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The Major

The major in Islamic & Arabic Studies is interdisciplinary and designed to provide an effective understanding of the religions, languages, cultures, economies, politics, and histories of Muslim-majority societies and their diasporas.

Students can select one of two specializations within the major: Islamic Studies, or Arabic Studies. The Islamic Studies specialization focuses more on the humanities, with core courses in religion, history, and culture, while the Arabic Studies specialization emphasizes languages and social sciences, with core courses in Arabic or other languages, politics, and economics.

This major enables students to pursue a multitude of career opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. These include work in Non-Governmental Organizations, the public sector including the Foreign Service, and the corporate world. The presence in San Diego county and other urban centers in the nation of large communities from Muslim-majority countries opens opportunities for work in local government and the social service sector. Students who wish to pursue further studies are well-prepared by this major to pursue M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in multiple disciplines connected to Islamic & Arabic Studies, as well as professional degrees such as law and library science.

The Islamic and Arabic studies emphasis is an impacted program. To be admitted to the Islamic and Arabic studies emphasis, students must meet the following criteria:

Advising

Michelle Lenoue
Undergraduate Advisor
Email: [email protected]

For more information, please see the General Catalog and our Courses page.

  1. Complete preparation for the major;
  2. Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
  3. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0

Students must complete a minimum of 48 units (of which 18 are preparation for the major), that all have focus on Islamic and Arabic topics.

Arabic Studies Focus (16 units)

  • ARAB 201: Intermediate Arabic I (4 units)
  • HIST 100: World History (3 units)
  • HIST 101: World History (3 units)
  • POL S 103: Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 units)
  • REL S 101: World Religions (3 units)

Islamic Studies Focus (17 units)

  • ARAB 201: Intermediate Arabic I (4 units)
  • ARAB 202: Intermediate Arabic II (4 units)
  • HIST 101: World History (3 units)
  • POL S 103: Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 units)
  • REL S 101: World Religions (3 units)

Arabic Studies Focus

A minimum of 29 units to include

  • ARAB 301: Advanced Arabic I (4 units)
  • ARAB 302: Advanced Arabic II (4 units)
  • ARAB 330: Arabic Culture (3 units)
  • HIST 473: Middle Eastern History from the Advent of Islam to 1500 (3 units)
  • HIST 474: The Middle East Since 1500 (3 units)
  • POL S 363: Governments and Politics of the Middle East (3 units)
  • WMNST 560: Women in Muslim Societies (3 units) 

Six to Seven Units Selected from

  • ARAB 350: Advanced Conversational Arabic (3 units)
  • ECON 466: Economics of the Middle East (3 units)
  • HIST 574: Arab-Israeli Relations, Past and Present (3 units)
  • POL S 562: Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective (3 units)
  • REL S 310: The Qur’an (A) (3 units)
  • REL S 328: Islam (B) (3 units)
  • REL S 379: Religious Violence and Nonviolence (D) (3 units)

Islamic Studies Focus

A minimum of 30 units to include

  • HIST 473: Middle Eastern History from the Advent of Islam to 1500 (3 units) 
  • HIST 474: The Middle East Since 1500 (3 units) 
  • POL S 363: Governments and Politics of the Middle East (3 units) 
  • POL S 562: Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective (3 units) 
  • REL S 310: The Qur’an (A) (3 units) 
  • REL S 328: Islam (B) (3 units) 
  • WMNST 560: Women in Muslim Societies (3 units) 

Nine Units Selected from

  • ARAB 330: Arabic Culture (3 units)
  • ECON 466: Economics of the Middle East (3 units)
  • HIST 574: Arab-Israeli Relations, Past and Present (3 units)
  • REL S 379: Religious Violence and Nonviolence (D) (3 units)

For Both Focuses

Up to six units (with appropriate content) can be applied to either the Arabic studies or Islamic studies specialization from:

  • ARAB 496 - Topics in Arabic Studies
  • ARAB 499 - Special Study
  • HIST 496 - Issues in History
  • HIST 499 - Special Study
  • HIST 596 - Selected Studies in History
  • POL S 496 - Experimental Topics
  • POL S 499 - Special Study
  • POL S 596 - Topics in Political Science
  • REL S 496 - Experimental Topics (A) (B) (C) (D)
  • REL S 499 - Special Study (A) (B) (C) (D)
  • REL S 596 - Advanced Topics in Religious Studies (A) (B) (C) (D)

DLO 1: Demonstrate appropriate levels of proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension in the Arabic language.

DLO 2: Utilize the tools of historical analysis to interpret cultural, economic and political developments in Muslim-majority countries from the 7th century to the present day.

DLO 3: Demonstrate skills in critical thinking through effective verbal and written communication, as well as close reading of texts on Islamic and Arabic Studies.

DLO 4: Compare and contrast economic and political aspects of Muslim-majority societies with each other and with their non-Muslim counterparts.

DSLO 5: Demonstrate knowledge of the unity and diversity of the various cultures and literatures of Muslim-majority countries.

DSLO 6: Explain various approaches to understanding Islam as a religion and the unity and diversity of cultures in Muslim-majority societies

Download the Curricular Map Matrix

College of Arts & Letters Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies Director Dr. Ahmet Kuru and Undergraduate Advisor Dr. Hisham Foad have been working diligently on a degree program revision for more than two years. Today, their persistence and steadfast commitment has paid off as their work has resulted in a new major degree program -- the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies. No other university in this region offers such a major.

For the past decade, a major in Islamic and Arabic Studies was housed within the Social Sciences program at SDSU. After determining that the program could benefit from an update and reimagination, Kuru and Foad set to work to recreate it. Several reviews by the CSU Chancellor’s office allowed opportunities to refine it, and in the end, according to Kuru, “The degree became an elegant and well-defined program with long-lasting relevance to students.”

This truly interdisciplinary degree program promises to allow a growing population of students, interested in Middle Eastern topics, to focus on relevant research and a robust curriculum. The new collectively revised degree program offers a broad range of subjects to include economics, linguistics, women’s studies, history, religion, political science, and culture. Students will discover a cohesive common core that represents both Islamic and Arabic emphases.

Beginning in Fall 2019, students will be awarded a degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies, rather than one in Social Sciences -- further defining a student’s niche area of study. This major enables students to pursue a multitude of career opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. These include work in Non-Governmental Organizations, the public sector including the Foreign Service, and the corporate world. The presence in San Diego County and other urban centers in the nation of large communities from Muslim-majority countries opens opportunities for work in local government and the social service sector. Students who wish to pursue further studies are well-prepared by this major to pursue M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in multiple disciplines connected to Islamic & Arabic Studies, as well as professional degrees such as law and library science.

CIAS offers a broad range of courses related to Islamic and Arabic studies in cooperation with various departments in CAL. The courses include those on Arabic language; history of the Middle East, in particular, and the Muslim world, in general; the relationship between Islam and politics; theological and legal aspects of Islam; and women in Muslim-majority societies.

The latest addition to our curriculum is “POLS 300: Islam and Politics,” which was added to SDSU course catalog last year. The course aims to provide students with a global understanding of Islam and its political implications, by comparing cases from (Central, Southeastern, and South) Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa, and West Africa. Its scope will also be broad. The course includes such important issues as Islamist ideology; Islamic movements; the idea of caliphate; Islam, secularism, and the state; Islam, authoritarianism, and democracy; Islam, violence, and peace; and Muslim minorities in Western countries.

Other Press Coverage:

SDSU to Offer New Major in Islamic and Arabic Studies
(Source: SDSU NewsCenter)

SDSU Offering New Major in Islamic and Arabic Studies
(Source: La Jolla Village News)