Arabic Studies
Program Director
Dr. Yahya Laayouni
ylaayoun@bloomu.edu | 570-389-4071
Department of Languages and Cultures
Required Arabic Language courses (18 credits)
A total of 33 semester hours is required for a major in Arabic Studies. Students must receive a minimum grade of C in every course required for the major.
- ARABIC 101: Elementary Arabic I (3 credits)
- ARABIC 102: Elementary Arabic II (3 credits)
- ARABIC 203: Intermediate Arabic III (3 credits)
- ARABIC 204: Intermediate Arabic IV (3 credits)
- ARABIC 305: Arabic for Advanced communication 1 (3 credits)
- ARABIC 306: Arabic for Advanced communication 2 (3 credits)
Required Arabic Culture Course: Choose one course (3 credits)
- ARABIC 211: Cultures in the Arabic-speaking World (3 credits)
- ARABIC 212: Euro-Arab Cinema (3 credits)
Required Electives: Choose two courses from either a or b (6 credits)
a. Humanities and Social Sciences:
- HISTORY 145: History of the Muslim World to 1405 (3 credits)
- HISTORY 146: History of the Muslim World since 1405 (3 credits)
- HISTORY 456: History of the Modem Middle East (3 credits)
- HISTORY 457: Early Ottoman Empire (3 credits)
- HISTORY 458: Late Ottoman Empire (3 credits)
- ANTHRO 440: Languages and Culture (3 credits)
- ANTHRO 320: Contemporary World Cultures (3 credits)
- FRENCH 212: France Today (3 credits)
- FRENCH 402: Contemporary Issues in Francophone Media (3 credits)
b. Economics and Political Sciences:
- ECONOMIC 333: Intematl Economics (3 credits)
- ECONOMIC 340: Economics of the Middle East (3 credits)
- ECONOMIC 533: Int Pol & Relations (3 credits)
- POLISCI 376: Government and Politics of the Middle East (3 credits)
- POLISCI 181: Contemporary Issues in World Politics (3 credits)
- POLISCI 280 : Introduction to International Relations (3 credits)
- POLISCI 345: Democratization and Regime Change (3 credits)
Required Common Core (6 credits)
- LANGCULT 200 Comparative Cultural Studies (3 credits)
- LANGCULT 400 Comparative Language Studies (3 credits)
Minor in Arabic Studies: 18 credits
NB: Take the Arabic Language Placement Test (free, does not earn credits) or the ACTFL OPI (fee, earns credits) to verify a starting point other than Arabic 101. If you don't take a placement test, your starting point is Arabic 101. (https://bloomu.edu/testing)
Arabic 101 Elementary Arabic 1
Arabic 102 Elementary Arabic II
Arabic 203 Intermediate Arabic III
Arabic 204 Intermediate Arabic IV
6 additional credits from:
Arabic 211 Cultures in the Arabic speaking world
Arabic 212 Euro-Arab Cinema
Arabic 305 Advanced Communication I
Arabic 306 Advanced Communication II
LangCult 200 Comparative Cultural Studies
LangCult 400 Comparative Language Studies
Other courses counting toward the Major in Arabic Studies also count toward the Minor in Arabic Studies:
History 145, History 146, History 456, History 457, History 458, Anthro 320, Anthro 440, French 212, French 402, Economics 333, Economics 340, Economics 533, PoliSci 181, PoliSci 280, PoliSci 345, PoliSci 376
Arabic Study Abroad
Facia Sirleaf’s first experience studying abroad in Morocco was so memorable it inspired her to return again this past summer. And this time with an added purpose.
“Not only did I come to love the Arabic language, as well as Moroccan culture, but as an anthropologist I couldn’t help but observe certain racial tensions between Moroccans and Sub-Saharan Africans,” says Sirleaf, a Bloomsburg University anthropology and communication studies dual major who’s among 10 students studying abroad in Fez, Morocco, this summer, a trip she attended last year. “The more I learned about the historical issue of skin color in Morocco the more I wanted to do research, so I promised myself I would do everything I could to come back.”
Helping her reach her goal this year was landing an Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) Award so she could research, “The Moroccan Perception of Sub-Saharan Immigration.” She is among 32 students this summer receiving up to $6,000 for a full-time project during the 12 weeks of summer session.