Why study Arabic?
Arabic is the main language of over 250 million people inhabiting a huge swathe of land extending from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf. It is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Apart from opening the door to a fascinating and varied region, knowledge of Arabic provides access to the rich intellectual heritage of Islam.
Arabic at Edinburgh
The M.A. Honours course in Arabic at Edinburgh is designed to give students a thorough grounding in both classical and modern Arabic, enabling them to access a full historical span of original material, from pre-Islamic poetry and Islamic philosophy to Arabic novels and television.
Starting at beginner's level, in the Arabic 1 course, students are trained to reach near-native proficiency by the end of their four years at Edinburgh. Half of the third year is spent at an approved institution in the Middle East, where students have an opportunity to consolidate their knowledge, put the acquired language skills into practice, and learn a regional dialect.
As well as the core language studies, the Department offers a range of courses designed to put the language into historical context and provide an insight into the vast treasury of Arabic literature. These include courses in classical and modern Arabic literature, and Islamic doctrinal texts. With a view to future career options students are also able to take a specialised fourth year Media Arabic course which introduces the essential vocabulary of the Arab media, and concentrates on reading, aural comprehension, and two-way translation of a variety of media sources.
To deepen their knowledge of the Arab world and Islam, students are also able to choose from a variety of other courses offered within as well as outside the Department, in fields including history, Islamic art, Islamic medicine and the politics and culture of the modern Middle East.
For further details of all Arabic language courses please consult the course handbooks.
Joint honours degrees with Arabic
