Undergraduate

The study of Arabic opens the door to the rich history and culture of the Middle East and North Africa. Classical Arabic is the language of religion. Modern standard Arabic is the language of formal culture and the communication media. The Arabic dialects are the language of daily life. The major in Arabic introduces students to each of these varieties of Arabic and to their respective literature.

Before petitioning for a course, please visit our Pre-Approved Courses page for a list of accepted courses. For a course that is NOT on the above list, please visit our Course Petitions page.

  • Arabic (major)

    Preparation for the Major (Required):

    • Arabic 1A/B/C (Elementary Literary Arabic)
      AND
    • History 9D (Introduction to Asian Civilizations: History of Middle East), Middle Eastern Studies M50CW (Making and Studying Modern Middle East), Islamic Studies M20 (Introduction to Islam), Near Eastern Languages M20 (Visible Language: Study of Writing), or Near Eastern Languages 65 (Global Time Travel)

    Transfer Students:
    Transfer applicants to the Arabic major with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one year of Arabic. Refer to the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

    Major Requirements (11 Courses):

    • Required Core (5 Courses)
            • Arabic 102A/B/C (Intermediate Standard Arabic), or Arabic 108 (Summer Intensive Intermediate Arabic) AND Two courses from Arabic or Islamic Studies
        • Required Electives (6 Courses)
          • Anthropology M166Q (Culture Area of Maghrib (North Africa))
          • Arabic 103A/B/C (Advanced Arabic), 105 (Introduction to Qur’anic and Islamic Arabic), M106 (Qur’an), M107 (Islam in West), M110 (Thousand and One Nights/Alf Layla Wa-Layla), 111A/B/C (Elementary Spoken Egyptian Arabic), 112A/B/C (Advanced Spoken Egyptian Arabic), 115 (Studies in Arabic Dialectology), 116A/B/C (Elementary Iraqi Arabic), 120 (Islamic Texts), M123 (Oral Literature and Performance of Arab World), 130 (Classical Arabic Texts), 132 (Philosophical and Kalam Texts), 140 (Readings in Modern Standard Arabic) C141 (Modern Arabic Literature), 142 (Arabic Media), M148 (Contemporary Arab Film and Song), 150 (Classical Arabic Literature in English), M151 (Modern Arabic Literature in English), M155 (Al-Andalus: Literature of Islamic Spain), M171 (Culture Area of Maghrib (North Africa), 177 (Variable Topics in Arabic), 180 (Linguistics Analysis of Arabic), 181 (Translating Arabic)
          • Art History 119A (Western Islamic Art), 119B (Eastern Islamic Art), C120 (Introduction to Islamic Archaeology)
          • Comparative Literature 100 (Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory)
          • History 105A (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 500 to 1300), 105B (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1300 to 1700), 105C (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1700 to Present), M106 (Premodern Islam), 108B (History of Islamic Iberia), 111A (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Premodern), 111B (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Early Modern), 111C (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Modern)
          • Islamic Studies M107 (Islam in West), M111 (Introduction to Islamic Archaeology), M112 (Archaeology and Art of Christian and Islamic Egypt), M115 (Islam and Other Religions), 130 (Shi’a in Islamic History), 151 (Contemporary Islamic Thought)
          • Political Science 132A (International Relations of Middle East), M132B (International Relations of Middle East), 157 (Government and Politics in the Middle East), 165 (Islam and Politics)

        No more than two upper division 4-unit independent study or directed research courses (197, 199) may be applied toward the major. Other courses, including extra-departmental courses, may be applied with consent of the adviser.

  • Arabic and Islamic Studies (minor)

    The Arabic and Islamic Studies minor is designed for students who wish to augment their major program with a group of related courses that provide a systematic introduction to the study of Arabic language and literature and Islam.

    To enter the minor, students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better, have completed Arabic 1A, 1B, 1C, or the equivalent as determined by the department.

    Required Lower Division Courses (15 units)

    • Arabic 1A/B/C (Elementary Standard Arabic), or equivalent

    Required Upper Division Courses (20 units)

    • Arabic or Islamic Core (3 courses)
      • Arabic 102A/B/C (Intermediate Standard Arabic) OR 108 (Summer Intensive Intermediate Arabic), 150 (Classical Arabic Literature in English) OR M151 (Modern Arabic Literature in English)
    • Recommended Electives (2 courses)
      • Anthropology M166Q (Culture Area of Maghrib (North Africa))
      • Art History 119A (Western Islamic Art), 119B (Eastern Islamic Art), C120 (Introduction to Islamic Archaeology)
      • Comparative Literature 100 (Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory)
      • History 105A (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 500 to 1300), 105B (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1300 to 1700), 105C (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1700 to Present), M106 (Premodern Islam), 108B (History of Islamic Iberia), 111A (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Premodern), 111B (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Early Modern), 111C (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Modern)
      • Islamics 130 (Shi’a in Islamic History)
      • Political Science 132A (International Relations of Middle East), M132B (International Relations of Middle East), 157 (Government and Politics in the Middle East), 165 (Islam and Politics)

    Other courses, including extra-departmental courses, may be applied with consent of advisor. 199 courses may NOT be applied.

    A minimum of 20 units applied toward the minor requirements must be in addition to units applied towards major requirements of another minor. Each minor course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better. Successful completion of the minor is indicated on the transcript and diploma.