Minor in Arabic Language, Religion, and Culture

The Arab world is increasingly a significant influence in contemporary world politics and the world economy. There is also a rich history of contributions to the development of knowledge going back well over a millennium. The 5th most common language in the world, Arabic is spoken by over 300 million people as either a native language or a common lingua franca in 29 countries.

There is also a growing presence of Arabic speakers and Muslims in the United States, now numbering a million or more and comprising the fastest growing immigrant group. Accordingly, one major goal of this undergraduate minor in Arabic Language, Religion, and Culture is to foster in students the development of international awareness, respect for diversity, and critical, objective thinking with respect to Arab and Islamic culture, broadly speaking, which encompasses a large part of the world’s population. The other major goal is to prepare students for promising job opportunities, especially in the humanitarian, military and diplomatic fields, as well as to facilitate communication with Arabic speakers in the U.S. and abroad in other contexts, such as education, health, and business.

Required courses

Total credits: 21

• AR 101 Beginning Arabic 1 (5 Credits)
• AR 102 Beginning Arabic 2 (5 Credits)
• AR 201 Intermediate Arabic 1 (4 Credits)
• AR 202 Intermediate Arabic 2 (4 Credits)
• RELS 275: Islam—an overview of Islamic history and practice (3 Credits)

Directed Electives

3 credits required from among:

• RELS 110 World Religions (3 credits)
• AR 301 Advanced Arabic 1 (3 credits)
• AR 302 Advanced Arabic 2 (3 credits)
• AR 334 Ethnic, Cultural, and Linguistic Diversity in the Arab World (3 credits)
• AR 335 Special Topics in Arabic Civilizations and Cultures (3 credits)
• AR 400 Arabic Study Abroad (3-9 credits)

For a complete list of all the courses you will take and their descriptions, please see our Course catalog.

View Catalog