Requirements
Over the course of the major, students will become proficient in the Arabic language, take various courses related to the Arab world and culture, and work closely with Arabic professors to craft an individualized course of study that speaks to their interests.
The Arabic major encourages students to shape their own academic path in consultation with professors who are leaders in their fields, emphasizing mentorship alongside advanced language proficiency. The culmination of the Arabic major is a senior project or thesis that centers Arabic-language resources and knowledge production from the Arab world. Elective flexibility is built into the course requirements for the Arabic major in order to encourage planning between student and advisor to find the optimal course route to meaningful and significant senior work. In short, the Arabic Department offers a boutique major tailored to each student.
Arabic majors are eligible to apply for the President’s Undergraduate Scholarship in Languages, which provides full tuition for two Arabic language majors per year to pursue Arabic language study at Middlebury College’s Summer Arabic Language School.
Major in Arabic
Minimum number of courses: 14, including required senior work
Students majoring in Arabic must take:
- Arabic language through ARBC 0302 or the equivalent: ARBC 0101, ARBC 0102, ARBC 0103, ARBC 0201, ARBC 0202, ARBC 0301, ARBC 0302;
- Two courses taught in Arabic at the 0400-level, at least one of which is taken at Middlebury College’s Vermont campus.
- Four elective content courses, at least three of which are ARBC courses taken at Middlebury College’s Vermont campus for students studying abroad for one semester, or at least two of which are ARBC courses taken at Middlebury College’s Vermont campus for students studying abroad for a full academic year. These courses should be selected in consultation with the major advisor and may include a methods class taken outside of the Arabic Department subject to the approval of the major advisor. Information regarding elective courses taken abroad is provided in the next paragraph.
Arabic majors are strongly encouraged to spend a minimum of one semester at a Middlebury school abroad site in the Arab world.
Students who study abroad for one semester may count one elective course towards requirement #3 and students who study abroad for a full academic year may count two elective courses taken abroad towards requirement #3.
Study abroad courses are considered ARBC courses for the purpose of requirement #3, even if they carry a different prefix at the study abroad program.
A major may count 0400-level courses towards the fulfillment of the content elective course requirement #3 once the 0400-level language course requirement #2 is complete.
Senior Work
Majors are required to prepare a one-term senior project (ARBC 0700), or a two-term thesis (ARBC 0700/0701, taken in Fall and Winter or Winter and Spring). Senior projects and theses may be written in English, but must demonstrate significant use of Arabic sources.
Departmental honors are determined by a combination of thesis grade and grade point average in ARBC-prefixed courses.
Joint Major
Joint majors with other departments must: 1) complete Arabic language coursework through ARBC 0302 or the equivalent prior to the commencement of senior work, 2) take, at Middlebury College’s Vermont campus, two courses with the ARBC prefix related to the Arab world (cinema, literature, linguistics, gender studies, etc.) in consultation with their Arabic advisor, and 3) complete a senior project that explicitly engages the scholarly methodologies of both departments.
Minors in Arabic
The Arabic Department offers two minors.
The Arabic Minor requires
- Studying Arabic language through ARBC 0302 or the equivalent; and
- Taking two courses with the ARBC prefix related to the Arab world (cinema, literature, linguistics, gender studies, etc.) Only one of the two courses on Arab culture or Arabic linguistics may be taken abroad.
The Minor in Arabic Studies requires taking five courses with the ARBC prefix, excluding ARBC 0101, 0102, 0103, 0201, 0202, 0301, and 0302.