ARA303 / Arabic Grammar and Syntax [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course looks into advanced elements of Arabic grammar, syntax and issues of I’rab. It trains students to analyze sentence structures.

ARA304 / Arabic Linguistics [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course addresses principles and trends of linguistics in light of modern linguistic theories and descriptive methodologies as they apply to Arabic.

ARA305 / Arabic Philology and Lexicography [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course deals with major issues of Arabic philology and offers an overview of Arabic lexicography. Students will be asked to consider theoretical issues in analyzing lexical and lexicographic material. This course tackles also issues related to phonology and elocution.

ARA310 / Classical Arabic Rhetoric and Literary Criticism [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course addresses basic features of Arabic rhetoric and literary criticism, and the dialectical relationship between them. Representative texts will be studied to illustrate theories presented throughout the course.

ARA311 / Arabic Prosody [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course introduces the meters of classical Arabic poetry. It also deals with other elements involved in the formation of classical poetry such as rhyme and verbal melody. The course also surveys the changes in poetic form that emerged in later periods.

ARA312 / Contemporary Literary Theory and Criticism [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course introduces several modern and postmodern theories of literature and literary criticism such as structuralism, deconstruction and feminism. Rep­resentative literary texts will be an integral part of the course.

ARA313 / Creative Writing [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course exposes students to various literary styles and artistic forms of writing. Students are given the opportunity to implement the skills they learn in creative writing of their own.

ARA314 / Technical Arabic [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course trains students in the use of the Arabic technical lexicon necessary for a variety of professional fields such as business and finance with emphasis on the Arabic language which is currently used in modern fields of technology.

ARA320 / Pre-Islamic and Umayyad Poetry [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is a survey of ancient Arabic poetry from the pre-Islamic period to the end of the Umayyad era. The course focuses on major issues and problems reflected in the poetry of this period.

ARA323 / Abbasid Poetry [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is a survey of the poetic trends, themes and stylistics of the Abbasid period. The course focuses on the major figures of poetry in that period, and relates Abbasid poetry to the cultural changes in that period.

ARA324 / Andalusian Literature [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course studies Arabic poetry and prose in Andalusia focusing on the development of new genres and literary art-forms in that period.

ARA325 / Classical Prose [3-0, 3 cr.]

The course is a survey of the development of Arabic literary prose from the 2nd/8th to the 5th/11th centuries. The course introduces major authors and works that charac­terize the Arabic prose of the period.

ARA326 / Arab Civilization and Culture [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course is a survey of Arab civilization and culture. It emphasizes aspects of cultural development in thought, sciences, social life and arts including paint­ing, music, singing, calligraphy, crafts, etc.

ARA327 / Sufi Literature [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course surveys the rise of ascetic and mystical tendencies in Islam includ­ing the historical development and central ideas of Sufism. It pays special atten­tion to the poetic expression of the mystical experience. Representative texts will be read for analysis and aesthetic appreciation.

ARA328 / Arabic Folk Literature [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course surveys the development of classical and premodern Arabic folk literature. Selections from texts such as The Arabian Nights, Sirat Antara and Sirat Bani Hilal are studied and analyzed in order to follow the development of this genre throughout history.

ARA329 / Travel Literature [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course surveys a selection of non-fictional texts categorized under ‘Travel Literature’. The course considers a number of travel narratives, paying attention to elements of history and context as well as narrative techniques, structure and themes in this particular genre.

ARA341 / Modern Arabic Novel and Short Story [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course introduces the novel and the short story as literary forms. It explores various elements that make up the novel such as plot, characterization, style, genre and theme, as well as its historical, cultural, and thematic contexts.

ARA342 / Arabic Drama [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course addresses the emergence and development of drama as a genre in Arabic literature. Through careful readings of representative plays, students survey various themes and issues prominent in Arabic drama along with their social and political contexts.

ARA343 / Modern Arabic Poetry [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course focuses on modern Arabic poetry from the late 19th century up to the present time. Selected samples of poetry are studied and analyzed.

ARA344 / Trends in Modern Literature [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course deals with modern literary trends from classicism to surrealism. Students are trained in intensive analysis of selected texts in Arabic literature that are representative of the course content.

ARA488 / Topics in Arabic Language and Literature [3-0, 3 cr.]

This course deals with a topic that is beyond the normal scope of the listed courses in the B.A. program. It includes new approaches to language, literature or civilization as well as a special theme.

ARA499 / Senior Study [3-0, 3 cr.]

A course designed for seniors to employ the techniques of modern literary criticism by conducting intensive research into a selected literary figure, trend or work.