The 33 credits comprising the departmental requirements cover Arabic grammar and morphology, prosody, literary criticism, and the artistic expressions of the culture in its various literary forms and genres, classical (Pre-Islamic, Umayyad, and Abbasid) as well as modern. Methodology and familiarizing students with basic sources and cultural background are integral components of all the courses offered by the department.
Other courses in the department offer students a wide range of choice. This allows every student to either further broaden his/her general knowledge of the field, or to concentrate on a narrower area of interest. In the three major areas of the field, students can choose from the following:
Arabic Language
The history of Arabic grammar, rhetoric, syntax and morphology, Semitic languages, Ottoman Turkish, and modern Persian
Classical Arabic Literature
Pre-Islamic, Umayyad, Abbasid and Andalusian poetry and prose, Sufi literature, Qur'anic studies, Islamic sects, and folk literature
Modern Arabic Literature
Modern and contemporary Arabic poetry, modern Arabic thought, modern literary theory, and modern forms such as the novel, the short story, and the drama
In addition to the above program, which leads to the BA degree, the department offers graduate level courses in the same areas leading to the MA and PhD degrees. The PhD program was revived in fall 2007-2008. All applicants, but especially those applying for full or partial scholarships, will be considered on strictly competitive basis. For general information about the program and how to apply check: