The Undergraduate Concentration in Arabic, Armenian,
Persian, Turkish and Islamic Studies

The division of Arabic, Armenian, Persian, Turkish and Islamic Studies teaches language courses from the introductory to the advanced level in medieval and modern Arabic, Armenian, Persian, and Turkish. Courses in the histories, literatures and cultures of select regions represented by these language groups are also offered as are a wide range of topics in Islamic Studies.


The course AAPTIS 100, Peoples of the Middle East, is a prerequisite to the AAPTIS concentration. An AAPTIS concentrator must complete four semesters of a single language. Fourth term proficiency in Arabic, Armenian, Persian, or Turkish satisfies the language requirement of the College of LS&A. The AAPTIS concentrator must also select five other courses in the languages, literatures, linguistics, histories, cultures, and religions most closely related to his/her language of choice. Two of the five courses must be at the 400 level or above. The concentrator must also complete two elective cognate courses at the 300 level or above outside the division of concentration. Students are strongly encouraged to take ACABS 425/ AAPTIS 425/ HJCS 425: Near Eastern Studies Capstone Seminar as a cognate. The cognate courses must be approved by the concentration advisor.

 

Faculty

Behrad Aghaei , Lecturer II of Persian Studies
Kathryn Babayan,
Associate Professor of Iranian history and culture

Kevork Bardakjian, Professor of Armenian languages & literatures

Carol Bardenstein, Associate Professor of Arabic literature and culture

Michael Bonner, Professor of Islamic history

Mehmet Er, Lecturer II of Turkish Studies
Sherman Jackson,
Professor of medieval Arabic law and theology

Gottfried Hagen, , Associate Professor of Turkish studies

Alexander Knysh, Professor of Islamic studies

Trevor LeGassick, Professor of Arabic literature
Douglas Northrop, Associate Professor of modern Central Asian studies

Raji Rammuny, Professor of Arabic language and linguistics

Waheed Samy, Lecturer IV of Arabic language and linguistics

Anton Shammas, Professor of Middle Eastern literature

Gernot Windfuhr, Professor of Iranian studies


Course Requirements


1
. The Prerequisite Course to the Concentration

General course for all AAPTIS concentrators:

AAPTIS 100 Peoples of the Middle East (4) (HU, R&E)


2. The Required Language Courses

 

Arabic

The student may elect to take any four courses of the following tracks for Arabic:

 

a). Arabic for Academic Purposes

101 Elementary Modern Standard Arabic I (5)

102 Elementary Modern Standard Arabic II (5)
103 Intensive Elementary Standard Arabic I & II (10)

201 Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I (5)

202 Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II (5)
205 Intensive Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I & II (10)

 

b). Classical Arabic

111 Classical Arabic I (5)

112 Classical Arabic II (5)

581 Classical Arabic III (4)

582 Classical Arabic IV (4)

 

c). Arabic for Communication

101 Elementary Modern Standard Arabic I (5)

102 Elementary Modern Standard Arabic II (5)

203 Arabic for Communication I (5)

204 Arabic for Communication II (5)

Students also have the opportunity to study Arabic in various Arabic Language Study Programs many of which are overseas.

Armenian

171 Western Armenian I*

172 Western Armenian II*

173 Intensive 1st year Western Armenian*

271 Intermediate Western Armenian I

272 Intermediate Western Armenian II

273 Intensive 2nd year Western Armenian

181 Eastern Armenian I*

182 Eastern Armenian II*

183 Intensive 1st year Eastern Armenian*

281 Intermediate Eastern Armenian I

282 Intermediate Eastern Armenaian II

*Students also have the opportunity to study first year Armenian Language (Classical, Modern Eastern, and Modern Western) in an intensive format at the Armenian Language Institute in Yerevan, Armenia.

Persian

141 Elementary Modern Persian I (4) (LR)

142 Elementary Modern Persian II (4) (LR)

241 Intermediate Persian I (4) (LR)

242 Intermediate Persian II (4) (LR)

 

Turkish

151 Elementary Turkish II (4) (LR)

152 Elementary Turkish II (4) (LR)

251 Intermediate Turkish I (4) (LR)

252 Intermediate Turkish II (4) (LR)
Turkish Studies Web Site

 

3. The Divisional Elective Courses

Level 200

200 Introduction to World Religions: Near East
215
Colloquial Egyptian Arabic I (LR)

216 Colloquial Egyptian Arabic II (LR)

217 Colloquial Levantine Arabic I (LR)

218 Colloquial Levantine Arabic II (LR)

261 The Civilization of Medieval Islam
262  Introduction to Islam (4) (HU)

269 Introduction to Turkish Civilizations
274 Armenia: Culture and Ethnicity (R&E)

277 Land of Israel/ Palestine (HU)
280 Works of William Saroyan
285 Introduction to the Art and Architecture of the Islamic World

289 From Genghis Khan to the Taliban: Modern Central Asia
291
Topics in AAPTIS

292 Seminar in AAPTIS

296 Great Books of the Middle East

 

Level 300

331  Introduction to Arab Culture: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Issues (4) (HU, R&E)

332 Introduction to Persian Culture and Language

335 African-American Religion between Christianity and Islam

339 Turkey: Language, Culture, Society Between East and West
351 Advanced Turkish I
352 Advanced Turkish II
Turkish Studies Web Site

361 Jihad in History (4) (HU)

364 Middle East Studies
365 The Prophet Muhammad in Islam

380 Persian Literature in Translation

381 Introduction to Arab Literature in Translation

383 The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Middle East Literature

393 The Religion of Zoroaster

395 Directed Undergraduate Readings

 

Level 400-500

403 Advanced Intensive Modern Standard Arabic I (3)

404 Advanced Intensive Modern Standard Arabic II (3)

409 Business Arabic I (4)

410 Business Arabic II (4)

411 Classical Arabic Grammar (3)
412 Intensive Advanced Business Arabic I and II (8)
419 Intensive Colloquial Egyptian Arabic I and II (6)
420 Intensive Colloquial Levantine Arabic I and II (6)
425 Near Eastern Studies Capstone Seminar

432 Arabic Phonology and Morphophonology

433 Arabic Syntax and Semantics

434  Arabic Historical Linguistics and Dialectology

440 Literature of the Turks

451 Introductory Ottoman Turkish I

452 Introductory Ottoman Turkish II

459 Ottoman Turkish Culture

461 The First Millennium of the Islamic Near East

462 The Rise of Islam

463 The Near East in the Period of the Crusades 945-1258

464 Perso-Islamic Civilization in the Eastern Caliphate and India

465 Islamic Mysticism

466  Issues in Islamic Studies

467  Shi’ism: The History of Messianism and the Pursuit of Justice in Islam

468  Islamic Law

469  Islamic Intellectual History

470  The Islamic West: al-Andalus and the Maghrib, 600-1500

473 An Introduction to Classical and Medieval Armenian Literature

474 An Introduction to Modern Armenian Literature
476 The Church of Armenia: Profile of a National Institution

477  Economic History of the Medieval Near East

478  Introduction to Classical Armenian I

479  Introduction to Classical Armenian II

480 Intensive Introduction to Classical Armenian
484 Armenian-American Writers

485  Classical Near Eastern Literature (HU)

486  Topics in Modern Arabic Literature in Translation

487  Modern Middle Eastern History

488  History of Arabic Literature in English

491 Topics in AAPTIS

492 Shaping the Globe: Geography and Cartography in the Premodern M. East & Europe
493 Comparative Perspectives of the Middle East and North Africa

494 Literary Analysis and Theory

495  Gender and Politics in Early Islam

496  Gender and Representation in the Modern Middle East

498 Senior Honors Thesis

501 Advanced Arabic Conversation and Composition

502 Advanced Arabic Readings in Special Subjects

504 (Arabic) Communication Media

531  Reading Modern Arab Authors in Arabic

532  Arabic Linguistics

540 Persian and Iranian Languages

541  Classical Persian Texts

544 Modern Persian Fiction

545 Modern Persian Non-fiction

551 Readings in Ottoman Turkish

552  Readings in Tanzimat Turkish

553  Modern Turkish Readings

554  Advanced Turkish Composition

556  Modern Turkish Prose Literature

557  Modern Turkish Poetry

561 Modern Arabic Fiction I
563  Modern Arabic Non-fiction
565  Qur’anic Studies

567 Readings in Classical Islamic Texts

568  Ancient Arabic Poetry

569  Modern Arabic Poetry

583 Medieval Arabic Historical, Biographical and Geographical Texts

584 Persian History through Political and Cultural Texts

585 Modern Egypt and North Africa sicne 1500

586 Avestan

587 Studies in Pahlavi and Middle Persian

591 Topics in AAPTIS

592 Seminar in AAPTIS

593 Mini Course: Topics in AAPTIS

 

4. The Elective Cognate Courses

 

In consultation with the concentration advisor, the student must select a minimum of two additional cognate courses at the 300 level or above outside the division of concentration. This may include course selections from other subjects within the department of Near Eastern Studies, and courses cross-listed with courses in the concentrator's subject.

Recommended Cognate: ACABS 425/ AAPTIS 425/ HJCS 425: Near Eastern Studies Capstone Seminar

 

ACABS 425/ AAPTIS 425/ HJCS 425: Near Eastern Studies Capstone Seminar
Anthropolgy 383: Prehistory of Africa

Anthropology 409: Peoples and Cultures of the Near East and North Africa

Anthropology 483: Near Eastern Prehistory

Classical Studies 476: Pagans and Christians in the Roman World
Comp. Lit. 430: Studies in Fiction: Mappings of the Arab Renaissance

Comp. Lit. 430: Studies in Fiction: The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Middle Eastern Literature
History 325: The History of Islam in South Asia
History 335: The Ottoman Enterprises
History 397: Orientalism and Western Film

History 442: The First Millennium of the Islamic Near East
Hisotry 480: Conflict and Diplomacy in the Caucasus
History 536: The Rise of Islam

History 541: Shi'ism: The History of Messianism and the Pursuit of Justice in Islamdom

History 546: Gender and Sexuality in Pre-Modern Islam
History of Art 435: Art and Archaeology of Asia Minor

History of Art 481: Art of Ancient Iran
History of Art 491: Art of the Eastern Islamic World
History of Art 581: Islamic Architecture: Continuity & Innovation

Political Science 353: Arab-Israeli Conflict
Sociology 490: Women and Islam
Women Studies 471: Gender and Sexuality in Early Modern Islam

Women Studies 496: Gender and Representation in the Modern Middle East

The NES Honors Concentration

Concentrators who qualify as candidates for Honors are those who meet the requirements for a regular concentration, maintain a GPA of at least 3.4 overall and 3.5 in the concentration, and complete the writing of a senior thesis with distinction. Honors concentrators are required to enroll in the thesis course (498) during their senior year of research and writing. Further information concerning the Honors concentration can be obtained at the departmental office (4111 Thayer Building) or at the Honors Program Office (1330 Mason Hall).

Study Abroad

The department has affiliations with several universities and programs abroad, and concentrators are strongly encouraged to spend all or part of an academic year overseas in order to further their formal training. In addition to consulting the University of Michigan's Office of International Programs, the International Center and the International Institute, concentrators should contact their concentration advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies concerning such a course of study. A program should be decided upon in advance in order to ensure that transfer credit can be awarded and that courses will satisfy concentration requirements.
Students also have the opportunity to study Arabic in various Arabic Language Study Programs many of which are overseas.

Academic Advising

Students interested in the department's concentration program in AAPTIS, should contact the AAPTIS concentration advisor through the Department’s undergraduate secretary at the departmental office (4111 Thayer Bldg.), or by phone at (734) 764-0314. Students who plan to complete a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in NES must complete the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A) declaration form supplied by the advisor.