Courses
For course prerequisites, see UG catalog
PERS 101: Elementary Persian I
Introduction to the alphabet, pronunciation
patterns, greetings, basic structures, and other fundamentals, with emphasis
on oral and aural skills.
PERS 102: Elementary Persian II
Continuation of PERS101 with emphasis on the
use of formal language, vocabulary building, and graded reading.
PERS 201: Intermediate Persian I
Development of speaking, reading, writing,
listening and cultural knowledge through wide variety of activities.
PERS202: Intermediate Persian II
Continuation of PERS201 with an emphasis
on the development of speaking, reading, writing, listening and cultural knowledge
through a wide variety of activities.
PERS 211: Intermediate Conversation
Focus on aural and oral
skills. Includes vocabulary enrichment,
parsing of grammatical structures in context, activities designed to help
students seize key terms in active communication (including comprehension of
audiovisual materials as well as inter-student classroom practice). Various
genres and registers of speech.
PERS 250: Contemporary Iranian Arts
No description available.
PERS 251: Modern Iran
General sociopolitical introduction to modern Iran from
establishment of the Qajar dynasty in the late 18th century to the present
day. Taught in English.
PERS 283: Iranian Cinema
Introduction to Iranian cinema, society, and culture. Taught in English.
PERS 299: Directed Study in Persian
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Sophomore standing. Repeatable to 9 credits if content differs. Directed study with faculty supervision.
PERS 301: Advanced Persian I
Development of speaking, reading, writing, listening, and cultural knowledge through a wide variety of activities, especially reading.
PERS 302: Advanced Persian II
Development of speaking, reading, writing, listening, and cultural knowledge through a wide variety of activities, especially reading.
PERS 353: Iranian Life in Literature and Film
Treats major themes in modern
literature and life of Iranians. Topics examined include Iranian identity,
religious traditions, modern life, and expatriate communities. Taught in English.
PERS 371: Introduction to Persian Literature in Translation
Introduces the
most important works of classical and modern Persian literature. Familiarizes
students with the main literary types and genres of Persian literature as well
as major aesthetic movements, schools, and trends in classical and modern traditions.
PERS 399: Directed Study in Persian
Prerequisite: Permission of department.
Sophomore standing. Repeatable to 9 credits if content differs. Directed study
with faculty supervision.
PERS 411: Readings in Iranian Islam
In-depth study of Iranian islam via Islamic
texts. Develops competency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension
at advanced level. In Persian.
PERS 441: Islam in Iran
Study of culture and context of Shia Islam as it has
evolved in Iran and Persian-speaking world. Taught in English.
PERS 452: Modern Persian Literature: A Survey
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Surveys development of poetry and prose in the Persian-speaking world in modern times. Periods and genres. Content varies. Mastery of Persian is required.
Courses Under Development
PERS 212: Intermediate Reading
Focus on skills specific to reading. Includes
vocabulary enrichment; parsing of grammatical structures in context; activities
designed to help students move from word to word reading to integration of
larger portions of text; approaches to foreign language texts beyond Q and A;
print and online dictionary use; introduction to written traditions of Persian.
PERS 250: (English) Contemporary Iranian Arts
No description available.
PERS 311: Persian Media
Examines issues, values, institutions of the contemporary
Persian and Persianate world, primarily through analysis and discussion of
current events as reported in the written and audiovisual press. While focus
will be on content, students will continue their acquisition of Persian through
exercises and activities designed for their level of competency.
PERS 312:
Iranian Culture
Overview of core topics related to Iranian culture, including
basic history, political systems, religion, daily life, gender roles, and
literature and the arts. While focus
will be on content, students will continue their acquisition of Persian through
exercises and activities designed for their level of competency.
PERS 372: (English) The History of Persian
Evolution of the Persian language
from Old Persian, through the Middle period, to Modern Persian. Covers geographic/social/cultural
history, as well as attention to script and basic descriptive linguistics.
No knowledge of Persian required.
PERS 401: Persian Composition
Persian 401 is both a course in writing and
a course in writing in Persian. Practice in
preparing to write, formulating a thesis or theme, considering tone, point of
view, and audience, rewriting, proofreading, and using writers' tools. Includes
lessons in grammar, style, usage. Possible genres include: writing
evocative description, convincing argumentation, focused narrative, goal-appropriate
reviews and reports, and fluid, varied journal entries.
PERS 402: Persian Translation
Practicum in translation from Persian
to English in a presentation, discussion, and workshop format. In addition to
achieving increased proficiency in Persian, students will study interdependence
of language, context, and culture, and how they come into play in the various
decisions a translator must make.
PERS 412: Language and Identity
Explores Iranian identity as anchored in the
Persian language. Iranians have spoken languages as diverse as Arabic, Turkish,
Kurdish, and local dialects that approach separate languages, yet their cultural
identity has almost always been expressed through the use of Persian, at least
in the last millennium. What constitutes
an "Iranian identity" as it relates to the Persian language? How do modern Iranians
use Persian to distinguish themselves from non-Iranians?
What role has Persian played among diasporic Iranians? While focus will be on
content, students will continue their acquisition of Persian through exercises
and activities designed for their level of competency.
PERS 413: Readings in Modern Iranian History and Culture
General introduction
to modern Iran from establishment of the Qajar dynasty in the late 18th century
to the present day, through close reading of texts in Persian. While focus
will be on content, students will continue their acquisition of Persian through
exercises and activities designed for their level of competency.
PERS 453: Classical Persian Literature: A Survey
Covers the history of Persian
Literature from Rudaki to Hafiz. Explores epic, lyric, and mystic
traditions and texts, including the Qasida, the Ghazal, the Ruba'I, and the
Masnavi.
PERS 498:
Special Topics in Persian Studies
Courses in language and culture or interdisciplinary
areas; English or Persian.
PERS 499: Special
Topics in Persian Literature
Courses in range of subjects related
to Classical or Modern Persian literature; English or Persian.
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