Arabic Studies

The minor in Arabic studies facilitates proficiency in the Arabic language, familiarizes students with the cultures of the Arabic-speaking world, provides facility with the Arabic textual tradition, and affords a foundation for professional and graduate work using the Arabic language.

Coursework trains students to read, interpret, and contextualize "texts" broadly construed as written, oral, and audio-visual. This is accomplished through mastering the Arabic language, increasing knowledge of Arab cultural themes, and engaging appropriate scholarly literature necessary to understand Arabic texts in an informed, relevant way.

What You Can Do with a Degree in Arabic Studies

Students with a minor in Arabic Studies have gone on to work in NGOs, the foreign service, international business, nonprofits, and political action groups. Learn more about how a background in Arabic Studies has supported alumni in their chosen career paths.

Mohammed Aldawood

How Arabic Studies Enriches Your Career

"Since graduating from University of Oregon and obtaining my master's in Arabic from DePaul University, I have had the opportunity to teach Arabic at the Foreign Service Institute at the US Department of State as well as several colleges and universities, including American University in Washington, D.C. I'm grateful for all the opportunities that teaching Arabic has provided me!"

—Mohammed Aldawood, accounting major, Arabic studies minor, ‘12

Our Degree Program

Undergraduate students can minor in Arabic Studies by taking three years of Arabic classes and a combination of 12 credits of advanced Arabic language courses (including an optional 4 credits of a department-approved class). Students who already know Arabic are exempt from the third-year Arabic requirement.

Teacher teaching class

Learn from Experts in the Field

Students majoring in Arabic studies will learn from faculty who are known experts in their respective fields. Because each student is given the flexibility to build their own course of study built on their specific interests, there are opportunities to work with faculty representing a broad range of departments.

Person riding camel

Get Real-world Experience

Study abroad or intern in the Arabic world. Connect with other Arabic speakers. Get involved in research.

Scholarships and Funding

Students pursuing a minor or graduate specialization in Arabic studies can apply for a variety of fellowships, programs, scholarships, and other opportunities to help fund their education.

Undergraduate Scholarships

Academic Support

Students in the Arabic Studies Program can seek academic support, career counseling, and other advising services through Tykeson Hall or by consulting our program advisor.

Undergraduate Advising

Humanities News and CAS Events

THEATRE ARTS — University Theatre's end-of-season production, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is described as “good fun with plenty of heart.” It combines improv, heartfelt storytelling and audience participation. Performed by University of Oregon students, the production opens May 23 and runs through June 8.
SPANISH - Alumna Kara Buckley works as a senior advisor to the US Olympic and Paralympic Team. She consults on sponsorship and marketing and is helping prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy. She also serves on the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business’s Board of Advisors. What Buckley learned while studying Spanish—both the language itself and the process of learning a language—has helped her advance her career.
LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES — This year's Foreign Language and International Studies Day offered a vibrant celebration of languages, cultures and the arts for high school students. Attendees came from 19 Oregon high schools, some traveling from as far north as Seaside, as far south as Roseburg and as far east as Pendleton.

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UO Olympic Studies Week
May17
UO Olympic Studies Week May 17
UO Olympic Studies Week
May18
UO Olympic Studies Week May 18
Physical Chemistry Seminar - 3rd Year Talks
May19
Physical Chemistry Seminar - 3rd Year Talks May 19 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Native American and Indigenous Studies Research Colloquium—A Shift from Indigenous Identities to Mainstream Western Culture Among Maya Indigenous Individuals in Guatemala
May19
Native American and Indigenous Studies Research Colloquium—A Shift from Indigenous Identities to Mainstream Western Culture Among Maya Indigenous Individuals in Guatemala May 19 Many Nations Longhouse
Department of History Coffee Hour
May20
Department of History Coffee Hour May 20 McKenzie Hall
gradCONNECT: Disabled and Neurodiverse Graduate Student Time Together
May20
gradCONNECT: Disabled and Neurodiverse Graduate Student Time Together May 20
Greg Marshall - "Leg" Memoir Reading and Q&A
May20
Greg Marshall - "Leg" Memoir Reading and Q&A May 20 Knight Library
Writing Lab Drop-In Workshop: Organization
May22
Writing Lab Drop-In Workshop: Organization May 22 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies Presents: A Talk with Author Dean Spade on “Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together"
May23
Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies Presents: A Talk with Author Dean Spade on “Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together" May 23 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Spring Ring Lecture
May23
Spring Ring Lecture May 23 McKenzie Hall

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