The Arabic minor enriches students’ education by providing advanced proficiency in language skills and by enhancing understanding of how people in the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Islamic cultures experience the world. This minor serves as an excellent complement for those studying in various fields, including business, political science, and international studies.
Students who minor in Arabic can find an advantage after graduation as they apply their skills and knowledge to work in business and nonprofits, public service, graduate programs, and more.
For questions, please contact Prof. Khalid Ahmed (khalid4@uw.edu) and/or UW Humanities Academic Services.
Declaring a Minor in Arabic
Students in good academic standing may declare the minor at any time by contacting their major adviser. Please see the Undergraduate Advising minors page for additional considerations about earning a minor.
Minor Requirements
30 credits
- 15 credits from one of the following: (1) ARAB 201, ARAB 202, ARAB 203; (2) ARAB 205
- Upper-division courses with the ARAB prefix (10 credits)
- Elective coursework (5 credits): see the list below for approved courses
- Minimum of 15 credits at the 300 or 400 level
- Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for courses applied to the minor
- Minimum 15 credits taken in residence through UW
The requirement to complete ARAB 201, ARAB 202, ARAB 203, or ARAB 205 may be satisfied by taking a placement exam and testing out. A successful placement exam does not count towards the 30-credit requirement. Students entering the UW with proficiency in Arabic beyond the second year of language training must take 20 credits of upper-division courses with the ARAB prefix. In addition, they must earn 10 credits of electives; refer to the list below for approved courses.
*Please note: If a student pursues both a major and a minor in the MELC Department, 60% of the coursework applied to the minor is taken outside of the student's major requirements. This means these classes may not
apply both to satisfying major requirements and to satisfying the requirements for the minor.
Upper-division Courses with the ARAB Prefix:
- ARAB 401 Current Issues in Arab Media (5)
- ARAB 402 Current Issues in Arab Media (5)
- ARAB 403 Current Issues in Arab Media (5)
- ARAB 404 Arabic Short Stories (5)
- ARAB 405 Modern Arabic Poetry (3)
- ARAB 406 Development of Modern Arabic Prose (5)
- ARAB 407 Grammatical and Lexical Arabic Texts (3)
- ARAB 408 Historical Texts (3)
- ARAB 409 Quran and Its Interpretation (3)
- ARAB 410 Islamic Theological and Mystical Literature (3)
- ARAB 411 Arabic through Song (5)
- ARAB 412 Introduction to Classical Arabic (5)
- ARAB 490 Supervised Study (1-6, max. 18)
- ARAB 496 Special Studies in Arabic (3-5, max. 15)
- ARAB 499 Undergraduate Research (1-6, max. 18)
Electives:
- Any upper-division course with the ARAB prefix
- MELC 101 Gateway to the Middle East (5)
- MELC 229 Introduction to Islamic Civilization (5)
- MELC 230 Introduction to Muslim Beliefs and Practices (5)
- MELC 231 Introduction to the Quran (5)
- MELC 234 Introduction to Shi'ism (5) I&S
- MELC 329 Classical Arabic Literature in Translation (5)
- MELC 330 Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Modern Arabic Novel (5)
- MELC 331 Thousand and One Nights (5)
- MELC 332 Arab American Writers (5)
- MELC 334 Culture of the Arab World (5)
- MELC 335 Language Conflict and Identity in the Middle East and North Africa (5)
- MELC 337 Egyptian Cinema: Glamour on the Nile (5)