Minor in Arabic

The Minor in Arabic (21 credits) provides a solid grounding in Modern Standard Arabic. Students who satisfy the requirements of the Minor in Arabic can expect to be able to read and write and communicate orally in Modern Standard Arabic at a level that would allow them to interact with native speakers, to engage with authentic texts, and to write connected text of paragraph length. The materials used to further language acquisition are culturally rich resources, and students completing the minor will have become familiar with many of the cultural patterns, social issues, historical events, artistic traditions, and elements of daily life of the people whose cultures are rooted in Arabic. Students interested in pursuing the Minor in Arabic should contact the undergraduate advisor, who will be responsible for oversight and record keeping. Students should declare the Minor in Arabic at least one year prior to graduation.

To sign up for an Arabic minor, you must:

  1. Satisfy the minor prerequisites
  2. Contact Arabic advisor: ihassan@umd.edu

Courses required for minor:

Courses    Credits
ARAB204
Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I
6
ARAB205
Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II
6
ARAB304
Advanced Modern Standard Arabic
3
ARAB305
Advanced Modern Standard Arabic
3
ARABXXX
Additional upper level course taught in Arabic*
3
*Contact the minor advisor for approved courses 21

Notes:

  • Because Modern Standard Arabic is primarily used for written communication, students are encouraged to complement their study of Modern Standard Arabic with courses in Egyptian dialect.
  • Once credits have been received for a higher-level language focus course, a lower-level course in the same strand (written or spoken) may not be taken for credit. (For example, ARAB204 may not be taken after ARAB205)
  • In cases where a student has equivalent knowledge, required courses are replaced in consultation with minor advisor. All courses applied to the minor must be taught in Arabic. 
  • Students who begin their study as heritage speakers must seek the advice and written permission of the advisor before choosing the courses they will use to replace any required minor courses.
  • A maximum of 6 credits can be applied to the minor from courses taken at other institutions. No more than 6 credits of the minor may be used to satisfy the requirements of a major. No courses in the minor may count toward another minor.
  • All courses presented for the minor must be passed with a grade of 2.0 or better.

For more information, email kgiuffre@umd.edu