Arabic Minor

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The Arabic minor develops proficiency skills in speaking, reading, writing and understanding Modern Standard Arabic as well as cultural proficiency by introducing students to different aspects of the Arabic speaking world such as literature and film. Recognized as a critical language and linked to political and economic developments in the Middle East, as well as the internationalization of many businesses and professions, proficiency in Arabic is seen as an increasingly valuable skill, and as preparation for a variety of different careers. As the fifth most widely spoken language in the world, as one of the official languages of the United Nations, and as the religious language of a quarter of the world’s population, Arabic is also a language with a rich literary and cultural heritage that deserves to be studied in its own right.

The Department of Modern Languages offers Arabic language courses, advanced literature and culture courses in Arabic, and Arabic cultural studies courses taught in both Arabic and English. Students can choose Arabic to satisfy their foreign language requirements, and also count eight credits of Arabic language toward a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad.

Students interested in the Arabic minor should contact the Department of Modern Languages by phone at 216-687-4645, by email at modlang@csuohio.edu or visit Rhodes Tower 1619.

Retroactive Credit: Students are eligible to earn up to 16 retroactive credits for previous knowledge of Arabic. This policy is for students who have completed a foreign-language skills course and who earned a B- or better in that course. For example, if your first Arabic skills course is ARB 201 and you receive an A or B, you can receive credit for ARB 101 and ARB 102. Consult the Department of Modern Languages 216-687-4645 for further information.

Required Courses:

A minor in Arabic consists of a minimum of 20 credits, of which twelve must be at the 300-400 level. The required core and elective courses are distributed as follows:

A. Core courses (14 credits).

1) 11 credits in Arabic language courses required beyond the 100 level:

2) One class required in Arabic (3 credits) that can be selected from the following:

B. Elective courses (6 credits)

Two elective courses (6 credits) that may be taught in English if cross-listed with an MLA course. Students may also substitute one of the two courses listed in A.2. not taken to fulfill the core.