The Arabic major requires four years of language study or their equivalent.

Majors must also choose one disciplinary concentration: Arabic literature, Arabic linguistics, or a well-defined course of study with a focus on the Arab world. 

Each disciplinary concentration requires the completion of at least three content courses, including one introductory methods course specific to the chosen discipline. Majors  are also required to prepare a project or a thesis for their senior capstone experience.

Major in Arabic

Minimum number of courses: 13, 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. Arabic 0400-level courses taken at a Middlebury school abroad site require departmental approval of the syllabus and a dossier of all written work (normally consisting of at least two exams and eight typed pages of Arabic);
  • One of the following:
    • ENAM 0205, plus two additional courses with the ARBC prefix in Arabic literature taken at Middlebury College’s Vermont campus (for students pursuing senior work in literature);
    • One of LNGT 0101, LNGT 0102 or  LNGT 0109, plus two additional courses with the ARBC prefix in Arabic linguistics taken at Middlebury College’s Vermont campus (for students pursuing senior work in linguistics);
    • Students may structure their own disciplinary focus within the Arabic major in consultation with their major advisor by providing a well-defined course of study that must include (i) one introductory methods course specific to the chosen discipline (in English); and (ii) two disciplinary electives bearing the ARBC prefix (in Arabic or English), taken at Middlebury College’s Vermont campus.
  • Students must spend at least one semester at a Middlebury school abroad site. The Arabic Department strongly recommends that students spend a full year abroad. Students studying abroad for a full academic year may count at most one course taken abroad towards the disciplinary elective requirements, subject to prior approval of their major advisor and contingent upon submission of the syllabus and a dossier of all written work (normally consisting of at least two exams and six typed pages of Arabic).

A major may count 400-level courses towards the fulfillment of the disciplinary electives once the 400-level language course requirement in #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.  Senior theses will include a 2000-word summary in Arabic.

Departmental honors are determined by a combination of thesis grade and grade point average in courses taken at the Arabic Program at Middlebury College, the Middlebury summer Arabic School, and Middlebury College’s study abroad sites.

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 Arabic literature, Arabic linguistics, or another well-defined disciplinary focus 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

  1. Studying Arabic language through ARBC 0302 or the equivalent; and
  2. Taking two courses with the ARBC prefix related to Arab culture (cinema, literature, pop-culture, etc.) or Arabic linguistics. Only one of the two courses on Arab culture or Arabic linguistics may be taken abroad. (See above for guidelines regarding courses taken at schools abroad and at the summer Language Schools.)

The Minor in Arabic Studies requires taking five courses with the ARBC prefix, excluding ARBC 0101, 0102, 0103, 0201, 0202, 0301, and 0302.