sources, then turn to parallel Jewish or Christian material, and finally evaluate the insights gained through this comparison by positioning them within scholarly literature. This course will be taught in English, and all primary sources will be read in translation.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3343 The Qur'an 3 Credits

This course will provide students with an introduction to the Qur’an. We will be reading the Qur’anic text closely and comparing different translations. We will also study the history of the text, its revelation, the context in which it originated, it’s compilation, structure, content, process of canonization, central themes and the diverse ways in which Muslims have interpreted it and continue to interpret it today. Students will acquire a close familiarity with the Qur’anic text, its form, style and literary aspects as well as the broader debates on hermeneutics within the study of religion. This course will go beyond approaching scripture as a bounded, collected, literary text, by examining the experiential and material encounters between the Qur’an and Muslim communities. As such, this course will examine the Qur’an as a text and as a revelation that has a history of reception among communities of believers.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3344 Advanced Arabic Media 3 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3345 1001 Nights 3 Credits

Within the classical Arabic literary tradition, the textual variants known as Alf layla wa-layla have a truly ambiguous status, at once influential and marginal to the understanding and practice of adab. This course will engage with critical readings of Alf layla wa-layla, set into conversation with texts such as al-Tanoukhi’s al-Faraj ba‘d al-shidda and al-Ramhurmuzi’s ‘Aja’ib al-Hind. Readings will be in Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3346 Advanced Business Arabic 3 Credits

Advanced Business Arabic aims to teach you the fundamentals of professional business communication. It covers the nuts and bolts of the subject. It is designed for students who not only seek to enhance their communication skills in an Arabic setting, but also it equips them with the necessary proficiency in the workforce in Arabic language with specific focus on various genres of business, diplomatic, and technical writing, including (but not limited to) business projects, business letters, memos, commercial and official correspondence, personal statements, cover letters, etc. The course provides the tools and knowledge needed in the job market to produce clear, concise, and effective written materials. It also teaches the students the norms and principles of writing in official communication in any Arabic-oriented industry that demands proficient writing skills with a high level of professionalism. This course might have a mandatory field trip to official buildings or companies (depending on the availability of their opening hours). This course has a prerequisite of successful completion of ARAB2223 or by placement exam.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 2223

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3347 Arabic:Diplomacy Int Rels II 3 Credits

This course is designed for students who have completed Advanced level in Modern Standard Arabic. The course aims to further enhance Arabic language skills and help develop mastery of essential vocabulary in the field, with a specific focus on politics, diplomacy and international relations. On completion of the course, students should have highly developed content knowledge and proficient language skills which allow them to communicate effectively and with confidence in academic and professional settings. To achieve these aims, the course uses a diverse range of materials that expose students to a number of important themes including policies and practices, organizations, negotiations, treaties and agreements and international law and conflict resolution.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217) or (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3348 Map of the Arab World 3 Credits

This course provides a geographical survey of the countries of the Arab world on a regional and country-by-country basis. Topics include topography and physical features, agriculture and industry, political and social structures, population patterns, natural resources, and ecology. The aims of the course are twofold: building knowledge of the Arab world and at the same time strengthening oral and written skills at the advanced level in Modern Standard Arabic. Course is taught in Arabic.

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Graduate level students may not enroll.

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3349 Intellectual Map of Arab World 3 Credits

The course aims to assist students to comprehend the major intellectual currents in the Arab world through studying their birth and origins in their historical contexts and follow their developments up till our time. Students will obtain a general but broad knowledge of the Arabic and Islamic intellectual currents in the Arab World as one of the world’s most significant regions. Students will also gain a general view of the diversity of political, social, and religious currents. Moreover, the students will develop their language skills and be able to analyze and criticize original intellectual texts.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217) or (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3351 Intro to Arabic Culture I 3 Credits

An interdisciplinary survey course based on textual sources in Arabic literature, philosophy, and scripture designed to introduce the major aspects of Arabic and Islamic culture from the classical to the modern period. Taught in English. Knowledge of Arabic desirable but not required.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: SFS/CULP Humanities

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3355 Composition and Style 3 Credits

This course will focus on developing writing skills through the use of various forms such as descriptions, summaries, evaluations and argument techniques. Students will read texts related to contemporary Arab culture, which will serve as models for good writing. They will improve their writing, expand their vocabulary and perfect their grammar.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3356 Arab Women's Autobiography 3 Credits

Is the drive to write an autobiography universal? Is an illiterate Moroccan’s autobiography penned by an American legitimate? What do the tensions between truth and invention, memory and imagination tell us about former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat’s autobiography? How can an American slave’s autobiography written in classical Arabic challenge notions of literacy, class, and race? Why is the autobiography of the blind Taha Hussein, who accused Arabs of falsifying classical Arabic canon, the paragon of modern Arabic canon? This course works with a variety of classical and modern Arabic life-narratives from the 9th to the 20th centuries analyzing them from a non-Eurocentric perspective. It studies how questions of genre, form, and shifts in the constructing and performing of the self and life affect our understanding of another’s self-narrative in the Arabic tradition. Among the studied works are the life stories of political, literary, journalistic, feminist and artistic figures as well as illiterates, thieves, slaves and bums.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 212 or (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3358 Map of the Arab World 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 212 or (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3359 Id Globlztn: Contmp Arab Wr 3 Credits

This course has 4 goals: 1.Borrowing from the West. The first one is to unveil a Western influence in the contemporary literary Arab texts. A large part of this literary production carries a thoroughly Western presence, and shows a tremendous knowledge of Western writers from different Western countries. Many Arab authors who belong to the elite class of the Arab world studied in the Western world. Their education is reflected in a way or another in their writings. 2.The question of Arab identity. Our second goal is to decipher another important body of Arab writing that expresses its reaction to the Western influence. These writings consider Western predominance noxious to Arab society and detrimental to Arab identity. As a matter of fact the importation of Western goods, technologies, and fashions, as well as the translation and imitation of Western arts and cultures has dramatically increased during the last years in the Arab world. In front of this ‘invasion’ of the Arab market and mind, many Arab writers today are calling to protecting their identity. They are revisiting issues such as heritage, modernity, culture, and post-modernity. 3.The third goal is to contrast both writings in order to better understand the dilemma that faces today Arab culture as a whole. The most seminal question that will be raised in this course pertains to the solutions that Arabs need today to find in order to bring harmony in their lives. While some authors express their quest to speed up the progress of their societies, others worry about sacrificing their own authenticity and heritage. 4.Finally, the class will read texts that discuss globalization in its relation to identity from both Western and Arab sources. We will endeavor to use them as tools to illuminate the assigned creative works.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3360 1001 Nights 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Mutual exclusion: ARAB 430, ARAB 4430

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate level students.

ARAB 3363 Anthropology and Islam 3 Credits

This course will examine the role of anthropology and anthropologists in the history of the contact that Europe and the U.S.A. have had with the Muslim World. Examples will include anthropological writing produced both during and following the period of British, French, and Russian colonialism in places such as Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, India, Afghanistan, North Africa, Lebanon, and in the Caucasus and Central Asia (all readings are in English). More recent ethnographies of Bosnia, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, and Indonesia will be examined. An ethnographic study of Muslims in Germany and an examination of global musical trends among Muslim youth will round out the course. Talal Asad’s critique of the Anthropology of Islam will inform course readings and discussions exploring the history of academic orientalism and the theoretical challenge to it as elucidated by Edward Said. Intellectual engagement with both primary anthropological texts and critical responses will be required. The Muslim reform movement of Jadidism, the Naqshibendi response to colonialism, the work of Muslim anthropologists and folklorists, and other topics of individual interest may be addressed in the case studies. The grading for the course will be based on multiple essays posted to the class site, a case study research paper and presentation, a timeline assignment, and a connective final essay. This course is open to both upper level undergraduates and graduate students.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3365 Arabic Gulf Literature 3 Credits

This course has the following objectives: -1-To introduce the students to a contemporary, innovative, and revolutionary literature from different parts of the Arabian Gulf, especially from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the Arab Emirates. -2-To analyze in this literature the profound dilemma between the quest for identity and the desire to imitate the West. One finds a disturbing malaise in these texts. Authors torn between two worlds strive to make sense of their lives. They possess almost all the technological tools of the West but remain imprisoned in an archaic social structure that limits their quest. -3- To underline the extreme importance accorded in these novels, short stories, and poems to gender issues, especially in women’s writing. Women from the Arabian Gulf endeavor to make their voices heard despite the Shari’a’s limitations. -4. To underscore in these texts the quest for democracy, freedom, and equality. There is in all these works an overarching and painful need for change. The authors stress that it is essential to get out of the social status quo and move forward to a different way of life. -5- Finally, the teacher will follow an interdisciplinary approach: the students are invited to interpret the texts from the textual analysis perspective, history, and comparative literature among other approaches.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3366 Islam and Identity 3 Credits

This course satisfies the College HALC (Humanities, Arts, Literature, & Cultures) Requirement. Through a survey of Muslim and non Muslim sources from the 7th century down to modern times, the course proposes an evaluation of the cultural and religious shaping of Islamic identity. From the beginning and throughout history, Islam was in contact with others: Jewish, Christians, Zoroastrians. By exploring different narratives from the origin until today, the course will address the issue of representation and self-representation. How did Islam see itself? How did others see it? The purpose of the course is to expose the students to original primary sources (ancient, medieval and modern texts in translation as well as contemporary media) in order to give them a better grasp of the making of Islamic identity/-ies across the various historical developments and the different socio-cultural contexts. The course combines lecture with discussions stemming from the readings. Films and documentaries will also be solicited on a regular basis. * This course has a one hour/week optional Arabic discussion session for interested students.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attributes: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul, SFS/CULP Humanities

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3367 Modern Arabic Poetry 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3368 Colloquial Poetry 3 Credits

The Arabic poetic tradition is, in fact, at least two: one composed in Fuṣḥā and many others in the dialects of the language. In this course, we survey a range of colloquial poetry, from the muwashshahat of al-Andalus to the zajals of modern Egypt and the Levant, and consider works in light of performance theory and poitical history.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3369 Classical Arabic Poetry 3 Credits

Classical Arabic poetry is usually defined in contrast to modern poetry. It begins with the pre-Islamic ode, or qasida, and arguably ends with the beginning of the so-called Arabic renaissance, or nahda, in the late 18th century. Often seen as the major pillar of classical Arabic culture, classical Arabic poetry still occupies a significant space in modern culture, with Arabs at pre-college education studying, reciting, and learning by heart various stanzas and poems. This course aims at introducing students to major aesthetic and thematic issues of this poetry. It will begin with the pre-Islamic ode, opening the debate about its origin and structure. The course will then discuss two major genres of this poetry: elegy and ghazal, before focusing on the achievements of some of the most significant poets in Arabic history, such as Abu Nuwas and Al-Mutanabbi. While it is impossible to cover the vast material of classical Arabic poetry in one course, the hope is that the readings will give students sufficient ideas about the origin, development, and orientations of this art. This course will be taught in Arabic. In addition to poems, students will read relevant articles, mainly in Arabic, that will further illuminate and contextualize the poems.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217) or (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3370 Justice in the Islam Tradition 3 Credits

What is justice perceived by Muslims and how do Muslim writers articulate their vision of justice throughout the ages? These questions are a common thread in this course which introduces students to wide variety of writings within the Islamic tradition, with an emphasis on the period from the 7th to the 16th century, though also touching on modern Muslim articulations. The course explores the theoretical and practical dimension of how to achieve justice, looks at the way conceptions of justice may change over time, and what factors drive changes in articulation. After situating the Islamic tradition into general conceptions of justice, ranging from Aristotle and Kant to MacIntyre and Walzer, the course focuses on original writings in English translation drawn from different fields of Islamicate writings, covering religious scripture, literary texts, philosophical treatises, historical writings, and legal works that address and reflect conceptions of justice. Students learn how to situate these texts into their intellectual and historical contexts and interpret their authors’ understanding of justice and the world in which they live. The course readings and discussions explore the dynamic interaction between the realm of the religious with literature, politics, law, and philosophy. The course is based on close reading and in-class discussion of these texts, and requires students to write throughout the semester three short papers (5 pages each) on questions raised by the course material as well as a final research paper (15-20 pages).

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3371 Rhetoric Arabo-Islamic Ruler 3 Credits

This course will offer selections of medieval Arabic literary pieces wherein notions of authority and legitimacy are negotiated, established and confirmed. Primary readings cover odes addressed to Arabo-Islamic rulers; pre-Islamic delegations (al-wuf?d), medieval orations, advice literature, and Alf Layla wa-Layla. Discussions will draw on primary sources on authority, advice, mercy, patronage, sacrifice and intercession. The selected pieces will be embedded within their political contexts, and complemented by looking at cultural expressions of political legitimacy: war paraphernalia, chronicles, monuments, palatine architecture, regal insignia, diplomatic receptions, processions, ceremonies, art patronage, courtly life & celebrations. The course is designed around close analysis of literary pieces, and engages with a wealth of cultural references, comparative examples and theoretical approaches. The class is invited place classical Arabic literature within broader frameworks of human thought and experience.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3372 Contemporary Shi'i Thought 3 Credits

This course offers a broad survey of Contemporary Twelver Shi‘i thought and Islamic movements, focusing on groups and scholars from Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, during the Twentieth and Twenty-First centuries. In its first part, the course looks at the impact of modernization and the formation of national identities, on the social, political, and religious consciousness of the Shi‘a. The second part discusses the ideologization of Shi‘ism (narratives and doctrines) during the second half of the Twentieth century. The third part examines Shi‘i Islamic responses to the questions of adaptability and applicability of Shari‘a in the post-colonial period. It analyzes core transformations in the Shi‘i political thought, focusing on the suitability of Islam for governance in religiously diverse and pluralistic societies. The course ends with a survey on the state of Shi‘i – Sunni relations, discussing dialectical and dialogical interactions, before and after the "Arab Spring.”

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3374 The Qur'an 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3376 Language Political Discourse 3 Credits

This course introduces the linguistic approaches to discourse analysis. The linguistic tools for performing discourse analysis include choice of words, naming and reference, predication, sentence constructions (transitivity, modality…etc.), speech acts, presupposition, rhetorical devices (metaphors, puns…etc.). We will perform linguistic analyses on different texts that belong to the political discourse. Readings will be in Arabic and English. The class will be conducted in Arabic and the homework and the research will be written in Arabic. Students are expected to be in the post advanced level of Arabic. Prerequisites: ARAB216 or ARAB221 or placement by exam

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3377 Language Identity in Egypt 3 Credits

This course targets students with knowledge of standard Arabic. Knowledge of Egyptian colloquial Arabic is also an asset but not a requirement. Texts used in this course include Egyptian novels, newspaper articles, religious and political discourse, songs, blogs, school textbooks and also advertisements. Most material in this course is in Arabic. However, since this is also a linguistics course, linguistic concepts will be discussed in English, and a number of linguistic studies will be read in English. The aim of this course is to examine how language is used in Egyptian public discourse to demarcate the collective identity of Egyptians, and how this identity is then manifested in language form. Sociolinguistic concepts such as subject positioning, stance, indexicality and code-switching will be discussed. The course adopts the view point that language is in fact a form of social practice (Heller 2007). It argues that public discourse in Egypt draws on clearly defined markers by means of which Egypt is positioned in relation to the outside world. It projects a homogeneous Egyptian identity built on fixed, independent variables such as, ethnicity, religion, locality, a common past, and moral values. This collective identity influences the choice of code, especially in the choice between Egyptian colloquial Arabic (ECA), Standard Arabic (SA) and foreign languages. Issues related directly to the definition and challenges of the concept of identity, especially a national and/or collective one will be tackled as well. The course aims at providing a framework for analyzing identity within ad wider context and comparing and contrasting the perception of identity in different communities.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3378 Arab Film 3 Credits

This course examines how cinema in the Arab world constitutes a space through which filmmakers negotiate and reflect on significant political, cultural, social, and aesthetic themes and concerns. Students will learn about certain cinematic genres in the Arab world such as the thriller, comic, melodramatic, romantic, and epic, and will explore how issues of independence, colonialism, poverty, women’s rights, and political freedom are visually represented. Although Egypt is considered the biggest film producer in the Arab world, the course aspires to represent various cinemas across the region, from Tunisia and Algeria to Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Palestine, introducing students to notable moments and phenomena in the history of these cinemas. Of particular interest to this course are filmmakers such as Youssef Chahine, Nacer Khemir, Moufida Tlatli, and Elia Suleiman. The course will be taught in Arabic and all films will be in Arabic with English subtitle. Students have to watch the films outside class and devote class time to discussion. The course will be a chance for students to learn and compare different Arabic dialects that are used in these films. In addition to film viewings, students will be required to read critical and theoretical articles (mainly in English) that pertain to class discussion.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217) or (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3385 Classical Arabic Grammar 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3386 Grammar through Poetry Song 3 Credits

Arabic vocabulary acquisition is often a challenge to students of Arabic. Looking up a word in the dictionary, for example, requires a good command of grammar and is not the most enjoyable part of learning the language. If, however, vocabulary and grammar are acquired through Nizar Qabbani’s poetry or Gibran’s lyrics as sung by Fayrouz, the process is more enjoyable and retention levels become higher. This course is designed to enable students to review and learn salient grammatical structures as well as enhance their word power. It is also intended to analyze and explore some common themes in contemporary Arabic poetry and song. By the end of the term students will have solidified their grammar and deepened their interest and pleasure in Arabic poetry and music. Prerequisites: 3 years of Arabic or instructor’s permission.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3389 Women and Gender in Islam 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3390 Fundamentals of Language 3 Credits

This course introduces the scientific study of language and its major subfields through the study of examples from English and Arabic. Students learn that modern linguistic principles can be applied in the case of Arabic and are asked to consider how further study can fill gaps in the research for Arabic. This course bridges basic theoretical linguistics and Arabic linguistics. For graduate and upper level undergraduate students. Graduate or undergraduate credit. This course can be taken as a social sciences elective. Credits: 3 credits Prerequisites: none. Two semesters of MSA recommended.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3391 Linguistic Analysis of Arabic 3 Credits

This course introduces the linguistic tools for analyzing the core components of Arabic language structure. These components are phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure) and syntax (phrase structure). Students will learn how to do linguistic analysis of data from Arabic language. Students will learn about the similarities and differences between different varieties of Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3392 Fundmntls of Arabic Linguistic 3 Credits

This course deals with linguistic analysis of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Modern Standard Arabic. In phonology it covers the phonemic inventory of MSA, allophones and allophonic variation, phonological processes, phonotactics, syllable structure, stress rules, and transliteration systems. Derivational and inflectional morphology are extensively covered, including morphophonemics, the root/pattern system, discontinuous morphology, lexical expansion (analogical derivation, compounding, borrowing, and other processes) and morphosyntax. Topics in syntax focus on governance theory in Arabic and agreement systems. The basic text for this course is: Ryding, Karin C. Arabic: A Linguistic Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3393 Intro: Arabic Sociolinguistics 3 Credits

This course is an introduction to how Arabic (both the Standard and the colloquial) is used in the different Arab societies and communities. We will study how the variation in Arabic is influenced by different sociological variables such as education, social status, politics, gender, and religion. Topics also include diglossia (native speakers’ use of Standard Arabic and the colloquial), switching between Arabic and foreign languages (code-switching), switching between Standard Arabic and the colloquial (diglossic-switching), the official status of Arabic and foreign languages in the Arab countries. The class will also cover the Arabic spoken by immigrant communities of Arab descent (Heritage Arabic), and the peripheral dialects of Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3394 Freedom in Modern Arabic Lit 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3395 Literature Social Movements 3 Credits

Why are poetry and song so central to national liberation movements? How do poets engage in activism to develop their literary craft? How do student or labor activists engage with writing to develop their activism? This course answers these questions by: 1.) reviewing social movement theory with an eye to the role of expressive culture in mobilizing, framing or sustaining social and political struggle; and 2.) exploring the critical and often surprising role of literary forms—poetry, memoirs and novels—in modern social movements in the Arab world.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3396 America in Modern Arab Lit 3 Credits

The relationship between the Arab world and the US is a complex one often fraught with misunderstandings, stereotypes, and ignorance from both sides. This course will shed light on the intricacies of this link through novels and poems from different parts of the Arab world that deal with the representation of America. The course follows chronologically this interaction from the beginning of last century until today. This approach would help us answer the following question: has the portrayal of America changed with time or is it still the same? What are the elements that make this representation favorable or dismissive? Most importantly, the course delves into the question of modernity. It explores how this major and innovative literature introduced new paradigms in Arabic literature that transformed Arabic writing forever.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: SFS/CULP Humanities

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3397 Andalusia in modern Arabic Lit 3 Credits

Modern Arab writers from all venues became increasingly interested in exploring the unparalleled Arab civilization that lasted eight centuries in Spain and which impacted, to a great extent, the whole of European culture and created an array of exceptional cultural exchanges. However, modern Arab writers chose not to focus on this positive role and shun from glorifying this past, as their predecessors have done. Instead, they chose to highlight in their novels and poems the gradual collapse of Arab kingdoms in Spain and the corruption of the last Arab rulers of Andalusia. In this context, the literature they produced mirrored the slow agony of Arabs there, the last song of the swan.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217) or (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3398 Migration Exile Mod Arab Lit 3 Credits

Modern Arabic literature has long sought to come to terms with issues of home, migration, displacement, exile, and diaspora. From the colonial era to the age of decolonization; following the loss of Palestine and the trauma of the Lebanese civil war; and in the wake of the more recent tragedies of Iraqis and Syrians fleeing their countries—Arab writers have examined, questioned, mourned, metaphorized, and mythologized notions of belonging, loss, alienation, and estrangement. In addition, other forms of displacement and dislocation, whether caused by intra-regional migration, minority issues in the Arab world, or the advent of modernity, have also inspired key works in Arabic literature. This course examines the ways in which these themes have been approached in modern Arabic literature. The course will focus on the novel as the most significant literary medium to approach such themes. A tentative list of authors may include Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, Ibrahim Abdel Meguid, Abdel Rahman Munif, and Tayib Salih. This course will be taught in Arabic. In addition to reading primary texts in Arabic, students will read relevant critical and historical articles in both Arabic and English.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3433 God, Nature, Society 3 Credits

The course description is the same as for ARAB 4433-01.: Islamic Civilization produced authors who wrote on every topic imaginable. This course, open to undergraduates, provides a unique opportunity to read a wide array of classical Islamic texts in translation, covering a variety of topics such as: God and religion, philosophy and science, politics and social values, and the value of individual experience. Throughout the class our goal is not to essentialize one “Islamic” set of values, but to engage with these classical Islamic texts as springboards for reflections of our own about the world we live in and discuss them from a comparative humanistic perspective.

Level: Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate level students.

ARAB 3450 InsideArabic:Sound/Struct/Mean 3 Credits

Language of Instruction: Arabic This course offers an exciting exploration of the Arabic language in both its Standard and colloquial varieties. Students will investigate how Arabic sounds, words, and phrases are formed and why they matter. Together, we will examine: (i) the rich system of Arabic speech sounds; (ii) the internal structure and meanings of words; and (iii) the organization and interpretation of phrases. Students will be involved in hands-on activities and guided analysis of real linguistic data. They will sharpen their ability to recognize patterns, formulate linguistic generalizations, and support their insights with evidence-based reasoning. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper appreciation of how the Arabic language works and how its structures shape meaning.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 2223 or ARAB 2227 or ARAB 2217

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 3500 Readings Around the Arab World 3 Credits

Students will be exposed to a diverse offering of readings in Arabic covering literature, history, philosophy and politics. The class is taught in Arabic and requires reading, speaking, and in-class presentations that emphasize language, cultural literacy, and historical heritage, and foster critical thinking skills. The course serves as proficiency preparation. Prerequisite: ARAB 1112 or permission of instructor.

Level: Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 1112

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 3970 Arabic Capstone Seminar 3 Credits

TBA

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4300 Naguib Mahfouz:Writer Nation 3 Credits

Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006) is arguably the Arab world’s greatest novelist ever. A chronicler of modern Egypt, he was a prolific writer who single-handedly transformed the novel into a major literary genre in modern Arabic literature, but who also produced quality short story collections and screenplays. Mahfouz enjoyed a glittering career spanning over six decades, and many of his works and fictional characters have become household names for generations of Egyptians and Arabs. While he was not universally recognized prior to winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988, Mahfouz was a giant figure in the Arab world in the second half of the twentieth century, embraced both by critics and by a mass audience, with many of his novels adapted into films and TV shows. This course explores Mahfouz’s major novels as well as the historical and political contexts in which they emerged. It pays attention to the development of Mahfouz’s career, the various narrative techniques he employed, and the key political events to which he responded. While acknowledging the impossibility of doing justice to Mahfouz’s extraordinary career in a single course, the hope is that students will read and analyze a number of Mahfouz’s representative works, will understand his career trajectory, and will examine how his works represented issues of modernity, religion, gender, colonialism, and revolution in the Arab world. Readings will follow the evolution of Mahfouz’s career, with a particular focus on his novels in the three most innovative and significant decades of his life—40s, 50s, and 60s. The course will begin with Khufu’s Wisdom, Mahfouz’s 1939 debut novel in what came be to known as the historical phase of his writing. Next will be the very popular Midaq Alley, while Mahfouz’s magnum opus, The Cairo Trilogy, will be subject to extensive and careful analysis, and students will read the first two parts of the trilogy, Palace Walk and Palace of Desire, in their entirety. The 1952 July revolution and the rise of Nasser’s Egypt had a profound impact on Mahfouz, whose first literary response to it was the 1959 wildly controversial work Children of Gebelawi. Students will read parts of this allegorical novel, before moving to Mahfouz’s more critical portrayals of the revolution, as represented in The Thief and the Dogs and Miramar. The course will end with a reflection on the Nobel Prize moment and its meanings for Arabic literature, world literature, and the politics of translation. This course will be taught in Arabic, and students should expect to read long novels that are teeming with characters. In addition to Mahfouz’s novels in the original Arabic, readings will include relevant critical and historical pieces in both Arabic and English. Also, students will watch some film adaptations of Mahfouz’s novels, and will learn about one case of text migration, in which Midaq Alley inspired the 1995 Mexican movie The Alley of Miracles.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 221 or ARAB 2223 or ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4330 Arabic Lang Policies/Politics 3 Credits

This course examines how language policy in the Arab world is produced, contested, and implemented, and how it shapes access to education, political participation, economic opportunity, and cultural authority. Taught in Arabic, the course situates contemporary debates about Standard Arabic, colloquial varieties, minority languages, and global languages (especially English and French) within the longer histories of colonialism, state-building, nationalism, and globalization. Students analyze case studies from across the Middle East and North Africa, evaluate policy rationales and their unintended consequences, and develop evidence-based proposals for equitable and strategically coherent language planning (including questions of linguistic rights, schooling, and language in higher education). Readings include Arabic and English scholarship; all course work is completed in Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Equivalent to ARAB 3350

ARAB 4333 God, Nature, Society 3 Credits

Islamic Civilization produced authors who wrote on every topic imaginable. This course, open to undergraduates, provides a unique opportunity to read a wide array of classical Islamic texts in translation, covering a variety of topics such as: God and religion, philosophy and science, politics and social values, and the value of individual experience. Throughout the class our goal is not to essentialize one “Islamic” set of values, but to engage with these classical Islamic texts as springboards for reflections of our own about the world we live in and discuss them from a comparative humanistic perspective.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Undergraduate level students may not enroll.

ARAB 4343 Lang and Soc in the Arab World 3 Credits

The course explores the relationship between language and society in the Arab World. Introduces and examines the diglossic relation between Standard Arabic and the different colloquial varieties. Explores language variation and change, with special focus on the relation between linguistic variation and other social variables, such as ethnicity, religion, urbanization, social class, gender, power, and ideology. Introduces the social phenomenon of code switching between Arabic and other languages, mainly English and French, as well as diglossic code switching. Analyzes the structural characteristics of code switching and the socio cognitive motivations behind it. Introduces and discusses language policy and planning in the Arab World.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 2217 or ARAB 2223

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 4401 The Syntax of Arabic 3 Credits

This course explores the syntactic structures of the major topics in modern Arabic varieties. Topics include the syntax of nominals, adjective phrases, prepositional phrases, verb phrases, subjects, verbless sentences, subordinate clauses, coordination and ellipsis, negation, questions, displacement.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Equivalent to ARAB 298

ARAB 4402 Approaches to Arabic Linguist 3 Credits

This course offers a comprehensive introduction into the major domains of Arabic linguistics. It covers traditional and current approaches to Arabic linguistic research. The course explores the state of the art of the major domains such as the traditional grammar theory, the current morphological and syntactic theory, the contemporary approaches to studying Arabic sociolinguistic, and the most recent approaches.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4403 Islam Arab Cult in Golden Age 3 Credits

This class focuses on cultural achievements of this important historical era in Islamic civilization. We will examine what led to intellectual advancements, the fusion of civilizations, cultural contact with the other, and inspiration of the age. Innovations in religious thought, jurisprudence, language, literature, science, and philosophy characterizing this period will be at the heart of the our discussions. Course taught in Arabic

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the School of Foreign Service - Q college.

ARAB 4405 Syria: Politics Identity 3 Credits

This seminar explores Syria's unique profile in the longue duree history of the Middle East. Students will learn how Syrian historical experiences have constituted an "archive" by which Arab and Muslim identities have been negotiated over time. Special attention will be given to Syria's special role in the codification of Islamic tradition and the construction of Arab nationalism, and how these themes come to bear for understanding the legacy of Syria today.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4406 Slavery Islam 3 Credits

Islam has been in the news. And slavery has been in the news. And 'Islam & slavery' has been in the news. These are some major understatements. When ISIS achieved prominence in 2014, Western audiences were stunned by the movement's revival of enslaving prisoners of war. Many, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, were shocked at ISIS' justification of slavery with reference to Islam's scriptures and laws. But the debate over Islam & slavery is much older, going back centuries. It forms part of the global history of the phenomenon called slavery, a phenomenon that is as controversial at the level of academic study as it has been in its real-world manifestations. This course will examine efforts of philosophers and scholars to describe, justify or criticize a spectrum of phenomena we call slavery. It will place the Islamic tradition within this setting, charting the history, laws and practices of slavery in Islamic civilization, following it all the way up to debates over abolition and the efforts of some to revive and defend slavery today.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4407 WarMigration in MiddleEas Lit 3 Credits

The history of the modern Middle East has been shaped by war and mass migration, but all too often these phenomena are understood only in the abstract—as masses of numbers. This course explores the experiences of war and migration through literary works that grapple with them on the level of individual, lived experience. In this course, we will survey works from a variety of national situations—Turkey, Israel-Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq —with an eye toward undercovering shared experiences across the region.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4408 Arabic Conversation Practicum 1 Credit

This new language elective course offers students the opportunity to interact on a real-time basis with an Arabic-speaking partner. Students divide the time spent between Arabic and English. They record and submit video chat sessions to the instructor, complete written journal entries and provide other feedback as requested. This course is intended for intermediate and advanced level students who wish to extend their oral proficiency, especially those planning a semester abroad in an Arabic-speaking context. Participation is limited to 15 students. Credits: 1 Credit Prerequisites: One year, two semesters of MSA

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4409 The Quran in History 3 Credits

This course surveys the various theories, methods and approaches to the Qur’an employed by modern scholars as well as its textual history and vast interpretative tradition. We will explore the Qur’an from multiple perspectives including classical exegesis, history, translation, Islamic law, and spirituality. Students will gain an understanding of the Qur’an’s genesis as an oral revelation and its compilation and transformation into a written and canonized text. We will also spend much of the course discussing major themes, including creation; the phenomenon of prophecy; the relationship between Muhammad and biblical prophets; the varying interpretations of key verses related to women and gender; and classical and modern interpretations of jihad and violence. Qur’anic verses will be examined in their historical context in addition to how they have been interpreted and appropriated by various claimants to religious authority. Throughout the course, we will gauge the subjective values and assumptions of interpreters that contribute to their interpretation of the Qur’an.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4411 Gender, Society and IslamicLaw 3 Credits

This course will survey issues pertaining to gender, society and Islam through an exploration of sacred texts (Qur’an and Hadith) and Islamic jurisprudence. We will consider the political, social, and intellectual historical milieu of Muslims during the early and classical periods, which contributed to the normative doctrine on gender and sexuality. This course is designed to introduce students to some of the legal debates pertaining to gender in the Islamic tradition. Students will therefore be exposed to the history and texts that form the backdrop of modern debates. By the end of this course, students should have a nuanced understanding of the historical and modern discourses surrounding a number of legal issues pertaining to gender and society.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4412 Sex Powr in the Islamic Trad 3 Credits

Whether involving the headscarf, intolerance towards homosexuality or sex slavery, discourse over Islam and Muslims is very often tied to questions of gender and sexuality, from the treatment of women and women’s rights to views on LQBTQ+ issues. In part, this is because any discussion of ‘Islam and women’ is politicized in the context of globalization and the tensions between perceptions of the globalization of Western norms on the one hand and perceptions of cultural authenticity on the other. In part, this inevitable political dimension exists because gender and sexuality in human society have always been categories and terms developed and wielded in the context of power, whether concerning the distribution of resources, rights to autonomy and movement, or power to define a community’s identity and history. This course will explore the intersection of power and sexuality in the Islamic tradition, examining case studies in law, literature, society and politics from the early Islamic period to the present day. Students will closely read primary sources in translation, learn how to critically analyze, evaluate and interpret literary texts, artistic expressions, film and critical concepts. This course will require students to engage the readings through in class discussions and written assignments throughout the semester in the form of weekly question posts, three short papers, and a final written essay. Finally, students will be required to engage in a structured in-class debate with their peers. They will deliberate over critical ethical and legal points of views in relation to culture and interpretation. This creative exercise is meant to enable students to both listen and voice their differences, while engaging the diversity of thinking across cultures.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4413 AdvReadings in Islamic Thought 3 Credits

This course will involve readings from Arabic primary sources of theology, philosophy, and mysticism. A representative selection of thinkers of classical Islamicate thought will be covered from Sunni, Shii, Jewish, and Christian traditions, encompassing Islamic traditional sources, peripatetic philosophy and kalam, political theology, and Sufi speculative practice. Students must have previously completed 3 years of Arabic. In Arabic

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4414 Advanced Arabic Media 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4417 Shariah Law its Discontents 3 Credits

There are few topics as controversial globally and in the United States as poorly understood as ‘The Shariah’. This course will explore the actual nature and history of the Shariah tradition, with special focus on how it is understood and implemented today. It will also investigate the resonance of the Shariah amongst many Muslim populations.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4419 Literature of Syria 3 Credits

We will study in this class Syria’s contemporary literature, including poetry, short story, novel and play. Several poetic texts for a number of Syrian contemporary poets, such as Adonis, Nizar Qabbani, Mohammed Omran, and Mohammed Maghout will be discussed and analyzed. Short stories for a some of the most important Syrian short story writers, such as Zakaria Tamer and Walid Ekhlasi, will also be studied. One Syrian contemporary novel by Khalid Khalifa and one Syrian contemporary play by Saadallah Wannous, will be used to further discuss the Syrian short stories and theater. We will introduce each of these texts by providing theoretical introductions that would enable the students to have an overview of the historical background of these literature styles in Syria, it’s most prominent issues and distinguished writers. At the end of the discussion of each literature style, students will be assigned to write a brief critique paper about this style drawing on texts that we didn’t study in the class. At the end of the semester, students will be assigned to write an extended paper on Syria’s modern literature (poetry, story, play or a novel).

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4420 Literature: Age of Rhetoric 3 Credits

This course takes as the basis for literary exploration and analysis a selection of classical Arabic texts from the mature Abbasid period onward, a period in which the art of rhetoric (balaghah) was increasing valorized. We will look at genres such as poetry, adab (belles lettres), and maqamat with a view to examining the relations between literature, religion, political power and aesthetics. Class time will be devoted primarily to discussion and analysis of the texts and critical readings, and, as needed for accuracy, translation into English. The final three weeks of the semester will be devoted to the research and presentation of individual research projects, selected according to individual student interests in consultation with the instructor. The class is conducted in Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4421 Islamic Foundational Texts 3 Credits

This course will focus on the close reading, translation, and literary cultural interpretation of selected passages from the foundational texts of Arab-Islamic culture: Qurʾān, Tafsīr, al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, and Poetry. A focus on morphology and syntax aims at developing accuracy and precision in reading and translation, but also to develop an appreciation of their rhetorical and semantic function in the refinement of expression and meaning, whether in classical or modern Arabic. Critical readings will explore the linguistic, literary, and cultural dimensions of these formative texts. Grading and Requirements: Perfect attendance is expected. If you miss a class you will be required to complete a make-up assignment, as determined by the instructor, with one week of the missed class. Requirements and Grading: Class preparation and participation: 40% Four Unit Essays and Translation Quizzes: 40% Final Research or Translation Project: 20% Advanced Arabic II (ARAB 216/ARAB217) or the equivalent; or permission of the instructor.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4422 Modern Arabic Poetry and Music 3 Credits

This course looks at, and listens to, Arabic music of the twentieth century to explore the relationship between poetic texts, sound recordings, and live performance. How is a song made? What happens to Arabic poems when they are set to music? And how has recording technology affected Arabic song lyrics as both performed and written texts? For each class, select songs from across the Arab world will serve as the primary “readings,” using a range of colloquial and classical Arabic varieties. Secondary readings will be in English and Arabic. We will consider regional “traditions,” such as the nuba in North Africa, the wasla in Egypt and Syria, and the Iraqi maqam, examining both the literary and social meaning of their poetic texts. We will listen to particular artists (Muhammad al-Qubanji, Khumayyis Tarnan, Yusif al-Manyalawi, Umm Kulthum, Sabah Fakhri, Fairuz, among others) while situating them within broader musical themes and trends to examine their influence on the production of song lyrics. Interested students need not have studied music, but advanced Arabic proficiency is recommended.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4423 Modern Arabic Poetry 3 Credits

This course will focus on the close reading and interpretation of poetry texts from 1950 on, including Free Verse, Prose Poem and `Ammiyyah Poetry. Literary critical themes include such topics as (post)-colonialism, Modernism, committed poetry, the influence of the West (T.S. Eliot), poetry and identity, resistance poetry, metapoetry, poetry of the Arab Spring. Final projects will allow students to pursue their individual interests. Except for some translation, class will be conducted in Arabic, assigned class presentations, essays and final project and paper are to be in Arabic. Critical readings are in English and Arabic. The instructor will assist students in choosing readings and essay and paper topics appropriate to their levels and interests.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4424 Al-Jahiz:Eloquence,SatireFou 3 Credits

This course will focus on the close reading and translation of selected passages from the works of al-Jahiz, such as Al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin, Al-Hayawan and Al-Bukhala’ with a view to introducing Islamic humanistic adab and developing accuracy and proficiency in the reading of classical Arabic texts. Prerequisite for undergrads: 3rd year Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4425 Arabic Grammar 3 Credits

TBA

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4426 Poetry Theory: the Arabic Ode 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4427 Islamic Devotional Poetry 3 Credits

This course will focus on the Arab-Islamic tradition of praise poems to the Prophet Muhammad, particularly as acts of supplication in the devotional practice of Muslims, and as they respond to the political and cultural circumstances of their times. It will also explore the ways in which madih nabawi transforms into poetic expression key episodes from the life of the Prophet: his birth, his miracles, the Night Journey and Ascencion, etc. We will begin with the three celebrated Mantle Odes of Ka’b ibn Zuhayr from the time of the Prophet; al-Būṣīrī from the medieval period; and Ahmad Shawqi from the early 20 th century. We will then turn to the rich variety of poems to the Prophet and their performance, such as recitations, manuscripts, poetic elaborations, colloquial Arabic and aljamiado poems, video recordings. The final couple of weeks of the semester will be devoted to individual projects. Students with a knowledge of other Islamicate languages are welcome to explore the madih nabawi tradition in those as well. Assignments will be divided according to students’ levels and interests. Class will be conducted partly in English and partly in Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 2216 or ARAB 215

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4429 Poetry of al-Mutanabbi: Intro 3 Credits

This course will take the poetry of the most celebrated of the classical Arabic poets, al-Mutanabbi, as an introduction to classical Arabic poetry. It will focus on close readings of poetic texts to explore how al-Mutanabbi used the classical poetic form to create a dynamic and dramatic persona for himself as poet, hero and warrior. We will explore how he employed the poetics of praise and blame to negotiate rank and status and to confer and retract allegiance in the complex political landscape of the 4th/10th century, such as the courts of Sayf al-Dawlah in Aleppo and Kāfūr al-Ikhshīdī in Egypt. Class time will be devoted to close reading and translation (into English) of selected poems; class discussion will be primarily in Arabic. Additional readings in English and Arabic will be assigned according to students’ Arabic levels and interests. Final projects, which may be translations or research papers, will be selected in consultation with the instructor.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4430 1001 Nights 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Mutual exclusion: ARAB 3360, ARAB 360

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 4431 Language Policy Dev:Arab Wrld 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4432 Arabic Dialectology 3 Credits

This course examines Arabic dialectology and variation, focusing on how colloquial and Standard Arabic varieties differ, and why those differences matter for power, class, migration, education, etc. Students learn core analytical tools for comparing Arabic varieties (phonetics/phonology, morphology, and syntax), evaluate competing theories about historical development and relatedness across varieties, and practice empirical methods, including observation-based “mini-fieldwork” and data-driven analysis. Through sustained comparison across regions and speech communities, the course treats linguistic structure as inseparable from socio-historical context and from the social meanings attached to “dialect” and “standard.”

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4433 Structure of Semitic Languages 3 Credits

The Semitic language family is one of the oldest attested language families still spoken today. It includes languages spoken in Africa, the Middle East and Western Asia, languages which figure prominently in the religious, political and cultural issues of our time and of history. This course aims at familiarizing students with the grammatical structure of a number of ancient and modern Semitic languages (e.g., Hebrew, Standard Arabic and dialects, Amharic, Akkadian, Aramaic and others).

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4442 Sufism in modern Arabic lit 3 Credits

Email: aez3@georgetown.edu Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays: 5:00-6:00-pm and by appointment. Prerequisites: Second semester of Advanced Arabic or by placement test. As announced by the dean, the first two weeks will be online (Zoom). After that we will move to the in-person teaching. For that period, students are required to turn on their cameras during the class. Please read below the guidelines: “If a student who cannot turn on their camera for technical reasons, or has compelling personal reasons to not turn on their camera, must apply in writing for an exemption from their advising dean. If their personal reason is confidential, a student may initiate the application process through the Wellness Centre. Those students granted exemptions will work with their deans and instructors to plan alternatives as needed.” Sufism has invaded modern Arabic literature since the sixties of last century. It might appear at first contradictory to write ‘modern’ poetry and ‘modern’ novels, and yet be inspired by the great traditional figures of Sufism. The fact is that modern Arab poets and novelists reinterpreted the Sufi masterpieces in such a manner as to reveal the profound ’modernity’ that is hidden in these Sufi texts. This course will endeavor to: Explore the reasons behind the flourishing of this ‘literary Sufism’. Analyze how Sufi texts have influenced the content and style of modern Arabic literature. Highlight the specificity of ‘literary Sufism’. In this sense, this course doesn’t dwell much on Sufism per se and doesn’t tackle its conceptual and experiential components, but rather focus on the poesis of Sufi tropes as recycled and reinterpreted by modern Arabic literature.Means of assessment: Student’s work will be evaluated as follows: 1.Attendance: 10% Students are allowed one absence during the semester. Any additional absence should be justified either by bringing a medical excuse or a letter from their advising dean. 2. Class discussion & interpretation of the material. It is crucial to contribute to the analysis of the readings. Students are urged to express their opinions and bring in original insights. No excuses will be accepted for not having read the assigned texts: 20% 3.Weekly oral presentations that will be chosen by the professor and assigned to each student in turn: 15% 4.Two Short papers of 300 words. 10%. 5.Midterm exam: 20% The midterm is composed of question essays related in a way or another to class discussions, assigned readings, and students’ presentations. 6. Outline of the final papers presented to the class: 5%. Each student is required to present the outline of his/her final paper to the class. 7.Final research paper (2500 words) 20 % due on December 7th. Failing to deliver the paper on this date will affect your grade. The teacher will meet with each student in the first week of November to discuss the final projects. No student is allowed to embark on her /his research before discussing the proposed research and getting the teacher’s approval.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: (ARAB 216 or ARAB 2217) or (ARAB 221 or ARAB 2221)

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4443 Readings in Fatwa Collections 3 Credits

This class will investigate the important Islamic thought genre of fatwas, or legal response. It will involve in-depth reading in the Arabic sources, discussion of their contents, and a survey of existing scholarship on the subject.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core:HALC - Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4447 The Arab Novel 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4450 Arabic Political Discourse 3 Credits

Analyzing political discourse can be done through Critical Discourse Analysis or the (Socio)-linguistic Analysis. Following the (socio)-linguistic approach, this course introduces the descriptive, rhetorical and sociolinguistic approaches to the analysis of Arabic political discourse. The course will survey a variety of studies on the Arabic political discourse and their linguistic and rhetorical strategies for achieving a wide range of political objectives such as influence and persuasion. The linguistic tools for analyzing the discourse include word choice, naming and reference, predication, sentence constructions (such as transitivity, modality), speech acts, presupposition, rhetorical devices (such as metaphors, puns), code switching. Students will analyze a variety of texts on the Arabic political discourse. Readings will be in Arabic and English. The class will be conducted in Arabic and the homework and the research will be written in Arabic. Students are expected to be in the post advanced level of Arabic.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4451 Poetry Performance of Empire 3 Credits

In English. Surveys the interplay of poetry and imperial ideology from pre-Islamic until post-colonial times.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4453 Heritage/modernity:Arabic Lit 3 Credits

Contemporary Arabic writing is characterized by ambivalent trends. On one hand we find writers experimenting with the latest trends of post- modernity and on the other hand there are authors who strive to revive the old Arabic heritage. This course has the following goals: First we will delve into the texts that take their inspiration from medieval narratives. We will examine: a. Texts that are inspired from Sufism, such as ‘tajalliyat” of the Egyptian writer, Gamal al-Ghitani, as well as the recent novel by Muhammad Arafah, ‘Tawaseen al-Ghazali.’ The sway of Sufism on contemporary Arabic writing is immense. b. Texts that take their inspiration from medieval narratives such as medieval Arab historians and geographers’ texts and folk narratives in order to rekindle the memory of the past, and, most importantly, tie it to Arab actuality. Second: we will interpret the works that experiment with the latest narrative techniques of post-modernity such as fragmenting ad infinitum the text in order to deconstruct the meaning and the form and create dizziness and uncertainty such as in Elias Khoury’s latest novel entitled Yallo. Third: the class will compare the two kinds of writings to see how they separate and how they intersect. Some pertinent questions will be raised such as: - Which trend mirrors best the qualms and expectations of Arab society today? - Are they complementary trends or opposite? Is the return to heritage in Arabic writing today caused only by the need to recuperate a lost identity? Is the play with forms and fragmentation of the text caused only by the imitation of the West? - Finally, can we reconcile the two messages through the medium of literary creativity? Lecture and format discussion within an interdisciplinary scope

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4460 Islam in South Asia 3 Credits

Islam is often associated immediately with the Middle East, but Islam’s intellectual and religious landscape over the last two centuries is arguably a product of South Asian scholars and religio-political movements. This course will offer a survey of Islamic thought in South Asia from the medieval period to the modern, from Muslims living as a ruling minority to Muslims negotiating colonial rule and finally minority status.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: XHIS name

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4466 Modern Arabic Novel 3 Credits

This class focuses on modern Arabic novels for three of the most important contemporary novelists in the Arab World. We will read these novels throughout the course with a focus on the story of the novel, its theme, vision, narrator’s views and positions, narrative style, characters and language. At the end of each novel, students will be assigned to write papers through which they discuss the novel in details, analyze and critique it. Similarly, at the end of the semester, the students will be assigned to write an extended paper to discuss a contemporary Arab novel chosen by the student, which we haven’t studied in class. We will introduce each these readings with a theoretical introduction for the modern Arabic novel.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4470 Intro to Arabic Phil Theo 3 Credits

The course focuses on the rise and development of philosophy in the Arabic and Islamic Middle-Ages. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to some of the main issues dealt with by philosophers and theologians of classical Islam: What are the most fundamental components of reality? What is the status of universal or mental objects? What does it mean to be a thing? Is the world eternal or created? Is the connection between the generally accepted ideas of “cause” and “effect” a necessary one? What do the philosophers mean when they call to jihad? What is the legal status of philosophy? The course will explore such questions in the original writings of philosophers and theologians of classical Islam and is open to any student interested in learning more about the debates and discussions they triggered. No knowledge of Islam or Arabic is required and all readings are available in English. The course combines lecture with discussions stemming from a close reading of texts. Syllabus, assigned readings, documents for the course will be available through Blackboard as of the first day of class. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: None. No knowledge of Arabic or Islam is required. - This course meets the General Education requirement in Philosophy (non ethics). It also counts toward a major or a minor in Philosophy. - If you wish to count this course toward a major or a minor in Theology, please contact Prof. Christopher Steck in the Department of Theology.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4471 Islamic Law 3 Credits

This course introduces students to the main concepts of Islamic law and points out controversies among Muslim jurists as well as scholars of Islamic law. The first part of the course covers the historical development of Islamic law, its sources, and tools of law-finding. The second part, which concentrates on the modern period, gives an overview of different areas of law, such as commercial law, criminal law, family law and the position of women, law and the state, and human rights.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Equivalent to ARAB 571

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Undergraduate level students.

ARAB 4478 America in Iraq 3 Credits

This course surveys cultural production in Iraq and the USA, across a number of mediums (poetry, song, film, journalism, memoir, fiction). This course will be conducted in English, and translations will be provided to any student. Interested students will be able to read Iraqi works in the original. The main focus of this course will be on American and Iraqi writers and artists as they responded to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq, with the aim of providing sufficient regional and historical background to appreciate the scope of the US invasion, its various meanings for Iraqis and Americans, and its consequences for both societies. Themes will include: embeddedness in journalism and literature; sectarianism and its critiques; the military-literary complex; combatant culture; exilic writing; the persistence of Orientalism.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4495 Tafsir: Qur'anic Hermeneutics 3 Credits

Students must have reading fluency in Arabic. This seminar explores the rich tradition of Qur'anic interpretation (tafsir) from the earliest Muslim community to contemporary approaches. Students will examine how successive generations of scholars have engaged with the Qur'anic text, analyzing classical exegetical methods and the social-historical contexts that shaped interpretation. Topics include major schools and figures in the exegetical tradition, the role of linguistic analysis and intertextuality, sectarian perspectives, modern reformist approaches, and contemporary debates over interpretive authority. Through close readings of primary sources in Arabic and secondary scholarship, students will develop critical skills for understanding how meaning is constructed, contested, and transmitted within Islamic textual traditions and interpretive communities.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4501 Biblical Prophets in the Quran 3 Credits

Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scriptures contain a number of shared prophets, figures, and narratives, which demonstrate both commonalities and profound differences. This course will explore the depictions of some biblical prophets and figures found in the Qurʾan and reacquaint ourselves, whenever necessary, with how these same figures are represented in the Jewish and Christian Bibles. Some of the figures to be explored include, but are not limited to, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Lot, David, Solomon, Joseph, Moses, Mary, and Jesus. Through the exploration of prophets and other figures, this course will offer students a glimpse into the development of the early Islamic tradition. Students will also learn how different presuppositions can impact how the texts and their relationship are read.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4502 Intro to Arabic Linguistics 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4520 Women and Gender in the Qur'a 3 Credits

Since its revelation, the Qurʾan has provided spiritual insight, ethical and legal guidance, sacred narratives, and theological principles. In this course, students will be introduced to how women, sex, sexuality, and gender are depicted in the Qurʾan. We will also explore how classical Muslim scholars, contemporary Muslims, and Muslim feminists have approached and interpreted contested issues in the Qurʾan, including veiling, marriage, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Students will read a variety of primary and secondary sources, including the Qur’an and its commentaries, hadith reports, law, literature, and modern Muslim feminist critiques, to learn about some of the historical debates surrounding women and gender that persist today. Throughout this course, we will question how the Qurʾan has been interpreted and appropriated by various claimants to religious authority. We will also assess the subjective values and assumptions of interpreters, including our own, which shape interpretations of the Qurʾan and the formation of the Islamic tradition. This course is designed to offer students an understanding of how the social, political, economic, and intellectual milieu of the classical period contributed to Muslims’ conceptions of gender in the Islamic tradition. In addition, it promotes a more nuanced understanding of how Muslim feminists engage the Qurʾan as a form of resistance against misogynistic Muslim views, colonialism, orientalism, and Islamophobia, all of which marginalize Muslim women.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: Core: Theology

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4650 War on Terror at Home 3 Credits

The quarter century since 9/11 and dawn of the 'War on Terror' has seen the surfacing of tensions and crises, some long simmering, some new, as American foreign policy and domestic life have repeatedly collided. The notion of the rule of law and civil liberties has collided with anxieties over support for terrorism, 'extremism' and the exigencies of national security. The conception of America as a pluralistic and liberal nation has collided with claims of cultural, religious and even racial parochialism. Muslims in the US and shibboleths associated with them, from the 'Ground Zero Mosque' (2010) to Rep. Ilhan Omar's hijab and campus protests over Gaza, have been the meeting point of all these tensions and crises. This course will explore how 'The War on Terror,' its domestic manifestation, Islam/Muslims and debates over what America should be have shaped the US in recent decades.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Course attribute: FS54 name

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4655 Palestinian Literature 3 or 4 Credits

This course surveys concepts and strategies of liberation within the Palestinian literary tradition, and includes poets and authors working from historic Palestine as well as the diaspora, in a variety of languages, including Arabic, English and Hebrew. Texts include poetry, memoirs, fiction and film by M. Darwish, I. Hammad, J. I. Jabra, G. Kanafani, Adania Shibli, and others.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4701 The Nakba in Literature 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4883 War Memory in Arabic Lit 3 Credits

The theme of war has been overwhelmingly present in Arabic literature since 1948, the creation of the state of Israel. This course will study exceptional novels from different parts of the Arab world revolving around the war in Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. The class will analyze these texts from a social perspective, stressing the changes that happen in society during war. Students will also be exposed to the region's history to help them better understand the reasons these wars occurred in different parts of the Arab world, such as Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. Finally, the class will be trained to interpret literary texts using close reading and deconstruction perspectives. Lecture and format discussion within an interdisciplinary scope.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Prerequisites: ARAB 2223 or ARAB 2217

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4893 Intro: Arabic Sociolinguistics 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4949 Tutorial: Arabic 3 or 6 Credits

Level: Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 4998 Senior Honors Thesis 3-12 Credits

Registration for senior Arabic majors completing a Senior Honors Thesis.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5500 Incarceration in Middle East 0 or 1 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5503 Classical Arabic Court Poetry 3 Credits

TBA

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5506 Slavery and Islam 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5507 Advanced Arabic Media 3 Credits

The purpose of this course is to give students who have passed the MAAS Arabic proficiency exam another opportunity to further develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The focus will be on current issues in Arab society and politics featured in the Arab media and social network sites. The materials to be tapped will be primary and secondary, most of which will be untranslated, such as film clips, articles, opinion pieces, interviews, statements, government and non-government reports, editorials, blogs, songs, slogans, posters and graffiti. One key feature of the course will be individual or group class presentations and their discussions. It is hoped that by the end of the semester, students will reach the Superior level rating on the ACTFL scale, i.e. “they can support opinions, hypothesize, discuss topics concretely and abstractly, and handle a linguistically unfamiliar situation”; that their vocabulary will be enriched, their debating skills enhanced.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5511 Short Stories from the Maghreb 3 Credits

This course is primarily a reading course, designed to enable students to read complete stories, to develop in-depth, analytical, reflective and fluent reading skills. The emphasis will be on self-reliant preparation. Students are expected to gain mastery of the text almost independently, to develop their own responses, and ask crucial questions. The course is also intended to explore the relevance of these stories to modern societies of the Maghreb; the extent to which they are part of a larger picture of modern Arabic fiction; and whether or not the Maghreb can claim a narrative voice of its own. The course will be conducted in Arabic. It will also give students an opportunity to review grammar as well as build up vocabulary.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5520 Hist of Arabic Linguistics 3 Credits

A survey of the rise and development of Arabic grammar and lexicology. Theories of early grammarians contrasted with contemporary methods of linguistic analysis. Extensive reading and analysis of medieval texts on Arabic grammar. Prerequisite: At least one semester of linguistics ARAB-392, and the equivalent of four years of Modern Standard Arabic. (This course satisfies one semester of the College's social science general education requirement.)

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5523 Politi Phil in Classical Islam 3 Credits

Was there any political philosophy in classical Islam? What was the place left for politics in the shadow of religion? Was there any distinction between the sphere of ethics and that of politics? What kind of questions, if any, would the philosophers raise concerning the state and its origin, power, law, community etc.? Those are few out of several more questions that this course intends to answer through the study of the most prominent figures in Islamic philosophy. The emphasis of the course is on texts. Beginning with the literature of councels (mirror of princes), the course will address, among others, the issues of the exercise of power, the relationship between religion and politics, the lawgiver; political organizations (virtuous city and imperfect regimes) and their transformation, through the works of al-Farabi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Bajja (Avempace) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes), ending with Ibn Khaldun. All texts are provided in English translation as well as in Arabic. The class is conducted in English but students who would like to read the texts in Arabic are welcome to do so.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5525 Exegesis of the Qur'an 3 Credits

This interactive graduate seminar presents an introduction to the corpus of Sunni Islamic Tafsir from the ninth to the 20th century. 1.) The seminar begins with a brief introduction to the classical Islamic doctrine of the nature of the Qur'an; historical modes of interpretation and principles of exegesis; and some medieval and modern controversies regarding the Qur'an's history, nature, and authority. 2.) The main authors of the Sunni Qur'anic Tafsir literature are identified; in this segment, each student (or a study group of several students) chooses a specific _mufassir_ for in-depth analysis of this exegete's biography, work, socio-political setting and intellectual/theological background and methodology. 3.) The seminar focuses on several Qur'anic sociopolitical concepts (such as _qiwama_ and _shura_) with the aim to introduce the students to patterns of continuity and change in Qur'anic hermeneutics on these issues over time. The students locate the relevant passages in the many volumes of Tafsir works (on four hour reserve at Lauinger Library); thereafter copies of the text are distributed for reading/preparation of text by all seminar participants. 4.) Each seminar session has three parts: one, student presentation(s) on a _mufassir_ and the theological tradition to which he belonged; two, reading and translation of textual samples; reading is with full _i'rab_ to give all students the opportunity to read the texts in the culturally appropriate manner; three, the last segment of every seminar is dedicated to further exploration of the secondary literature on Qur'anic matters or other, relevant legal and historical issues.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5526 Polit Phil in Classical Islam 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5527 TradModernity LateOttomanSch. 3 Credits

This course is an exploration of late Ottoman Islamic thought, with a focus on the legal corpus of the Mecelle legal code, the Ottoman Family Law Code of 1917 and the prolific and diverse writings of Mehmet Zahit Kevseri (d. 1952), the last academic Shaykh al-Islam of the Ottoman Empire. The class will consist of two aspects: first, close readings of primary source texts; second, an exploration of secondary source scholarship on the subject. Students will be given flexibility in pursuing their own research interests linked to the topic of late Ottoman thought, and this will culminate in a seminar paper for the class.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5530 Comp Approaches to ArabicPoetr 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5533 Classical Arabic Prose 3 Credits

This course will focus on the close reading, translation and interpretation of classical Arab prose texts in such fields as Adab (humanistic belles lettres), Sirah (Prophetic biography) and history. Emphasis will be placed on correct reading, relevant points of grammar and translation, as well as literary and cultural contextualization and interpretation. The choice of texts will be geared to the interests of the students, and students will have the opportunity to devote the final Unit of the semester to a text of their own choosing for their final project. Pre-requisite: Advanced Arabic or permission of the instructor.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5537 The Law of the Quran 3 Credits

This course aims at investigating the role and complexities of people's agency in the Arab Middle East and North Africa through the framework of contentious politics and social movement theory. It discusses the links between contentious politics and social and political struggles, showing that the 2010-11 wave of mass popular mobilization, activism and resistance across the region was the outcome of a decades-long cumulative process built upon social, political and economic grievances. It sheds light on new emerging forces and counter-revolutionary actors, and argues that the fall of many autocratic rulers has created a paradigm shift in the ways Arab citizens are defining their future and conceiving of their relationship to power. Finally, the course problematizes the common Western-oriented frames of analysis used to examine the region's gradual process of change, questioning Orientalist assumptions that depict democratization as a linear process through the strictly binary lens of democracy or authoritarianism.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5538 Crit Approaches:Arabic Qasida 3 Credits

Critical Approaches to the Arabic Qasida will consist of the close reading of selected Arabic odes in light of a variety of contemporary critical approaches. It is structured in such a way as to provide a historical survey of the qasida while progressively examining a range of applied critical and theoretical work. Unit I: Pre-Islamic Poetry explores the Jahili foundations of the Arabic poetic tradition in light of ritual theory, orality /literacy and philology. Unit II: Early Islamic and Umayyad Ode, uses performative theory to examine the transformation of the Jahili qasida into a poetic medium for the expression of Islamic allegiance and empire. Unit III deals with the qasida in the ?Abbasid Golden Age and the subsequent Andalusian Age in light of performance theory and the politics and poetics of patronage. Unit IV turns to interarts theory and metapoetic theory to examine the relationship between poetry and the other arts—painting, music and architecture. Finally, Unit V on Neo-Classical poetry of the colonial period engages Post-Colonial theory to interpret the qasida of the Nah?ah period as a response to Western colonial hegemony. The course is intended to give a foundation in the Arabic poetic tradition for students in Arabic and Islamic studies and a foundation in literary theory and method for students specializing in Arabic literature.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5547 Teaching Arabic as Forgn Lang 3 Credits

This course provides a critical survey of issues and approaches in Arabic teaching including developments in linguistics, second language acquisition, methodology, and classroom-centered research. Communicative competence, variation and diglossia, difficulty level, and definitions of proficiency for Arabic are key areas of concern. How do these issues impact expectations, goals, curriculum design, testing, materials assessment, and classroom instruction? The course combines theory and practice in lectures, readings, and discussion. Prerequisite: ARAB 392 or permission of instructor.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5553 I'jaz al'Qur'an 3 Credits

This course will focus on the accurate translation and interpretation of selected classical Arabic texts on the tenet/concept of the miraculous inimitability of the Qur’an (I`jaz al-Qur’an). Beginning with authors such as al-Rummani , al-Jurjani and al-Razi, the course will also explore the intersections between I`jaz al-Qur’an and the fields of rhetoric and poetry, as in the work of Safi al-Din al-Hilli. The last 3-4 weeks of the course will be devoted to research on and presentation of individual projects selected in consultation with the instructor.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5555 IntroArb/Islm Stud:Sources/Met 3 Credits

This course will familiarize students with the sources, research tools and methods used in the field of Islamic Studies. We will look at the history of the discipline and survey its major areas of research, covering history, language and literature, the religious sciences (Qur’an, Hadith, law, and theology), as well as philosophy and the social sciences. Students will be exposed to various approaches to the study of Islam and its major debates.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5556 Readings in Islamic Lgl Hist 3 Credits

This course is designed to expose students to genres and source texts that depict or record the function of of the Islamic legal tradition in practice. It will explore select chronicles, biographical dictionaries, and judges' manuals from the pre-modern period, as well as early modern and modern court records from assorted Muslim legal institutions. The main readings will be in Arabic, accompanied by secondary source readings in European languages. As learning objectives, students will acquire greater familiarity with Islamic legal history and research in that field, and reading Arabic legal material. Proficient Arabic reading is required.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5557 The Arab Novel 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5558 Intro Linguistics Methodology 3 Credits

This course introduces the linguistics methodology of the major domains of Arabic linguistics. It covers traditional and current approaches to Arabic linguistic research. The course explores the state of the art of the major domains such as the traditional grammar theory, the current morphological and syntactic theory, the contemporary approaches to studying Arabic sociolinguistic, and the most recent approaches.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5559 Intro to Literary Methodology 3 Credits

This course is designed to introduce foundational problems and methods of modern literary studies. Issues to be examined include history, psychoanalysis, formalism and ideological criticism with regard to questions of race, gender, sexuality, and postcolonialism. Seminar discussion format.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 5577 Non-Muslims:Islamic Law Soc 3 Credits

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 5578 alMutanabbi-Intro ClassiPoetry 3 Credits

Close reading and interpretation of Arabic poetry texts in conjunction with English literary critical readings.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6128 Syntax II 3 Credits

This course is a continuation of Syntax I. It provides an advanced survey of topics in contemporary syntactic theory through readings from the primary literature and offers training in syntactic argumentation. Key topics which will frame our discussion include phrase structure, argument structure, case and agreement, passives, raising and control, binding, the A-/Ā-distinction, cyclicity, locality, minimality, and ellipsis.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6250 Khasa'is of Ibn Jinnni 3 Credits

This course will focus on a close reading, translation, and analysis of selected passages from Al-Khaṣāʾiṣ, the groundbreaking linguistic and philological work of the 4 th /10 th c. grammarian, philologist, and philosopher of language, Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUthmān Ibn Jinnī (d. 1002). Secondary readings in Arabic and English (etc.) will serve to place Ibn Jinnī’s work in the historical and intellectual context of Classical Arabic linguistics (ʿilm al-lughah) and contemporary linguistic studies. The final unit of the course will be devoted to students’ individual research projects. The course is intended for graduate students in Arabic linguistics, literature, and Islamic studies.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 6399 State of Research in AIS 3 Credits

This course involves readings of seminal contributions to Arabic and Islamic studies, inclusive of topics in history, religion, philosophy, and linguistics. Students will learn to evaluate scholarly argumentation with reference to both primary sources in Arabic and the current state of the secondary literature, honing research and writing skills with the aim of making their own contribution to their respective field.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6611 EarlyArabicPtry:RitualOralityP 3 Credits

Early Arabic Poetry: Ritual, Orality and Performance seeks to situate the pre- and early Islamic qasida within the purview of contemporary literary critical approaches as a basis for the close reading, translation and interpretation of the original Arabic texts. Special attention will be given to the transition from the Jahiliyyah to Islam. Class time will be divided between discussions of the literary critical readings, the translation (including issues of philology and grammar) of the texts, and the literary interpretation of texts. Except for the translation segment, the class will be conducted primarily in Arabic. The course will be conducted in seminar format: that is, the students are expected to prepare to translate and to present and discuss the critical readings in class. Some of the readings and translations will be divided in small group assignments to enable us to cover all the material.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6621 Reading Classic Text in Arabic 3 Credits

This advanced seminar offers a close and thorough reading of a selection of literary, philosophical and theological writings of classical Islam. Texts will be read in Arabic, translated orally, explained and commented upon. A good knowledge of classical Arabic is required. The objective of the course is to familiarize the students with reading and analyzing classical sources in Arabic, and to introduce them to the intellectual context of the time.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 6623 PoetrythePerformanceofEmpire 3 Credits

Poetry and Performance will combine the close reading and translation of classical Arabic poetic texts from the Umayyad and Abbasid periods along with their prose contexts (such as Kitab al-Aghani) together with readings in contemporary critical theory on Performance, Speech Acts and the Rhetoric of Empire. Special emphasis will be placed on the use of poetry to negotiate rank and status, to perform rituals of swearing and retracting allegiance, and to confer or deny Islamic legitimacy.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6624 Poetry of Ma'arri:Enga to Dis 3 Credits

In this course, we will read, translate and interpret selected works from the two celebrated poetry collections of the blind Syrian ascetic poet Abu al-`Ala’ al-Ma’arri (d. 1058 CE). We will examine his youthful collection, Saqt al-Zand (Sparks of the Flint) in light of performative poetics as the young al-Maarri performs the obligations of kinship, friendship and politics through the form of the Arabic ode (qasida). We will then examine his poetics of withdrawal and disengagement when, after failing to make a place for himself in the highly competitive poetic circles of Baghdad, he returns to his provincial hometown of Ma`arrat al-Nu`man and withdraws into an embittered, ascetic and contemplative life. This is the setting for his renowned double-rhymed collection, al-Luzumiyyat (Compulsories), in which short pieces, rhyming in all the consonants of the Arabic alphabet and vowel endings, range from piety to skepticism, from the sincere to the sardonic. Course requirements: attendance and participation 30%; three 6-7 page essays 45%; final project 25%. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Classical Arabic

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6626 Readings in Early Kalam 3 Credits

This advanced seminar offers a close and thorough reading of a selection of early kalam texts. Texts will be read in Arabic, translated orally, explained and commented upon. A good knowledge of classical Arabic is required. The objective of the course is to familiarize the students with reading and analyzing classical sources in Arabic, while introducing them to the intellectual and theological context of the early Abbasid period.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6627 Introduction to Hadith 3 Credits

This course introduces students to hadith literature and the science of hadith. It looks at the origin, development, and criticism of the hadith literature as well as the debates surrounding its transmission, authority, and application. For this purpose we read materials in Arabic and English discussing the role and function of the hadith literature.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6633 Classical Arabic Literary Text 3 Credits

Classical Arabic Literary Texts will focus on the close reading and accurate translation of passages from classical Arabic literary texts such as Kitab al-Aghani and al-Iqd al-Farid. Other texts will be selected in accordance with student interest. The course will also review grammar (syntax and morphology) as needed to assure that students emerge from the course with a good command of the tools needed for reading and research in classical Arabic materials. Requirements and Grading: class preparation, attendance and participation: 35%; bi-weekly text review quizzes and written translation exercises: 35%; final individual translation project: 30%

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6634 Discovering the Islamic Classi 3 Credits

Classical Islamic Civilization produced innumerable works of history, literature, science, philosophy, and theology. This class offers the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with a diverse selection of these writings in Classical Arabic, focusing on both canonical names as well as more eclectic authors and genres. Emphasis is given on close readings in Arabic, utilizing the tools of philological study to advance the study of topics of interest in social and intellectual history.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6635 Arabic Islamic Historiography 3 Credits

This graduate seminar is a reading-intensive survey of the principal historical sources in Arabic for Middle Eastern social, intellectual, and political history from the 7th to 15th century and beyond. This survey of Arabic texts and their authors includes: discussion of historical and literary documents, methods of prosopography for Islamic thought and civilization, considerations regarding intellectual history, and assessment of historiographical topics of interest.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6636 Theology in Arabic 3 Credits

This course will introduce students to seminal primary Arabic sources of theology in Islamic, Jewish, and Christian traditions, as well as relevant contemporary historiographical and methodological questions. Prerequisite: Advanced Arabic.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6666 Race in Islamic Tradition 3 Credits

This course will introduce students to primary- and secondary source-readings on the Arab-Islamic tradition's conceptualization of how descent, climate, culture and divine providence defined individuals and groups. It will explore how this medieval and early-modern tradition can be viewed through modern scholarship on race and racism. Reading knowledge of Arabic is required.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6670 Mod Arab Poetry, Theory Tran 3 Credits

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6677 Majaz: Fig Lang in Quran Ptry 3 Credits

This course is aimed at graduate students in the fields of Qur’anic studies, Arabic poetry, and Arabic linguistics. The first part of the course will focus on the close reading and interpretation selections from key texts concerning the theorization of majāz (approx. “figurative language”) in Qur’anic hermeneutics and Classical Arabic Rhetoric. Selected texts will range, for example, from Abū ʿUbayda’s Kitāb Majāz al-Ḳurʾān, Ibn Qutayba’s Taʾwīl mushkil al-Qurʾān, and al-Jurjānī’s Asrār al-Balāgha and Dalāʾīl al- ʿIjāz fi-l-Qurʾān to later scholars such as al-Rāzī, al-Sakkākī, and al-Suyūṭī. The second part of the course will include comparative and disciplinary studies and be devoted to seminar-format presentation and discussion of individual research projects. Pre-requisite: reading knowledge of Classical Arabic. Class presentations and discussions will be in Arabic and/or English.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 6866 Early Islamic Texts 3 Credits

This course introduces students to early Arbro-Islamic texts from the formative period of Islam, up to the 3rd/9th century. Through selected readings, students will analyze excerpts from a variety of Arabic sources and genres, including the Qurʾān, tafsīr, qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ, al-sīra al-nabawiyya, fiqh, ḥadīth, and tārīkh. To deepen their understanding, students will also engage with critical academic scholarship that offers insights into the cultural, historical, and political contexts of this period. While instruction is in English, Arabic reading fluency is required.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

ARAB 6950 Readings in Hadith Studies 3 Credits

This course will provide an in-depth exploration, at a gradual level, of important genres of Muslim engagement with the Hadith tradition, Islam’s secondary (though arguably more impactful than anything else) scripture.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 7711 Editing Arabic Manuscripts 3 Credits

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the techniques and methodology used in establishing Arabic Medieval texts (collating the manuscripts, deciphering the script, stemma, marginalia, critical apparatus, etc) through the edition of a yet unedited text. The question of the formation and development of a scientific and philosophical technical terminology will also be addressed through the translation and translation of the text at stake. The course will take the form of a workshop where all the participants will engage in the process of edition and translation. Students will be provided with copies of the available manuscripts in which the text is extant.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 7769 Islamic Law Women and Gender 3 Credits

This course addresses the history of Islamic law with a focus on the issues of women and gender. We will study the history of Islamic law and gender through the lenses of different scholarly approaches and foci, including law as exegesis, law as a social construct, law as a source of identity, law as contending discourses, and law as a site of activism. Throughout the course, we will identify the various (and varying) legal doctrines as developed in works of Islamic jurisprudence as well as legal practices. In the process of discussing what Islamic law has to “say” about women and gender issues, we will be confronting a broad range of legal doctrines and far-flung judicial practices, all of which can claim to come under the mantle of the Islamic tradition.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Equivalent to HIST 769

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 7773 The Ethics of Legal Theory 3 Credits

This course explores the relationship of Ethics in Islamic Legal Theory. It focuses on the question of how legal theorists of the 5th/11th century conceive human ability to discern good and bad (taḥsīn and taqbīḥ) and whether and if so how they apply this in their definition and modes of identifying the ratio legis (ʿilla) in legal analogy. The course readings are drawn from the legal writings of ʿAbd al-Jabbār, Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Baṣrī, al-Dabbūsī, and al-Juwaynī on “good” and “bad” and on their chapters on legal analogy, focusing on their definition and procedures to correctly determine the ratio legis. In addition to the Arabic primary sources, students read scholarly studies on the interplay between ethics and law.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 7775 Islamic Lgl Thry Lgl Change 3 Credits

This course addresses the perpetual problem faced by a legal system that is based on a finite body of text (Qur’ān and ḥadīth): How to apply and adapt the limited textual material to an unlimited possibility of legal instances? Based on Arabic texts, we explore works of Islamic legal theorists of the pre-modern period (al-Ghazālī, al-Rāzī, al-Qarāfī, and al-Ṭūfī) that discuss means and methods to attain legal change without straying from the sources of the law. The course material focuses on the principle of maṣlaḥa and the way this concept is employed to find solutions for unprecedented legal situations. Throughout the semester, we investigate the effects different interpretation and integration into the law-finding procedures have on maṣlaḥa’s potential to achieve legal change.

Level: Graduate

Course attribute: XHIS name

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 7777 Readings in PhilosophyTheolog 3 Credits

This advanced seminar offers a close and thorough reading of a selection of classical Theological and Philosophical texts. Texts will be read in Arabic, translated orally, explained and commented upon. A good knowledge of classical Arabic is required. Students might be able to suggest texts that are of interest to their own research. The objective of the course is to familiarize the students with reading and analyzing classical sources in Arabic.

Level: Graduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 7949 Tutorial: Arabic Studies 1-6 Credits

Graduate Tutorial. Department permission required.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: Main Campus (UGrad, Grad)

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 9991 Continuous Registration

Continuing Registration in Arabic

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: No Grade

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 9992 Continuous Registration

Continuing Registration in Arabic

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: No Grade

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 9993 Continuous Registration

Non-resident, pre-thesis research.

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: No Grade

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 9994 Continuous Registration

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: No Grade

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

ARAB 9999 Thesis Research

Thesis Research

Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Grading: No Grade

Course registration restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

2026-2027 Edition

Arabic (ARAB)

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