phd in arabic language

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Ph.D. in Arabic Language

This program seeks to create a generation of qualified specialists in Arabic language in the State of Palestine. It also seeks to meet the needs of the local community at the professional and academic levels, and it comes in the context of fulfilling the desire of researchers who wish to develop their scientific competencies in order to provide their various institutions with trained and qualified expertise that contributes to disseminating profound knowledge, following the solid scientific approach in developing and teaching Arabic language and in providing National institutions, including educational and media, with professional and academic competencies.

• Encouraging scientific research and training students of the Arabic language and literature in research that contributes to strengthening its position, and disseminating Arabic language sciences locally, regionally and internationally.
• Developing the capabilities and skills of the program students in the specialization, and providing specialized scientific competent graduates who are skilled in using modern technologies for the sake of conducting scientific research in the fields of Arabic language and literature.
• Graduating distinguished scholars, researchers, and critics in language, grammar, morphology, criticism, literature, and rhetoric.
• Enriching the Palestinian library with specialized research and studies in Arabic language and literature.
• Developing scientific research tools among scholars by training them on the correct methodology in studying multiple scientific issues in language and literature.
• Connecting students to contemporary Arabic sciences and the modern interpretations it contains in addition to opening the horizon to renewing linguistic thoughts and literary readings of texts.
• Forming new opinions on issues of language and literature far from what is prevalent and common. These opinions are based on a scientific methodology supplemented with scientific evidence.
• Reviving the literary and linguistic components of the heritage among scholars and connecting them to the scientific heritage of their nation as well as establishing a missionary role in studying and disseminating the Arab heritage.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOME

• Enriching the Palestinian library with scientific linguistic and literary research specialized in Arabic language.
• Graduating specialized scientific competencies to raise the level of university education in Palestine.
• Meeting the growing desires of graduates of the Arabic Language and Media Department at the Arab American University and other universities to complete their postgraduate studies.
• Facilitating the effort for those who wish to complete their studies in Arabic language without exorbitant and burdensome fees, travel, and creating job opportunities for specialized academics.
• Highlighting the cultural and literary personality of the Palestinian person.
• Activating the process of research and scientific interaction in Palestine, forming a base for cumulative academic construction, and accelerating the cultural participation of Palestinians in global culture.
• Developing the capabilities of the students enrolled in the Arabic language major from a scientific and research perspective.
• Guiding graduate students to prepare their research and dissertations to address contemporary issues in Arabic language and literature.
• Providing the local community with graduates of the postgraduate / doctoral program in Arabic language and literature.

Careers of Graduates

The importance of this program lies in the fact that the Palestinian labor market suffers, to some extent, from a surplus of specialists in the field of the Arabic language, especially females, at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, while the Ph.D level is still required. The need for this program is growing in various educational, academic and media institutions.

In light of the above, the program keeps pace with the market’s need for it.

Graduates of the Ph.D program in Arabic Language can work in many institutions including the following:

• Working in institutions with mass communication activity, such as: ministries and media institutions.
• Working in higher education institutions and research centers. 

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Global Engagement

Global database, ph.d. in arabic and islamic studies.

The Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies sponsors this doctoral program for Georgetown students. Students study Islamic religious thought, text, culture, and traditions; Arabic language, linguistics, and dialectology; and classical and contemporary Arabic literature. This program replaces the separate Ph.D. in Arabic and Ph.D. in Islamic Studies programs.

Learn More About Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies

Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Languages and Literature

Middle East and North Africa

Arabic Studies and Arabic Flagship

Arabic Studies at the University of Maryland offers a multidimensional education in Arabic language and culture, tailored for diverse populations of students, while also preparing them for a variety of careers on the global market.

Explore Arabic Studies

Degree programs, undergraduate degrees in arabic studies.

The Arabic program offers both a major and a minor.

Special Programs

Arabic flagship and summer language institute.

The Arabic Flagship Program and Summer Language Institute are integral to the Arabic program. 

Faculty and Staff

Learn more about Arabic program faculty and staff, or access resources for faculty and staff.

Related Links

• Arabic Studies Major
• Arabic Minor
• Arabic Flagship Program
• Arabic Program Scholarships
• Arabic Studies Faculty
• Change Your Major

About The Arabic Program

The Arabic Flagship Program at UMD is an integral part of the Arabic program. It welcomes UMD students from any major who wish to achieve superior-level proficiency in Arabic (both formal register and at least one dialect) and intercultural fluency. In addition to a rigorous academic program, Flagship students take part in a variety of extracurricular activities, an individual tutoring program, internships and other professional opportunities. Participation in the Arabic Flagship includes a capstone year in Meknes, Morocco.

Advising and Courses

The Arabic Program undergraduate advisor is available for consultation about any aspect of  your study of Arabic. We recommend that every Arabic major confer with the program advisor at registration time each semester.

For Arabic advising, email Ahmed Hanafy | 3138 H.J. Patterson Hall | [email protected]

The College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) Office of Student Affairs provides college advising for all ARHU undergraduates in 1120 Francis Scott Key Hall.

See the Undergraduate Catalog  for a full list of our course offerings and Testudo for our current courses.

Beyond the Classroom

Language house living and learning program.

Develop Arabic proficiency through this on-campus living and learning program.

Education Abroad

Deepen linguistic and cultural knowledge through an education abroad program.

Summer Language Institutes

The Summer Language Institutes are nine-week language and culture programs for intermediate and advanced students of Arabic and Persian.

Language Partner Program

The Language Partner Program (LPP) offers majors in any SLLC program at UMD the opportunity to meet with international students outside the classroom and practice their target language in an informal yet structured way. For international students, the LPP provides a forum for connecting with U.S. students and integrating into the UMD campus.

Arabic Studies News View All News

Senior lecturer in arabic awarded provost's academic advisor of the year award, four umd arabic flagship students win boren scholarship for intensive studies in morocco, dean's senior scholars announced, mellon grant funds continuation of persian and arabic digitization project, arhu researchers earn neh grants for digital humanities efforts, valerie anishchenkova wins isrca, welcome dr. marjan moosavi, upcoming sllc events view all events, latine wellness week: creative writing workshop, latine wellness week: fiesta and celebration of latine heritage, arabic music workshop, program director, peter glanville.

Associate Professor, Associate Director for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Associate Professor and Arabic Flagship Program Director, Arabic

3126 H.J. Patterson Hall College Park MD, 20742

Program Advisor

Ahmed hanafy.

Senior Lecturer, Faculty Language Partner Program Coordinator, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Senior Lecturer and Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Arabic

3141 H.J. Patterson Hall College Park MD, 20742

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ARABIC LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Introduction

Taoufik Ben-Amor

The Arabic language program at MESAAS is one of the largest and most successful programs of its kind in the country. Many of its students have gone on to receive fellowships for language study abroad and other awards.

The program offers courses at four levels, as well as graduate reading seminars. Each level is taught over two semesters. The content of fourth-year courses and seminars changes from year to year, so they can be taken more than once. This means that students can pursue the study of Arabic for five or six years if they choose, well beyond the four-semester foreign language requirement set by Columbia College.

Students are encouraged to consider taking an intensive summer Arabic course. See the description of the  Columbia Arabic Summer Program  in New York and the  Columbia Arabic Summer Program in Amman , Jordan. Or ask the Acting Arabic language coordinator, Taoufik Ben-Amor , about other summer programs in the United States and abroad.

The department also offers a course in  Arabic for Heritage Speakers  (students who were exposed to Arabic at home or when they were young, but are not fully literate). The course combines the curriculum of First and Second Year Arabic in a single year.

The philosophy of the Arabic language program is to teach Arabic as a living language to a diverse body of students with a wide range of academic and professional needs. In order for us to do that, our courses aim to develop all five skills, namely listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture. Students are exposed to authentic materials (audio, video, and text). Our goal is to train students to be able to read and listen to primary sources, write on academic topics with control of registers, and to converse with Arabic speakers anywhere in the world. Our curriculum is designed according to the Standards for Language Learning and the  ACTFL  Proficiency Guidelines.

Arabic courses in MESAAS have special registration procedures. Please click on the link on the right to see the  Guidelines for Registrations .

For placement exam times and locations, click here .

Objectives of the Program

• Read and write in Arabic (i.e. be familiar with the letters and the sounds).
• Initiate, respond to, and maintain simple conversation on familiar topics, such as who you are, what you do, your family, and your studies.
• Read simple passages on familiar topics and understand their content with the help of a dictionary.
• Write simple compositions on familiar topics, such as your typical day, a description of your family, or your hometown.
• Start becoming familiar with certain aspects of Arab cultures and societies.
• Read and understand various types of newspaper articles (descriptive, narrative, argumentative, etc.), and essays and literary texts on various topics, with the help of a dictionary.
• Listen to and understand the main points of a speech, lecture, or news broadcast.
• Discuss a number of general and specialized topics and be able to describe, narrate, argue a point, and express opinions.
• Write cohesive and articulate summaries, accounts, and critical pieces about the same topics.
• Begin to recognize and use formal and informal registers in appropriate situations.
• Learn about the history, politics, cultures, and societies of the Arab World.

Second Year

• Discuss general and specific topics, such as traveling, mass media in the Arab world, and Arab universities.
• Understand the main points of lectures and radio and television news programs.
• Read and understand the main ideas of any non-technical text with the help of a dictionary.
• Write short compositions on familiar topics and express opinions.
• Research, discuss, and be familiar with a number of issues pertaining to Arab cultures and history.

Fourth Year

• Read and understand a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts from the modern to the classical period on various topics with the limited help of a dictionary and learn how to use Arabic sources and references for research.
• Listen to and understand the main points of a speech, academic lecture, or news broadcast.
• Discuss a number of specialized topics and be able to describe, narrate, argue a point, and illustrate with examples.
• Write long cohesive and articulate summaries, accounts and critical essays about the same topics with use of stylistic devices and idiomatic expressions.
• Recognize and use formal and informal register and style in appropriate situations.
• Research and learn about major topics in the history, politics, cultures, and societies of the Arab world.\
• ➤  The Shared Course Initiative
• ➤ Introduction
• ➤ Guidelines for Registrations
• ➤ Arabic for Heritage Speakers
• ➤ Resources
• ➤ Introduction
• ➤ Objectives of the program
• ➤ Language Resource Center
• ➤ Language Maintenance Tutorial

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PhD Arab World Studies

Year of entry: 2024

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• Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and 
• Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent) 

Full entry requirements

There is no limit on the number of places available.

Apply online  

Please ensure you include all  required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. 

Application Deadlines 

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by  12 January 2024. 

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self–funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed. 

• For September 2024 entry:   30 June 2024 
• For January 2025 entry:  30 September 2024 

Programme options

Programme description.

Our PhD Arab World Studies programme offers wide-ranging opportunities for research and advanced training in the history, politics, gender studies, literatures, religious traditions and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Training and research supervision in most major cultures and periods of the MENA region are delivered by experts whose publications contribute to their subject on an international level.

Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies regularly organises seminars, workshops and conferences, and offers some specialist training opportunities.

Another major research centre, the Centre for Jewish Studies ( CJS ), brings together a wide range of specialists from across the University, and a large and active body of graduate students working on various aspects of Jewish culture and history, including modern Israeli/Palestinian society.

Research specialisms in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies and related subject areas include literature, women and gender, culture and history of the Arab countries (Salhi, Mostafa, Behar), Islamic societies and practices (Woerner-Powell), the phenomenon of nationalism and the modern and contemporary history of Israel/Palestine, with special focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict (Behar).

Other areas of doctoral supervision can be offered or are available through inter-disciplinary collaboration.

Manchester's experts in Middle Eastern Studies contribute to the public debate on contemporary cultural-religious issues in the UK, the analysis and contextualisation of current affairs in the Middle East, and the understanding of gender roles and the relations between East and West.

Manchester is also the editorial home of the Journal of Semitic Studies ( JSS ), an internationally renowned academic journal which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Learn more about our research within Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies , view a list of our staff , and see what our current postgraduate research students are working on.

Find out what it's like to study at Manchester by visiting us on one of our  open days.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below. 

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including AHRC NWCDTP and School of Arts, Languages and Cultures studentships is 12 January 2024. 

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.  

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures PhD Studentships 2024 Entry - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry

Contact details

See: About us

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• Arab World Studies

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview, english language.

International applicants must provide one of the following: 

• IELTS test minimum score – 7.0 overall, 7.0 in writing. 
• TOEFL (internet based) test minimum score – 100 overall, 25 in all sections. 
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum score – 76 overall, 76 in writing. 
• To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years. 
• Other tests may be considered.

Please note, CAS statements are only issued when all conditions of the offer have been satisfied, offer accepted, and a PDF copy of passport received. 

English language test validity

Other international entry requirements.

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see entry requirements from your country.

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School. 

Other entry requirements

Application and selection, how to apply, advice to applicants.

Before you start your application, you should: 

• Develop your own research proposal and project title. 
• Find a supervisor by browsing our academics’ profiles, and reach out directly to discuss if they are interested in supporting your research. 
• Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor. 

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents: 

• A 1,500 word PhD research proposal
• Copies of the academic transcript and certificate from both your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. If your Master’s degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript. 
• An up to date academic CV, detailing your education and qualifications; employment history; publications; and any other relevant information. 
• You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following submission of your application form. You may wish to contact your referees to request they submit your reference in a reasonable timeframe as this forms part of the review process. 
• International applicants must additionally provide English Language evidence (e.g IELTS).  

Interview requirements

As part of the offer making process applicants will be required to undertake an interview assessment. This may be in the form of an in–person interview, or video call. 

The interview is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the broad topic area, the viability of your proposed research and its intellectual contribution, alongside the fit of your project with the supervisory team. You also may be asked to identify and address any potential ethical considerations in relation to your proposed research, and discuss how best to progress your ideas in line with University of Manchester ethics guidance.

The interview panel will consist at minimum of your primary supervisor and an independent interviewer. 

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful, you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard programme entry criteria for that year of entry.  

 In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen programme. 

Programme details

Special features.

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Graduate School

All of our postgraduate students become members of the Graduate School when you start at Manchester. It has dedicated facilities for students and offers opportunities to collaborate with other postgraduates.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) Middle Eastern Studies was assessed as part of the University of Manchester's 'Modern Languages and Linguistics' submission.

The University of Manchester was confirmed as a leading centre for research in Modern Languages and Linguistics, ranking third in the UK in terms of research power (an established criterion which values research quality in relation to the number of staff submitted).

We achieved joint fourth in terms of the overall amount of 'world-leading' (4*) research activity and 80% of our research was judged to be in the highest two categories (4* or 3*).

Specifically, 73% of our publications were judged as either 'world-leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*); moreover, 85% of our research activity achieved 'outstanding' (4*) or 'very considerable' (3*) public impact in areas spanning policy, public discourse, education, cultural life and society.

Our research environment was also judged to be strong, with 100% judged to be 'world-leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*).

Additional programme information

Equality, diversity and inclusion  is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. 

We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact. 

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status. 

All appointments are made on merit. 

The University of Manchester and our external partners are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

Teaching and learning

The PhD is the major postgraduate research degree.

It involves three years of full-time study and the preparation of a thesis of not more than 80,000 words that makes a significant contribution to knowledge.

A satisfactory PhD topic is one that a suitably qualified and properly supervised student can bring to completion within the permitted timeframe.

Please note that all PhD students are required to undertake research training as part of their PhD programme.

Coursework and assessment

Your research will normally be supervised by two members of staff at the University.

Your supervisors will most likely be members of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, but if your research requires it, the School or subject area may arrange for supervision by someone outside the School.

Supervisory arrangements at Manchester are governed by a Code of Practice which is available on the University's website.

Regular meetings will be held with the supervisors, and details of each of the meetings will be recorded.

Research Panels (consisting of at least three academic staff, including the supervisors) are held once per semester to monitor progress.

Please note that the first year of the full-time programme and the first two years of the part-time programme are probationary. This means you will be required to show evidence of satisfactory progress in order to proceed with the programme.

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

We also have one of the largest academic IT services in Europe - supporting world-class teaching and research. There are extensive computing facilities across campus, with access to standard office software as well as specialist programmes, all connected to the campus network and internet.

Every student is registered for email, file storage and internet access. If more demanding computer access is required, our specialist computing division can provide high-end and specialist computing services.

The Graduate School offers dedicated state of the art facilities to research students, including common rooms and workstations.

Find out more about facilities for Modern Languages and Cultures students.

Disability support

Career opportunities.

The interdisciplinarity nature of PhD programmes in Modern Languages and Cultures and Translation and Interpreting Studies prepares our graduates successfully to apply to a wide range of academic posts. In addition to those in European and Middle Eastern Languages and Translation/Interpreting, our graduates have been appointed to permanent academic positions in Film Studies; History; Journalism and Political Communication; and Sociology. Recent examples include:

Dr Abi Bharat (PhD French Studies), tenure-track assistant professorship, the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan, USA

Dr Ignacio Aguiló (PhD Latin American Studies), lectureship in Latin American Cultural Studies, University of Manchester

Dr Ibrahim Alfraih (PhD Middle Eastern Studies), lectureship, King Saud University, Saudi Araba

Dr Liwen Chang (PhD Translation Studies), senior lectureship, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Dr Chonglong Gu (PhD Translation Studies), lectureship in Translation and Interpreting, the University of Liverpool

Dr Leanne Dawson (PhD German Studies), lectureship in German and Film, the University of Edinburgh

Dr Melanie Foedisch (PhD Translation Studies), lectureship in Translation Studies, the University of Manchester

Dr Eleanor Jones (PhD Portuguese Studies), lectureship in Portuguese and World Literatures, University of Southampton

Dr Sue-Ann Harding (PhD Russian Studies), senior lectureship in Translation and Intercultural Studies, Queen's University, Belfast

Dr Emma Heywood (PhD Russian Studies), lectureship in Journalism, Politics and Communication, University of Sheffield

Dr Paulina Henry-Tierney (PhD French Studies), lectureship in French Translation, Newcastle University

Dr Mila Milani (PhD Italian Studies), senior lectureship in Italian Studies, Warwick University

Dr Gozde Naiboglu (PhD German Studies), lectureship in Film Studies, University of Leicester

Dr Bryan Roby (PhD Middle Eastern Studies), assistant professorship at the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan

Dr Neil Sadler (PhD Translation Studies), lectureship in Translation Studies, Queen's University, Belfast

Dr Elisabeth Schimpfoessl (PhD Russian Studies), lectureship in Sociology, Aston University

Dr Ewa Stanczyk (PhD Polish Studies), lectureship in East European Studies, University of Amsterdam

Dr Joseph Twist (PhD German Studies), lectureship in German Studies, University College Dublin

Dr Denis Volkov (PhD Middle Eastern Studies), associate professorship in Iranian Studies and Middle Eastern history, Higher School of Economics, Moscow

Dr Ilya Yablokov (PhD Russian Studies), lectureship in Russian Studies, University of Leeds

Research and communication skills which our PhD programmes help developing also position our graduates to get highly competitive posts outside academia, including in civil service, media and business.

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• Middle Eastern Language Study

CMES houses and/or supports comprehensive modern Middle Eastern language programs in Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish. Offered through the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC), these rigorous programs provide CMES students and other undergraduate and graduate students across Harvard with advanced language proficiency to support their research and fieldwork.

The NELC course list, including language courses, is available on the FAS Registrar's website.

The Arabic language program is comprised of two main tracks, modern and classical, each consisting of five years of formal, intensive language instruction.

• The classical track deals with Arabic texts of the pre-modern period and covers a wide range of primary sources that draw on the vast literature of the medieval Arabo-Islamic literary heritage. These texts span religious (Quran, hadith), legal, historical, literary, and philological topics and disciplines. Emphasis is placed on reading, translation, and grammar analysis.
• The modern track aims at developing global proficiency in modern standard Arabic as it is currently used throughout the Arab world. Emphasis is equally placed on all four of the basic language skills: reading, listening comprehension, speaking, and writing. Courses draw on a broad cultural context that allows students to acquire basic knowledge of social, cultural, and academic institutions that complements and reinforces the language learning process. A two-track third year offers both “academic” and “professional” Arabic, the latter especially designed for students wishing to explore non-academic career options. The professional track offers advanced spoken modern standard Arabic (pan-Arabic of the media), as well as classes in Levantine and Egyptian Arabic.

Modern Western Armenian—a variety of the pluricentric Indo-European language of Armenian—is offered at two levels, elementary and intermediate. Taught using communicative methods and project-based learning, the courses provide students with training to converse and create in the language while interacting with local Armenian speakers in neighboring Watertown. Prior classes have produced Armenian-language materials in the form of infomercials, zines, dance routines, and songs. For students interested in Armenian culture, courses conducted in English are offered on contemporary literature and film from Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.

Modern Hebrew is offered at four levels. The first year of basic skills is followed by a second year concentrating on modern prose, poetry, and drama. The second year class is conducted entirely in Hebrew and students work in small conversation groups. Advanced courses in the third and fourth year focus on great works in Israeli literature, theater, cinema, and visual arts. The modern Hebrew program incorporates cutting-edge technological tools and resources including Israeli “books on tape” that include audio and pop-up vocabulary translation for the beginner and intermediate student and an online version of the intermediate course accessible via the iTunes U platform for iPad.

Persian language is taught at three levels; at the end of the second year, students can read all but most technical prose and can converse idiomatically on a wide range of topics. Advanced students read classical literature from eleventh century to present, and most can do serious scholarly research by the end of the third year.

Turkish and Ottoman language courses are offered at three levels, and complimented by additional course offerings on Turkish culture and literature.

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Language Faculty

Nader Uthman

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... Read more about Ran Bechor

Richard Cozzens

Meryem Demir

Mojtaba Ebrahimian

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Sara Feldman

Lisa Gulesserian

Muhammad Ahmed Habib

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Greg Halaby

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Dana Malhas

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Himmet Taskomur

College of Arts & Sciences

Graduate Students

MOHAMED ALI

BA, Politics, UC Santa Cruz (2010)

Interests: Islamic Law, Ethics, Intellectual History, Technology

Mohamed’s primary research interests include Islamic Law and Ethics as they relate to emerging technology. He’s interested in studying how AI furthers, disrupts, or augments knowledge production and communal self-perception, as well as how it challenges existing legal and social norms within the Islamic legal and ethical tradition. Prior to joining the AIS program, Mohamed worked in senior roles in Marketing & Communications, designing and implementing cutting-edge technological solutions to raise millions for startup nonprofits that focus on humanitarian relief and sustainable development.

REZART BEKA

Islamic Law, Contemporary Islamic Thought, Ijtihad and Reform in Contemporary Islam MA (2016), Contemporary Muslim Thought and Societies, Summa cum laude, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar MA (2011), Interdisciplinary Studies of Religions and Cultures, Summa cum laude, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy BA (2004), Sociology, University of Tirana Rezart Beka received B.A. in Sociology from the University of Tirana in 2004. He obtained his first M.A. (with summa cum laude) in Interdisciplinary Studies of Religions and Cultures (with specialization in Christianity) from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy in 2011, and his second M.A. (with summa cum laude) in Contemporary Muslim Thought and Societies at Faculty of Islamic Studies (FIS) of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar, in 2016.  He did intensive Arabic language courses at Diwan Center for Arabic Language in Cairo, Egypt in 2007-2008 and at Qatar University in 2012-2013. His areas of interest include Islamic Law, Contemporary Islamic Thought, Ijtihad and Reform in Contemporary Islam, Theology and Social Sciences in Contemporary Islam, Interfaith Dialogue, Comparative Theology, and Theology of Religions.

Hadith, Hadith Commentary, History of Early Islam, Companion Biography MA (2018), History, Istanbul Sehir University, Turkey BA (2016), with Highest Honors, Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University F.O. Kelsey Prize for Best Second Term Junior Paper (Spring, 2015) Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University Intensive Ottoman-Turkish (Summer, 2014) Istanbul Sciences Institute, Turkey Intensive Arabic (Summer, 2013), Qasid Institute, Jordan Ali Cebeci is interested in the formative period of the Islamic intellectual sciences. In particular, he studies the development of the hadith sciences and the role various types of hadith played in the growth of Islamic theology, jurisprudence and historiography. Additionally, he is interested in the history and historiography of early (i.e. 5th-7th century) Islam, and in particular, the portrayal of the Companions in classical Sunni historiography. He joined Georgetown University’s PhD program of Arabic & Islamic Studies in Fall, 2018.

MUHAMMAD EL FIKY

MA (2019) Middle Eastern and North African Studies, The University of Arizona BA (2012) Languages and Translation from Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Muhammad is PhD candidate whose research interests are focused on exploring the cultural, intellectual, and administrative legacy of the Fatimid Caliphate. His research examines the role of Sunni scholars embedded within the sociopolitical apparatus of the Fatimid court. He analyzes how these learned men mediated between ruling elites and the broader public through their writings, advisory roles, and educational activities. Additionally, Muhammad is interested in the scholastic institutions and pedagogical techniques that transmitted knowledge between generations across the Muslim lands during the medieval period. He is also interested in the social and intellectual networks across the Mediterranean. Prior to his doctoral work, Muhammad earned a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern and North African Studies from the University of Arizona, having previously completed his bachelor’s degree at the eminent al-Azhar University in Cairo.

MOHAMMAD FAKHREDDINE

Classic and Modern Arabic poetry MA (2017), English Literature, American University of Beirut BA (2014), English Literature, American University of Beirut Mohammad Fakhreddine is a PhD candidate with a concentration in Arabic Literature. He earned his BA and MA in English Literature from the American University of Beirut (AUB). His Master’s Thesis focused on Modern Arabic Poetry, more specifically the stylistic and technical innovations of the Free Verse Movement in the 20th century. Mohammad’s areas of interest include Classical and Modern Arabic poetry, poetic stylistics and metrics, and Arabic language and identity.

MOHAMMAD MUAZ INAAM

MA (2020) Islamic Texts, Zaytuna College BA (2013) Sociology, University of Texas at Dallas BA (2018) Islamic Law & Theology, Zaytuna College

Muaz is interested in the interplay between Islamic theology and Islamic law. He is interested in how theological debates pertaining to God’s wisdom or purposefulness inform debates about the role of certain legal instruments, such as legal analogy ( qiyās ) or considerations of public interest ( maṣlaḥa ). He is also interested in understanding the principles governing the determination of certain practices as heretical ( uṣūl al-bid’a ). 

IRENE K. F. KIRCHNER

Islamic Jurisprudence, Contemporary Qur’an Interpretation, Hadith Studies Magister (2014) in German Literature, Philosophy and Islamic Studies, Tübingen University, Germany Irene is particularly interested in the reception history of Hadith forgeries (Mawḍū‘āt), Islamic economic law (see her  article on the sharia-compliance of cryptocurrencies ), religious epistemology, and theory of religion. During her Ph.D., she has started to delve into computational analysis techniques such as Text Mining and Topic Modeling and is exploring the intersection between Islamic Studies and the Digital Humanities. In 2018, she founded the Islamicate Digital Humanities Network ( idhn.org ) for which she currently serves as the director. She holds a Magister Artium degree (German master’s degree) in Literature, Philosophy, and Islamic Studies from the University of Tübingen, Germany, and previously taught for the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) at the University of Alexandria, Egypt.

KAREN MCNEIL

Arabic linguistics MA (2012), Arabic Language, Literature and Linguistics, Georgetown University BA (2000), Wellesley College

Karen McNeil is a PhD candidate whose research interests include Arabic sociolinguistics, Tunisian Arabic, and literary translation. Her main interest is the changing status of the spoken vernaculars in the Arab world: she is currently writing her dissertation on the development of Tunisian Arabic as a written language. Her dissertation focuses on the spelling and code-switching choices that Tunisians make when writing a yet-to-be-standardized language, and what these reveal about collective and individual identity stances. In this work, Karen is making use of the Tunisian Arabic Corpus , a million-word, publicly-available corpus of Tunisian vernacular Arabic that she has been developing since 2011.

Karen has published several articles on topics related to Tunisian Arabic, including a forthcoming paper in Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics XXXIV entitled “When the leak becomes a flood: The development of vernacular literature in Tunisia.” In addition to sociolinguistics, she has published on Tunisian grammar , corpus linguistics , and Arabic lexicography . Karen has presented on these topics at conferences including the Annual Symposium on Arabic Linguistics (2019, 2020), the Arabic Linguistics Forum (2018), the Middle East Studies Association (2014), and the Workshop on Arabic Corpus Linguistics (2011, 2013). She was the invited keynote speaker at the University of Vienna’s International Symposium on Tunisian and Libyan Arabic Dialects in 2015. Her research has been supported by grants from the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Georgetown University, and the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies.

In addition to her academic research, Karen has done extensive work in Arabic translation, lexicography, and consulting. Along with her co-translator Miled Faiza, she recently completed the English translation of Shukri Mabkhout’s novel The Italian (2021), winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2015. She has also translated many shorter works for publications including Banipal and World Literature Today . In addition, Karen was the lead revising editor (Arabic–English) for the Oxford Arabic Dictionary (2014). Most recently, she has worked as a computational linguist, performing semantic annotation and building Arabic corpora for MITRE Corporation.

Karen lives in Rhode Island with her husband, the Tunisian-American poet Miled Faiza, and their three children. Outside of work and research, her hobbies include baking, astrophotography, and coding in Python.

Personal website Academia.edu page Research website

ERIKO OKAMOTO

Arabic and Islamic Philosophy BA (2016), Summa Cum Laude, Philosophy, University of Dayton The Rev. Charles C. Bloemer, S.M., Award of Excellence in Philosophy (2015) The Rev. Charles Polichek First Award of Excellence in Philosophy (2016)

Eriko works on Arabic and Islamic philosophy, especially on the transmission and adaptation of Greek knowledge into Arabic. She is currently writing her dissertation on the 10 th -century philosopher Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī’s theory of knowledge. She is a recipient of the Templeton Foundation Doctoral Fellowship for the Theology, Science, and Knowledge project at the Philosophy Department at the University of Missouri, St. Louis for the Academic Year 2020-2021. She has presented her work at various conferences, including annual meetings of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) and the American Philosophical Association (APA). She also has an interest in manuscript studies.

HATICE OZTURK

Islamic law MA (2015), Islamic Studies, Istanbul 29 Mayis University, Turkey BA (2013), Divinity, Ankara University, Turkey In her master’s thesis, Shar’u man qablanā in the uṣūl al-fiqh literature of the first five centuries (AH), Hatice surveyed the works of the scholars who studied shar‘u man qablanā, starting with the first printed uṣūl al-fiqh book and ending with some of the sixth-century scholars, such as Al-Ghazālī, Ibn ‘Aqīl and Al-Kalwadhānī. She examined the early scholarly debates on whether shar‘u man qablanā could be referred to as a source of Islamic law. During her doctoral studies, she would like to study the taxonomy of the sources of law revealed in the uṣūl al-fiqh works of the late Ottoman period, more specifically in the works of Ibn ‘Abidīn. Her areas of interest include the relationship of a legal concept with its social environment, the interaction between scholars of different madhhabs, and the interrelation between religious institutions and politics. She is a native Turkish and French speaker and studied Arabic at several universities and language institutes in Turkey and Egypt.

UMAR SHAREEF

BA (2017), Political Science and Arabic, Summa cum laude with highest honors, Tufts University

Umar Shareef is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. His research combines Foucault’s genealogical method with Talal Asad’s theory of discursive traditions to study the genealogy of the legal concept ‘restricting the permissible’ ( taqyīd al-mubāḥ ). In doing so, it traces the interplay between 17 th -21 st  centuries Islamic law and politics by investigating questions of who has authority to determine religious law. His research has been published in the journals  Islamic Law and Society  as well as  American Journal of Islam and Society  (see his article entitled “ Taqyīd al-Mubāḥ  and Tobacco: Between Administrativeand Legislative Authority ”). He has received the CICW Research Grant Award to support his research. He has also received the Spring Conference Travel Award from the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies to present his research at the BRAIS conference. As a part-time lecturer, he also teaches classes on the Introduction to Islamic Law, Islamic Legal History, and Family Law in Islam. 

BETHANY WEPPLER

BA Linguistics and Arabic, University of Arizona

Bethany received her BA in Linguistics and Arabic at the University of Arizona. She has also completed intensive language training focusing on MSA, Moroccan Darija, and French. Her primary research interests include sociophonetics, and intra- and interpersonal speaker variation, in addition to diglossia in North Africa.

NINA YOUKHANNA

MA (2016) Comparative Literature, University of Toronto BA (2015) Comparative Literature, Western University

Nina holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Western University and an MA from the Centre for Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto. Her academic research focuses on the period after the 1967 defeat and the ways in which Arab intellectuals and writers contended with its psychological and sociopolitical aftermath. She is chiefly interested in the role of satire as a mode of subversive critique in the Arab world, particularly in response to traumatic historical events since the  naksa  and leading up to the so-called Arab Spring. In her free time, Nina likes to dabble in poetic translation and stalk any and all cats in her neighborhood.  

NOURA BELLALI

BIELASAN ZAINA

MA (2023), Linguistics, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

BA (2020), Linguistics, University of Jordan

 Bailasan is a PhD student whose research interests include Arabic linguistics, particularly Arabic syntax. Her main research interests lie in the fields of synchronic and diachronic syntax. With respect to syntactic change, grammaticalization is a topic that particularly interests her. She also seeks to approach Syntax through Computational Linguistics. Zaina’s minor concentration is Islamic Studies.

In her master’s thesis, Morphosyntactic Structures of Progressive Aspect in the Oral Production of Heritage Najdi Arabic Speakers, Zaina investigated whether the active participle [gaʕid] in the progressive aspect surfaces in the production of Najdi heritage speakers along with the influence of MSA which does not have this participle, given the fact that those speakers have acquired the relevant variety of Arabic in early childhood along with MSA. Her paper also sought to gain some insight into whether these speakers display differential competencies with regards to the agreement morphology between the subject and the participle [qaʕid]. In addition, it explored the theoretical reasons behind their (a)symmetric competencies as whether the notion of default-form over-generalization and transfer are at play in those speakers heritage acquisition of Najdi Arabic                                

In addition to her academic research interest, Bailasan has done work in legal translation and content writing. She speaks Arabic as her first language, English, as well as Turkish. She has also obtained a certificate in Python from the University of Michigan.

HALIM KHOIRI

BA, Religion and Philosophy, Paramadina University

MA, Islamic Studies, George Washington University

Trained in a Javanese traditional madrasah ( pesantren ), Halim has a deep interest in the convergence of Sufism with philosophy, theology, law, literature, and the comparative study of religions. He earned his BA in Religion and Philosophy from Paramadina University as a recipient of the prestigious Paramadina Fellowship. He then pursued his MA in Islamic Studies at the George Washington University, fully supported by a scholarship from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education. He achieved Magna Cum Laude honors at both institutions.

Following the completion of his master’s program, Halim returned to Indonesia, where he served as a consultant to the special staff of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. He contributed to various projects concerning national education policy, curriculum development, and interfaith dialogue. Later, he joined the Ministry of Religious Affairs, continuing his involvement in similar projects.

Halim is majoring in Islamic Studies with a minor in Arabic Literature. He is currently working on the intellectual history of the philosophical Sufism of Ibn ʿArabi ( tasawwuf falsafi ) in Southeast Asia from the 15th to the 18th century. His investigations delve into the Islamic intellectual and political connections interlinking Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and South Africa. His primary area of interest lies in manuscripts on philosophical Sufism authored by Nusantaran scholars, including Yusuf al-Maqasiri, Hamzah Fansuri, Shams al-Din al-Sumatrani, ʿAbd al-Raʾuf al-Sinkili, and ʿAbd al-Samad al-Palimbani. In addition to his studies, Halim enjoys listening to Sufi Qawwālī in Urdu and reading Sufi poems in Arabic and Persian.

Graduate Program in Arabic

Advanced proficiency in Arabic is in high demand by both academic institutions and employers in all sectors. There is a growing need for qualified Arabic language teachers, as well as specialists who deeply understand Arab culture and contemporary Arab society. 

The Master in Arabic, established in 2012, engages teachers, specialists, and scholars with high degrees of fluency in the Arabic language and Arab culture.

Work alongside some of the most focused and directed students of Arabic and Arab culture, with a dedicated faculty from leading institutions around the world. Our faculty bring with them years of experience in Arabic language instruction and rich cultural backgrounds as diverse as their geographic and linguistic communities of origin.

Academic Tracks

The master’s program offers two academic tracks . In each track, students enhance their academic writing skills as they engage in research projects and produce scholarly papers in Arabic.

In addition to choosing a track, master’s students must select a program option . Students have two options.

Option 1 Students can complete their degree over four 6-week summers in Bennington, Vermont. The four summer sessions in Bennington  do not need to be consecutive. Graduate students can complete their master’s degree in up to 10 years.

Option 1 Students can complete one 6-week summer followed by an academic year at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California and a final 6-week summer in Bennington, Vermont.

Our sophisticated authentic reading and listening materials use the language of educated Arabs: a mixture of Modern Standard Arabic and dialect. Students immerse themselves in Arabic and Arab culture through academic work, the Language Pledge® , and participation in cocurricular activities .

Students earn the master’s by completing four summer sessions or by combining two summer sessions with an academic year at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Eligibility

Graduate degrees are for students who have already acquired graduate-level proficiency in their language and have generally studied their language for four years or longer, unless they are native speakers. Applicants who will not hold a BA, or who plan to attend for one summer only for professional development, should select the 6-week non-degree program. The GRE is not required. See additional Arabic application instructions.

• BA (or equivalent) from regionally accredited institution
• Graduate-level proficiency in language

Thanks to the support of generous donors (including many Language Schools alumni) and Middlebury’s commitment to provide an opportunity for as many students as possible, we are pleased to offer significant need-based financial aid and merit-based fellowships and scholarships for graduate students.

Career Outcomes

Students who earn a graduate degree in Arabic pursue rewarding careers and opportunities in a range of fields:

• Doctoral programs
• Teaching or academic administration
• Social work
• Speech and language pathology
• Nonprofit organizations

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(FAL) PhD in Arabic Language (By Research)

Programme details, id:   a301, name:   (fal) phd in arabic language (by research), programme overview.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

PhD in Arabic Language

Full Time: 2years (maximum 5 years).

Part Time: 2 1/2 (maximum 7 years).

Passed with grade ‘Jayyid’.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Master Degree

Score of at least Band 6.0

For Local and International, please apply through our Online Application

Entry Requirements

•        The minimum requirement for study in Doctoral of Philosophy is normally a relevant Master Degree or equivalent from an institution recognised by the University Senate; or
•  Currently enrolled in a Master Programme at UNISSA and recommended by the faculty and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) to pursue study at PhD or any other Doctoral Degree Programme with the University Senate endorsement; or
•   A Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours from UNISSA or other institutions recognised by the University Senate.

Language Requirement

Applicants must have at least a score of Band  6.0  in International Arabic Language Testing System (IALTS)

Contact Info

Faculty/Centre: Faculty of Arabic Language

Contact Name:

Prof Dr Moustafa Mohamed Rizk El-Sawahly

Email [email protected] / [email protected]

Telephone: Tel: +673 2462000 Ext 232

BACHELOR DEGREE AND HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES

GENERAL NOTES FOR UNDERGRADUATE

• Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali reserves the right to reject applications which are incomplete, received after the closing date or containing false information.
• Only shortlisted / successful candidates will be
• Only qualifications from a University / Institution / Examination Board recognised by the University Senate will be
• For entry to first degree programmes only Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Ugama Brunei (STPUB) and Brunei-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Level qualifications or equivalent qualifications obtained in not more than 3 sittings and not exceeding three (3) years of last examination will be
• Applicants with other equivalent qualification such as Higher National Diploma (HND) may be considered subject to fulfilling the entry requirement set by the programme they have applied
• General Paper and English as a Second Language will not be considered as Advanced Level
• The London GCE ‘O’ Level Malay will not be considered .
• Applicants who do not meet the normal entry requirements may be considered for admission to first degree programmes as mature applicants subject to the requirements set by the University as set out
• Applicants must satisfy other requirements as set by faculties in Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali from time to
• Required to go through prescribed medical fitness examination and must be certified as fit to join the
• If deemed necessary, applicants may also be required to attend an interview conducted by the relevant
• Points will be allocated to ‘A’ Level grades according to the following scheme, which is based on that used by the University Colleges Admission Services (UCAS), United Kingdom. Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level qualifications are not awarded points in the UNISSA scheme and are not taken into account when determining acceptable qualifications for entry to
• For English Medium programmes, applicants must have at least a credit 6 in English Language at GCE ‘O’ Level Examination or a grade ‘ C ’ in IGCSE English (as a Second Language) or an IELTS score of 0 or a TOEFL minimum overall score of 550 .
• Passed Primary School Religious Certificate ( Sijil Sekolah-Sekolah Rendah Ugama Brunei ) examination or its equivalent including Penilaian Sekolah Rendah Certificate examination for applicants from Institut Tahfiz al-Qur’an Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (ITQSHHB) and Arabic Schools, or equivalent qualifications recognised by University
• Pass al-Qur’an al-Karim recitation test conducted by the
• Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali reserves the right toreject applications which are incomplete, receivedafter the closing date, or containing false information.
• Only shortlisted / successful candidates will be contacted.
• Only qualifications from a University / Institution /Examination Board recognised by the UniversitySenate will be considered.
• Passed the Primary School Religious Certificate ( Sijil Sekolah-Sekolah Rendah Ugama Brunei ) examination or its equivalent.
• Applicants applying for graduate programmes must fulfil any other special requirements from the Faculty / Centre concerned and may also be required to sit for al-Qur’an al-Karim recitation test conducted by the University.
• If deemed necessary, applicants may also be required to attend an interview conducted by the relevant Faculty/ Centre.
• Application for a Research mode programme must be accompanied by a research proposal approximately 1,000 – 1,500 words in length.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

SPECIFIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Tuition fees for undergraduate, tuition fees for postgraduate.

Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

Phd program, course work.

The department normally requires that students take twenty-three courses distributed over three years (six semesters) of course work. Of the twenty-three courses, at least sixteen must be taken within the department or be department-approved, and usually within the student’s primary field of study. (Students entering the program with an M.A. or advanced graduate coursework may inquire about waiving some portion of the course requirements.)

Students are mentored by a faculty adviser from their field and by the DGS while they are undertaking their coursework. Students writing dissertations are mentored by a committee consisting of a primary adviser from NELC and one, two, or more additional faculty members, from either inside or outside the department, depending on the student’s specific needs. Committees must be approved by the DGS.

Language Requirements

The core languages in each of the major fields of study are as follows: Arabic Humanities: Arabic and one other Near Eastern language, typically Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Assyriology: Sumerian and Akkadian. Classical Near East: Arabic and at least two of the following: Armenian, Aramaic (Babylonian or Syriac), Coptic, Greek, Hebrew, Middle Persian, New Persian, or Sanskrit. Egyptology: Egyptian, Demotic, Coptic.

Training in Teaching

NELC students normally acquire four terms of teaching experience, between their second and fourth years in residence. Teaching Fellow assignments are made by the DGS in consultation with the relevant faculty and, whenever possible, take student preferences into account.

Examinations and the Dissertation

The qualifying examination is normally taken at the end of the third year of study or no later than the beginning of the fourth. The dissertation proposal is normally submitted one month after completing the qualifying examination.

Successful completion of the comprehensive examination and submission of an acceptable prospectus will qualify the student for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. After completion of the dissertation, the candidate may receive a final examination concerned primarily with the defense of the thesis.

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Johannes A. Makar

Study of Religion, Mysticism, Islamic Philosophy, Arabic Intellectual History

Benjamin Smith

• Visiting Faculty and Researchers
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Linguistics of Middle Eastern Languages Track

The Linguistics of Middle Eastern Language track focuses on theoretical and applied linguistics. The track provides training in research methods and analysis, and features discussions on current debates in Middle Eastern languages and their varieties within regional and national contexts.

Required Courses

• MENAS core requirements (12 units)

General Linguistics

Two of the following courses (6 units):

• LING 501: Formal Foundations of Linguistics
• LING 503: Foundations of Syntactic Theory
• LING 504: Advanced Syntactic Theory
• LING 506: Major Works in Syntactic Theory
• LING 508: Computational Techniques for Linguistics
• LING 510: Foundations of Phonological Theory I
• LING 514: Foundations of Phonological Theory II
• LING 515: Phonological Phonetics
• LING 516: History of Phonology
• LING 522: Lexical Semantics
• LING 529: Human Technology I
• LING 531: Human Technology II
• LING 532: Psychology of Language
• LING 533: Theories of Language Development
• LING 535: Morphology
• LING 538: Computational Linguistics
• LING 564: Formal Semantics

Linguistics of Middle Eastern Languages

The majority of students who pursue this track focus on Arabic so the choices below pertain to them. Students who wish to focus on Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish, should consult their advisor about courses that full this requirement.

• ARB 526: Introduction to Arabic Linguistics (3 units)

Three of the following courses (9 units):

• ARB 550: Arabic Language Variation: Linguistic Analysis, Diglossia and Ideology in Multiple Genres
• ARB 560: Ethnolinguistic and Religious Diversity in the Arab World
• ARB 596M: Special Topics in Arabic Linguistics
• LING 554: Structure of a Middle Eastern Language
• MENA 530A: Language and Society in the Middle East
• MENA 533: Applied Linguistics of Middle Eastern Languages: Foundations, Theory, & Methods of Teaching

Sociolinguistics

• ANTH 576: Language in Culture
• ANTH 583: Sociolinguistics
• ANTH 680: Foundations in Linguistic Anthropology
• LING 521: Language Maintenance, Preservation and Revitalization
• MENA 696J: Ethnography of the Middle East
• PHIL 565: Pragmatics

Coursework should be planned with the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Center Postgraduate Studies Just another Centre Sites Sites site

Phd in arabic language.

A leading international university that provides a wide range of knowledge in its various aspects to serve humanity and to promote its advancement.

Disseminating knowledge using the best means and learning methods; knowledge development and intellectual exchange consistent with international level of excellence; to create conducive educational and research environment for knowledge seekers all over the world that serves society and preserves ethical values.

• Preparing the graduates to be qualified researchers in the field of Arabic language skills, and its linguistic-related sciences.
• Enabling students to use functional methods in the process of learning Arabic language skills.
• Introducing students to the contemporary concept of learning Arabic language as a tool for communication rather than an end in itself.
• Dissemination of research in all the fields related to Arabic language sciences.
• Enriching the Arabic language library with innovative researches that may help to overcome the obstacles hinder the proper use of Arabic language in both spoken and written forms.
• Developing in to the students the interactive use of Arabic language skills as interrelated skills, by adhering to the guidance of the modern approaches in teaching and learning language to replace the classical one that deals with the language skills as separated skills.
• Linguistic Research is also included into the field, a new idea finding relating to Arabic language sciences precisely those related to the process of learning and teaching Arabic as their foreign language.

Learning Outcomes

• Enabling students to reach the highest standards usage of the four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, in both spoken and written forms of the Arabic language.
• Enabling students to use the best applicable functional standard form of Arabic language and abandoning the use of the Arabic slang words.
• Creating multiple types of graduates who can fit themselves in various careers such as teaching, translating or tourism.
• Establishing a generation of scholars and specialists in scientific researches in the field of Arabic language sciences.
• Establishing a generation of Arabic language graduates with broad and critical minds.
• To propagate of Islamic values and principles through Arabic language works.
• Graduation executives specializing in the correction of language in the Arabic media and the field of writing and language.

Entry Requirements

• Master’s degree recognized in Islamic Studies or its equivalent.

Note: As with Master’s Programs, candidates without a formal background knowledge in Islamic Studies are essentially unacceptable in the Doctorate program for any branch of Islamic Studies. However, candidates from Master Degree in other fields but without formal qualification of Islamic Studies are admissable provided they passed the qualifying examination confirming sufficient level of knowledge of their background. This examination should cover both written and oral components (including interviews). Sufficient level is the level of knowledge that is usually available to holders of a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies. If the gap between the two is large, the candidate should be denied. If the gap is not large, the HEP may choose to address this situation by imposing a strict prerequisite requirement.

Arabic Language Requirements Candidates who wish to enter a program which medium of instruction is Arabic Language, must pass MEDIU’s Arabic Placement Test (MAPT).

• In addition to the entry requirements, the applicant is also required to provide a sufficient level of the Arabic language proficiency in the specializations taught in Arabic language through passing the university’s Arabic language placement test (MAPT) or equivalent. 
• The Senate may exempt the Arabic language requirement for applicants who have obtained their degrees where Arabic has been used as the main medium of instruction, those who obtained good grades in Arabic language programs from MEDIU or Arabic is their mother tongue.
• If the student fails to fulfill the Arabic language requirements (per above), or fails to pass an interview, the applicant is required to sit for MEDIU’s Arabic language placement test (MAPT).
• Master’s Degree in related fields from any recognized university; or
• Other qualifications recognized as equivalent by the Government of Malaysia; or

Arabic Language Requirements Candidates who wish to enter a program which medium of instruction is Arabic Language, must pass MEDIU’s Arabic Placement Test (MAPT) or equivalent. Exemptions will be granted subject to the University Senate’s approval based on situations.

ACCREDITATION REF. NO.

This program is accredited and certified by Ministry of Education Malaysia (Higher Education) and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). Accreditation reference numbers are shown below:

Ministry of Education Malaysia (Higher Education)

Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The applicant could enroll for this program under [Structure A].

STRUCTURE A

The applicant is required to study a subject named Research Methodology, then the applicant can start the research under the supervision of an academic member of the Postgraduate Studies Department.

STUDY DURATION

TUITION FEES

• For international students studying On Campus (OC) mode, Visa Fees and University Bond fees are excluded. 
• Visa Fees & University Bond fees costs around RM5,120, it depends on the students nationality.
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Ancient Egypt

The program in Egyptology centers on the study of Middle Egyptian language and scripts, and the history, archaeology, religion, and culture of ancient Egypt. Other phases of the Egyptian language are also covered. Students are also advised to enroll in courses on Mesopotamia, ancient Israel, and the Mediterranean world in order to contextualize the civilization of Ancient Egypt. The program also emphasizes research on the Egyptian collections in the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology through participation in exhibitions, object-oriented independent study, and fieldwork. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the resources of the Papyrology Collection of the University Library.

Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible

In this program the language, literature, history, and culture of Ancient Israel and its neighbors are investigated. In addition to Hebrew, Aramaic, and Ugaritic courses, Mesopotamian languages, Greek, and Arabic can be elected. A rotating series of seminars presents special topics to graduate students. The lifeways and culture of ancient Israel are studied within a broad ancient Middle Eastern context and also with reference to formal anthropological, historical, literary, and religious modes of analysis.

The Arabic program leads to a degree in Arabic literature or Arabic linguistics. It is linked with offerings in Middle East studies and cooperates with other disciplinary units/departments such as Comparative Literature and Linguistics. Professional and research interests of the faculty in Arabic include modern Arabic literature and its role in Arab society; medieval Arabic literature and its role in Islam; Arabic papyrology; literary analysis; translation; Arabic linguistics; Arabic second language acquisition; Arabic dialectology; and Arabic applied linguistics and the teaching of Arabic as a Foreign Language. Every attempt is made to design programs of study to fit the particular needs of individual students, as well as to prepare them for academic, government, business, and other professional employment.

Note: Students also have the opportunity to study Arabic in various Arabic Language Study Programs, many of which are overseas.

All periods of Armenian language, literature, history and culture are taught in this program in the broader Middle East and former Soviet contexts. Courses in Western Armenian, literature, history and culture are taught regularly and Classical and Eastern Armenian in alternate years. Independent study courses are offered to ensure complete coverage when established courses are not taught, and individual courses are tailored to fit the needs and interests of students. Many courses in Armenian Studies are relevant to students specializing in fields such as Anthropology, Classical Studies, Comparative Literatures, History and History of Art, Linguistics and Religious and Social studies. Professional and research interests of the faculty include: Armenian language, literature, history and historiography, intellectual history, nationalism and identity, anthropology, diaspora studies, and translation.

Christianity in Late Antiquity

This program trains students to become teachers and scholars of Christianity in late antiquity (roughly the period from 300 to 700 C.E.). In addition to cultivating their historical knowledge about the period and their ability to analyze multiple kids of sources, students develop skills in the important primary languages for research in the period: Greek and Latin are regularly offered at all levels by the Classical Studies department, while Coptic and Syriac are offered in rotation by Middle East Studies. This program is supported by additional courses in the Armenian Studies Program, Classical Studies, the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, History, the Interdepartmental Program in Greek and Roman History, the Islamic Studies Program, the Program in Ancient Philosophy, and the resources available at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and the Papyrology Collection at the Hatcher Graduate Library. Students are also encouraged to make use of the multiple professionalization and teaching workshops and seminars offered by the Rackham Graduate School and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. 

The modern Hebrew program educates students in modern Hebrew language and literature, and also in earlier periods of literature, including Aramaic texts. The program is supported by courses in the programs of Judaic Studies, Linguistics, Comparative Literature, Political Science, and History. Professional and research interests of the faculty in Hebrew include literary history and criticism, linguistics, translation, language and technology, the teaching of Hebrew as a foreign language, and several aspects of culture. The program prepares students for academic, government, and business careers as well as employment in Jewish community activities. A flyer detailing requirements for the program is available in the departmental office. For more information, visit the Hebrew and Jewish Cultural Studies website.

Iranian Studies

The Department of Middle East Studies (MES) has been active in the field of Iranian studies since its founding in 1948. In the last quarter of a century, we have trained two generations of distinguished Iranists in the fields of history, literature, linguistics and religion who now teach at universities throughout North America and Europe. This program offers a strong philological training that allows students to master the idiomatic nuances and rhetorical strategies of texts and their cultural and social histories. The combination of linguistic competence and analytical skills are twin tools of the craft with which we train our graduate students.

Our expertise lies in the medieval and early-modern Persianate world with a focus on the social, cultural, literary, and political histories of Iran, Iraq, Anatolia, and parts of Central Asia—Persian-speaking regions in which Islam was diversely translated in the processes of conversion. We teach courses on a range of religious movements (Shi’ism and Sufism in particular), the history of the Turco-Mongols and the Safavids, and Persian literature in both its classical and modern manifestations.

Though Iranian Studies is housed in MES, the courses and programming for Persian language and literature draw on resources, faculty and students from across the university, who span the disciplinary boundaries of archaeology (Henry Wright), history of art (Christiane Gruber), history and society (Kathryn Babayan, Juan Cole), literature and culture (Cameron Cross), and language and linguistics (Behrad Aghaei). Few universities in the United States enjoy such a large and distinguished concentration of scholars working on Iran.

Islamic Studies

Islamic studies specialists teach a wide range of courses in medieval and modern Middle Eastern history, pertaining to the rise and development of the Islamic religion, Islamic intellectual history and Muslim civilization. In addition to general survey courses on Islam, offerings are available in areas such as Islamic law, dialectical theology, mysticism, philosophy, Qur'anic exegesis, and pre-Islamic Arab culture. Seminars in Islamic studies make extensive use of original, classical Arabic sources and, hence, develop in the student essential philological skills required for research, such as the ability to understand and work with the technical terminologies of the Islamic religious and intellectual sciences.

Note: Students also have the opportunity to study Arabic for Islamic Studies in various Arabic Language Study Programs, many of which are overseas.

Mesopotamian and Ancient Middle East Studies

The focus of the program is on the languages, literatures, history, culture, and archaeology of Mesopotamia and on neighboring ancient states and cultures. Language courses in Sumerian and Akkadian are regularly scheduled, and offerings in Hittite and Egyptian are also available. The program in Mesopotamian studies emphasizes both the original contexts in which texts and artifacts were produced and the modern means for their interpretation. Students are encouraged to take courses in Anthropology, Classical Studies, Comparative Literatures, Religious Studies, and other units on campus.

The Department of Middle East Studies offers Persian language courses on all levels. At every level of our language program, we teach to enhance the cognitive abilities and intellectual curiosity of our students. Our language courses focus on the development of all four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).  Through Persian language acquisition we aim to provide contexts and local meanings as we challenge students to explore other world-views and learn to think about cultures critically.

Advanced level Persian courses introduce students to Persian poetry and prose from the medieval to the modern era. These advanced level courses aim to provide a deeper and more textured knowledge of Iranian culture, history and society. They are part of a well-developed program on Persian language, literature, and culture designed to develop linguistic, literary, and methodological skills for scholarly research.

Rabbinics; Jewish History of Late Antiquity

The program trains doctoral students in the literature, history, religion, and culture of ancient Judaism in the Roman and Byzantine periods. The curriculum embraces the full spectrum of written sources from the ancient world, archaeology, and art. Special attention is given to developing proficiency in ancient languages and literary analytical skills, as well as to material culture. The program emphasizes (a) the Graeco-Roman context in which ancient Judaism and early Christianity developed (all students are required to gain a certificate in Greek and Roman History as part of their course work); and (b) critical and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the past.

Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins/New Testament

The Program trains graduate students as scholars and teachers in the field of Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins, covering all major literary corpora of the period (Old and New Testament, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, Apostolic Fathers, Jewish-Hellenistic Literature) with no distinction between the canonical and the non-canonical, the Jewish and the Christian. Special attention is given to developing proficiency in ancient languages and literary analytical skills in the study of the intellectual context in which ancient Judaism and early Christianity developed.

This program trains students in Ottoman or modern Turkish language and culture. Supplemental instruction is given in related dialects of Azeri and Chagatay. Appropriate courses in the departments of Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Economics, History, History of Art, Linguistics, and Political Science support the program. Students may also choose independent study courses to ensure complete coverage of a particular program when established courses are not offered on a regular basis. Literary history and criticism, translation, and several aspects of cultural study are among the research interests of the faculty. The program prepares students for academic, government, and business employment. For more information, visit the Turkish Studies Web Site .

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