Through DePaul's Arabic Studies program, students will develop the ability to speak, understand, read and write the Arabic language and will be encouraged to foster an appreciation of Islamic literature and civilization.
Studying Arabic will expand the student's knowledge of the Middle East and of the culture of more than one billion Arabs across the globe. While learning the Arabic language, the student will also learn about Arab cultural, religious and political forces.
The Arabic language is one of the United Nations' six official languages, and the U.S. Government considers it one of the most critical languages for Americans to learn. Chicago has one of the nation's largest Arab-American populations in the U.S., giving the student opportunities to visit its communities and gain first-hand knowledge about the Arab culture and language.
What can the student do with this degree?
- Consulting
- Education
- Governmental Agency Work
- Immigration Services
- International Business
- Non-Profit Work
- Public Administration
- Public Policy
- Translation Services
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 84 |
| Major Requirements | 52 |
| Open Electives | 56 |
| Total hours required | 192 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Communicate in Arabic at the Intermediate proficiency level.
- Analyze cultural products in Arabic and English.
- Explain features of Arabic and its use.
- Navigate cultural differences effectively.
- Apply their language and cross-cultural skills to other domains.
- Apply interdisciplinary methods to the analysis of Arabic-speaking communities.
College Core Requirements
Study in the Major Field
The student’s course of study in the College consists of three parts: Liberal Studies, the major field, and electives. Together these three parts contribute to the liberal education of the student which is the common purpose of all study in the College. By “liberal education” the College understands not only a deep and thorough knowledge of a particular area of study but a knowledge of the diverse areas of study represented by criticism, history, the arts, the behavioral and social sciences, philosophy, religious studies, the natural science, and mathematics.
The major field program generally is built upon a set of core courses and a specialized “concentration.” The number of courses required for a major varies by department. Most students go beyond the minimum requirements, electing additional courses which both broaden and deepen their understanding of their chosen discipline.
Because no academic major program is built in isolation, students are required to pursue a number of electives of the student’s choice. The inherent flexibility of this curriculum demands that the student consult an academic advisor at each stage in the total program and at least once prior to each registration.
Students will be prompted to visit the College Office for their official graduation check early in their senior year.
Declaration of Major, Minor and Concentration
All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor in the major field department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience.
Students must declare or change majors, minors, and concentrations, via Campus Connection. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.
The Modern Language Requirement (MLR)
All students will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language (i.e., a language other than English) equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. This Modern Language Requirement (MLR) may be demonstrated by:
- placing into 104 or above on the DePaul language placement exam
- completing the last course or earning AP/IB credit for the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language (e.g. 103 for DePaul language classes)
- completing a college course or earning AP/IB credit for a college course beyond the first-year level in any language (e.g. 104 or above for DePaul language classes)
- completing the final course of a four-year sequence of the same modern language in high school*
- completing a proctored exam by BYU and passing the exam (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
- completing a proctored Written Proficiency Test (WPT) by Language Testing International (LTI) and achieving a score of Beginner High or above (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
*Students are strongly encouraged to take the DePaul language placement exam even if they have met the MLR via study of a language in high school. This will ensure continuation of language study at the proper level.
Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.
Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College will abide by the MLR in place on the effective date of the ICT, regardless of when they first matriculated at DePaul.
Students who have met the MLR and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” (see below).
The Modern Language Option (MLO)
The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level required by their College, and to all other undergraduate students without a modern language requirement who wish to study a language at any level.
Students selecting the MLO may substitute a sequence of three courses in the same language for three domain courses.
The three MLO substitutions must be made in three different domains, and any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain.
MLO substitutions may not be used to replace requirements in the Math & Computing, and Scientific Inquiry, domains.
Students majoring in one modern language may use the Modern Language Option for study of a second language at the Intermediate level or above.
Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.
NOTE: Please contact your college/school regarding additional information and restrictions about the Modern Language Option.
External Credit and Residency
A student who has been admitted to the College begins residency within the college as of the first day of classes of the term in which the student is registered. Students in residence, whether attending on a full-time or part-time basis, may not take courses away from DePaul University without the written permission of the college. Permission must be obtained in advance of registration to avoid loss of credit or residency in the college; see the LAS website for more information.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | ||
| LSP 110 or LSP 111 | DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| Focal Point | ||
| LSP 112 | FOCAL POINT SEMINAR | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 | 4 |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | 4 |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Required | 4 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Required 1 | 4 | |
- 1
Students must earn a C- or better in this course.
- 2
Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by credit already earned for advanced math coursework or by passing a dedicated proficiency exam. Students who complete MAT 120 and both a Computational Reasoning course and a Statistical Reasoning course in the Math and Computing Domain take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and cannot be applied to the SI Domain.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
- 1 Course Required
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 2 Courses Required
Math and Computing (MC)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 CR Course, and 1 SR Course]
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 2 Courses Required
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 2 Courses Required
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 Lab Course, and 1 SWK Course]
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- 3 Courses Required
Notes
A student whose only major is in Modern Languages is required to complete the Capstone offered by the Department of Modern Languages (MOL). A student who is double majoring (or pursuing dual degrees) with the primary major (or primary degree) in MOL may substitute the Capstone of the secondary major or degree. An MOL major in the University Honors Program shall take only the University Honors Capstone, not both the Honors Capstone and the MOL Capstone.
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Major Requirements
Course Requirements
- 24-32 credit hours of 200/300 level courses in Arabic Language
- 20-28 credit hours of Allied Courses from at least three different departments
Students who begin their study of Arabic at DePaul with ARB 202 or higher may substitute a 300-level Arabic elective course for any of the required 200-level courses. No English-language ("E-designation") courses can be applied toward the "Six Advanced Level Courses in Arabic Language" requirement of the major.
MOL 340, MOL 341, and MOL 342 are specifically designed to help Arabic Studies students better understand the Arabic-speaking world. Students are highly recommended to take at least two of the three MOL Arabic-related courses that we offer.
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARAB CULTURE | ||
| MEDIA IN THE ARAB WORLD | ||
| MODERN ARABIC LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION |
Arabic Studies Allied Course List
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | ||
| CULTURES OF THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| Art and Architecture, History of | ||
| ISLAMIC ART | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS/HISTORY OF ART & ARCHITECTURE (Islamic Africa) | ||
| Geography | ||
| GEOPOLITICS | ||
| History | ||
| THE MUSLIM WORLD, C. 600 CE TO 1100 | ||
| THE MUSLIM WORLD, 1000-1500 | ||
| THE MUSLIM WORLD, 1400-1920 | ||
| ISLAM AND THE WEST: A SURVEY OF ORIENTALISM | ||
| TOPICS IN ISLAMIC HISTORY | ||
| THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA | ||
| Islamic World Studies | ||
| RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| ISLAMIC CULTURES AND SOCIETIES | ||
| ISLAMIST POLITICAL MOVEMENTS | ||
| GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN MUSLIM CULTURES | ||
| SHI'ITE ISLAM | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ISLAMIC WORLD STUDIES | ||
| Modern Languages | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN MODERN LANGUAGES | ||
| ARAB CULTURE | ||
| MEDIA IN THE ARAB WORLD | ||
| MODERN ARABIC LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION | ||
| Philosophy | ||
| MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY | ||
| Political Science | ||
| MIDDLE EAST POLITICS | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN POLITICAL THOUGHT (Muslim Political Thought) | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict) | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (Political Islam and US Foreign Policy) | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS (Religion, Nationalism and Politics) | ||
| Religious Studies | ||
| ISLAMIC CULTURES AND SOCIETIES | ||
| RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| ISLAMIST POLITICAL MOVEMENTS | ||
| GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN MUSLIM CULTURES | ||
| SHI'ITE ISLAM | ||
| Sociology | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY (Women in the Arab World) | ||
| Women's and Gender Studies | ||
| WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST: BEYOND THE VEIL | ||
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.