Courses
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course is an elementary course designed for students with no or little knowledge of the Arabic language, letters and sounds. This course is also appropriate for students with some exposure to Arabic colloquial but with no or little training in Modern Standard Arabic. The course teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening and writing Arabic and builds vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that allow students to discuss topics related to self, family and surroundings. The course also exposes students to Arabic cultures and provides opportunity to explore and discuss the various cultures and communities. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the course also covers basic syntax and grammar
Elementary Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 1A is a prerequisite to ARABIC 1B
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ARABIC 1A after completing ARABIC 10. A deficient grade in ARABIC 1A may be removed by taking ARABIC 10.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of recitation and 2 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
This course is the second semester of the elementary level of Modern Standard Arabic. The course further teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening, and writing Arabic and builds vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that allow students to discuss topics related to self, family, and surroundings. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the course includes regular discussion in Arabic and prepares students to communicate in a variety of contexts. The course also provides an opportunity for exploration and discussion of Arab cultures. The course covers basic syntax and grammar and introduces students to the Arabic morphological system.
Elementary Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 1A with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ARABIC 1B after completing ARABIC 10. A deficient grade in ARABIC 1B may be removed by taking ARABIC 10.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of recitation and 2 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Summer 2021 8 Week Session, Summer 2020 8 Week Session
An eight-week intensive course intended to teach skills in oral comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing Arabic. Using up-to-date language teaching and proficiency-oriented methodologies, the course also covers the basics of Arabic morphology, syntax, and grammar. While the course's vocabulary is designed to serve the needs of daily conversation in any part of the Arabic speaking world, its simultaneous attention to the rules of morphology, syntax, and grammar serves the needs of the prospective scholar.
Intensive Elementary Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ARABIC 10 after completing ARABIC 1B.
Hours & Format
Summer: 8 weeks - 20 hours of recitation per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2003 10 Week Session
The course is designed to guide students through Arabic grammar with a systematic treatment of the subject and the use of classical Arabic texts.
Arabic for Reading Knowledge: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer: 6 weeks - 10 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Instructor: Bazian
Terms offered: Summer 2003 10 Week Session, Summer 1997 10 Week Session
Practice in speaking an Arabic dialect.
Spoken Arabic: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Summer: 8 weeks - 12 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2009, Spring 2003
Practice in speaking an Arabic dialect.
Spoken Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 15A
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Formerly known as: 101B
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The course teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in Modern Standard Arabic and builds vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and grammar that allows students to further discuss topics related to self and family, community, and environment, offer opinions and speak about a number of topics in detail. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the course includes regular discussion in Arabic and prepares students to communicate in a variety of contexts. The course engages students with authentic materials and features of Arab cultures and deepens students’ knowledge of Arabic syntax and its rich morphological system.
Intermediate Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 1B or ARABIC 10 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Credit Restrictions: A deficient grade in ARABIC 20A may be removed by taking ARABIC 30.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of recitation and 2 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
This course is the second semester of the intermediate level of Modern Standard Arabic. The course
further teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening and writing in Arabic and builds vocabulary,
expressions and grammar that allow students to discuss topics in detail and develop and support
opinions. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the
course includes regular discussion in Arabic and prepares students to communicate in a variety of
contexts and for various purposes. The course engages students with authentic materials and features
of Arab cultures and deepens students’ knowledge of Arabic syntax and its rich morphological system.
Intermediate Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20A with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ARABIC 20B after completing ARABIC 30. A deficient grade in ARABIC 20B may be removed by taking ARABIC 30.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of recitation and 2 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Summer 2021 8 Week Session, Summer 2020 8 Week Session
This course is equivalent to a full year of intermediate level Arabic. It will deepen skills in speaking, comprehending, reading, and writing Modern Standard Arabic.
Intermediate Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 1B or ARABIC 10 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ARABIC 30 after completing ARABIC 20B.
Hours & Format
Summer: 8 weeks - 20 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 1997 10 Week Session, Summer 1995 10 Week Session
This course will include grammatical and stylistic analysis of Arabic texts from both the classical and the modern periods. Class will be conducted entirely in Arabic.
Advanced Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Two years of college level Arabic
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for 50 after taking 100A-100B.
Hours & Format
Summer: 8 weeks - 20 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Intensive reading and analysis of texts of different genres. Guest lectures, films, documentaries, oral presentations, research papers. Formal and informal styles of writing and correspondence. Extensive vocabulary building.
Advanced Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Intensive reading and analysis of texts of different genres. Guest lectures, films, documentaries, oral presentations, research papers. Formal and informal styles of writing and correspondence. Extensive vocabulary building.
Advanced Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 100A with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2022
This course aims to strengthen the student’s skills in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing in Arabic Media. Students will engage with authentic materials like newspapers, magazines, and internet news sites, which will provide them with a deeper understanding of the linguistic properties of Arabic media output, as well as insight into sociolinguistics, critical discourse analysis, and translation issues. The course will include enrichment activities. Moreover, there will be a group of tasks assigned that will open the door for students to practice what they learned in a meaningful context. Students will also learn about vocality and the way news anchors and media professionals speak Arabic.
Media Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Arabic 20B or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of workshop per week
Summer: 3 weeks - 15 hours of lecture and 5 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2021
This course is designed for students who wish to concentrate on contemporary prose. Reading and analysis of modern Arabic fiction, including short stories, drama, the novel, and expository prose.
Modern Arabic Prose: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018
This course is designed for students who wish to concentrate on Arabic of the classical periods of Arab and Islamic civilization. Reading and analysis of literary texts of various genres, including essays, biography, and travel literature.
Classical Arabic Prose: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Readings and analysis of 20th-century Arabic poetry.
Modern Arabic Poetry: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2008, Fall 2006
Readings and analysis of poetry from the pre-Islamic through the classical periods.
Classical Arabic Poetry: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2018
Readings from the classical historians and geographers and from contemporary scholarship. Development of historiography.
Arabic Historical and Geographical Texts: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Readings in the basic texts of Islam (Qur'an, Huran, Hadith, Sira, commentary) and in theological, mystical, and philosophical texts.
Islamic Religious and Philosophical Texts in Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Islamic Religious and Philosophical Texts in Arabic: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013
This course is designed primarily for majors and prospective majors in Arabic studies. The Classical Periods: A literary-historical survey of Arabic literature from pre-Islamic times to the middle of the thirteenth century, with emphasis on the more important achievements of major Arab authors.
Survey of Arabic Literature (in Arabic): Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021
This course is designed primarily for majors and prospective majors in Arabic studies. The Post-Abbasid and Modern Periods: A literary-historical survey of Arabic literature from the middle of the thirteenth century to the present.
Survey of Arabic Literature (in Arabic): Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 20B or ARABIC 30 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2019
This course introduces students to a standard colloquial Arabic and the cultures of the region in which it spoken. The colloquial will change based on availability. The focus of the course is on speaking and listening, but also includes readings from printed materials. The course draws on various media including advertisements, theater, and film composed in colloquial style. This course will also expose students to literature composed in colloquial. Moreover, students will study the social stratification in the society along with an analysis of the speech of each social level. Students use their knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic as a platform for learning to communicate in colloquial.
Colloquial Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 1B or ARABIC 10 with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020
This course introduces students to Egyptian Colloquial Arabic and the cultures of the region in which it is spoken. The focus of the course is on speaking and listening, but also includes readings from printed materials. The course draws on various media including advertisements, theater, and film composed in colloquial style. This course will also expose students to literature composed in colloquial. Moreover, students will study the social stratification in the Egyptian society along with a analysis of the speech of each social level. Students use their knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic as a platform for learning to communicate in Egyptian colloquial.
Colloquial Arabic: Read More [+]
Objectives & Outcomes
Course Objectives: By the completion of ECA course students should be able to:
1. Read and comprehend literature written in ECA
2. Hold longer conversations with native speakers on different topics.
3. Understand the sociolinguistic aspects of Egyptian culture.
4. Understand and engage in the Egyptian humor which forms a big part of the culture.
5. Understand and engage in social occasions such as greetings giving condolences, etc.
6. Recognize the language level of the speaker to avoid misunderstandings.
7. Respond to any speaker according to his/her language level.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: ARABIC 115A with a minimum grade of C- or with the consent of the instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2003
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Limited to senior honors candidates
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 4 units.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Summer 2000 10 Week Session
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the section on Academic Policies-Course Number Guide in the Berkeley Bulletin.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2-8 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read Less [-]
Terms offered: Fall 1998
Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the section on Academic Policies-Course Number Guide in the Berkeley Bulletin.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week
8 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2011, Spring 2007
Study of selected grammatical phenomena of Arabic based on readings from the classical Arabic grammarians, on the modern study of linguistics in the Arab world, and on the Western grammatical tradition.
Arabic Grammatical Tradition: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 105 or the equivalent
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2015, Spring 2013
The history of Arabic from its Semitic antecedents through the formation of the modern dialects.
History of Arabic: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 20B or its equivalent with consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2009
Intensive study of modern poetry in relation to the cultural tradition.
Topics in Modern Arabic Literature: Poetry: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 109
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
A close reading and careful literary analysis of significant authors and specific topics in Classical Arabic prose or poetry or both.
Seminar in Classical Arabic Literature: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 20B or its equivalent and consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2009, Spring 2006
This course examines the origins, status, and function of literary theory in the making of modern Arabic literature. Questions of cultural influence, literary genres, forms, modes, and techniques of representation are all central to the interests of this course.
Seminar: Modernist Arabic Poetics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2020
Special topics in Arabic. Topics vary and are announced at the beginning of each semester.
Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Arabic/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.