An official language of the United Nations, an estimated 300 million people are native speakers Arabic. Moreover, because it the language of the Quran, approximately one billion Muslims around the world use Arabic in some religious capacity. In other words, Arabic performs two functions: communicative and religious. Many Americans today are interested in learning Arabic, as it opens up opportunities for work in 22 countries (the members of the Arab League). But, most importantly, young Americans learn Arabic (among other languages) because language is the key to any cultural exchange and understanding. Lastly, Arabic is a language of a civilization. Historically speaking, Arabic is one of a few languages that spread as a medium of intellectual thought, as well as a lingua franca.
We offer a major and minor in Arabic. Please go to the courses page for a list of courses, course descriptions and prerequisites, and go to Schedule of Courses for course scheduling information for each semester, including class times and locations.
Learn more about Arabic through These Arabic learning resources.