Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations

The department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations (ARIC) offers Master’s degrees in Arabic Studies with emphases in four fields: Islamic Art and Architecture, Middle Eastern History, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature.

An opportunity for students who do not plan to pursue doctoral research or academic careers to study the history, culture, religion, literature, and material culture of the Arab and Islamicate worlds.

Arabic Studies program is to develop a broad awareness of Arab-Islamic civilization and to develop in students the ability to examine critically the different aesthetic, intellectual and cultural components of this civilization. Each student is required to fulfill Arabic language requirements and take a common core of courses from Arabic Literature, Islamic Studies, Middle Eastern History, and Islamic Art and Architecture.

This minor allows students to choose the courses that interest them from the ARIC department's different specializations. They can choose any combination of undergraduate courses in Arabic Literature, Middle East History, Islamic Studies, and Islamic Art and Architecture.

This minor allows students to delve deeper into classical and modern Arabic literary production and read texts in various genres, including poetry, prose, novels, short stories, drama well as film and media adaptations.

This program allows students to study various aspects of Middle East and Islamic history, both premodern and modern, including political and social history. Courses include chronological surveys of particular time periods and regimes and thematic in-depth analysis of issues relevant to the history of the region, such as marriage and the family, religious diversity, spirituality, popular culture, gender, and class issues.

This minor gives a greater appreciation of the cultural heritage of the Arab-Islamic world to interested students. It focuses on both the built environment and artifacts that survive from different time periods and regions of the Islamic world.

The minor is designed for students who wish to gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation of Islam as a culture.