Course Information
The typical student will begin with 101 (first semester Arabic) and progress to third semester Arabic (201) to complete the Core Curriculum requirement. Students with a strong background in Arabic (having studied it previously or learned it in a non-academic setting) may be able to skip 101, and begin with 102 (second semester Arabic). Anyone who has completed Arabic 102 at a college or university may satisfy the Core Curriculum requirement by taking only Arabic 201.
We offer very advanced students the opportunity of taking the Competency Exam in lieu of 201.
Below are the approved courses offered by the Department of Languages, Cultures and Literatures for Arabic. Not all courses will be available every semester. Make sure to check course offerings on the registration portal for each upcoming semester. Please check the Language Placement Guide before enrolling in your first Arabic studies class at USD or elsewhere.
Course Descriptions
ARAB 101
First Semester Arabic
Units: 3
An introduction to the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing of Modern Standard Arabic as well as the cultures of Arabic-speaking peoples. At the end of the semester students will have sufficient comprehension to understand utterances about basic survival needs and minimum courtesy and travel requirements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics. Students will be able to speak, read, and write using memorized material and set expressions. Prerequisite: Placement exam or waiver of placement. Every Fall.
ARAB 102
Second Semester Arabic
Units: 3
Continuation of the skills developed in Arabic 101. Increased practice in reading and writing. Acquisition of new vocabulary consolidated through conversation stressing the relationship between language and culture. Students can typically satisfy with ease predictable, simple, personal, and accommodation needs and meet courtesy, introduction, and identification requirements; exchange greetings; elicit and provide predictable and skeletal biographical information. Prerequisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent, or Placement Exam. Every Spring.
ARAB 140
Topics in Arabic Literature and Culture
Units: 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Arabic literature and culture. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
ARAB 141
Topics in Arab-American Literature, Film or Culture
Units: 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Arab-American literature and culture with a focus on domestic diversity. This course is taught in English and satisfies the core requirements for Literary Inquiry and DISJ-Domestic, level 1, but does not satisfy the core Second Language requirement.
ARAB 142
Topics in Arabic Literature in Translation, Film-Global
Units: 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Arabic literature, film and/or culture with a Global Focus. This course is taught in English and satisfies the core requirements for Literary Inquiry and DISJ-Global, level 1, but does not satisfy the core Second Language requirement.
ARAB 194
Special Topics in Arabic
Units: 1 TO 3
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Arabic literature and culture. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
ARAB 201
Third Semester Arabic
Units: 3
Further development of language competence to the intermediate level. Introduction of easier literary and cultural readings that will solidify reading skills and provide deeper understanding of Arabic cultures. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify family members, relatives and social relations; describe professions and college study subjects and specializations; describe concrete places and situations; understand, express, and respond to abstract and information questions; read dialogues and paragraphs; write more articulate sentences and paragraphs. Prerequisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent or Placement Exam. Every Fall.
ARAB 202
Fourth Semester Arabic
Units: 3
Continued development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Student will be able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements and routine work-related interactions that are limited in scope. Student will be able to handle most normal, high-frequency social conversational situations including extensive, but casual conversations about current events, as well as work, family, and autobiographical information. Prerequisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or Placement Exam. Every Spring.
ARAB 294
Special Topics in Arabic
Units: 1 TO 3
Study at the lower-division level of a special topic in language, literature, or culture. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic changes. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. If taught in English, this course will not fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement. Consult with instructor or the department chair.
ARAB 303
Media Arabic
Units: 3
This course uses Arabic media reporting in written, audio and video formats, to focus on political, economic and security issues in their cultural contexts. The course strengthens students’ language foundation in all aspects of modern standard Arabic, including speaking, listening, reading, and writing. There will be an emphasis on improvement of speaking skills through discussion of current events and through classroom presentations. The course fulfills USD’s Core curriculum requirement in Oral Communication (CORL). Prerequisites: ARAB 202 or instructor approval.
ARAB 306
Arabic Dialects
Units: 3
Students will expand their knowledge and exposure to the Egyptian and Levantine dialects through an intensive study of the dialects and cultures. Focus will be on the spoken dialects in modern usage. Students will explore similarities and differences between these two dialects in relation to Modern Standard Arabic. The course also strengthens students’ language foundation in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Prerequisites: ARAB 202 or instructor approval.
ARAB 394
Special Topics in Arabic
Units: 1 TO 3
Study at the third-year level of a special topic in language, literature, or culture. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic changes. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. If taught in English, this course will not fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement. Consult with instructor or the department chair.
ARAB 493
Field Experience
Units: 1 TO 3
Placement in a community agency where advanced Arabic language skills will be utilized. Prerequisites: Junior or senior class standing and approval of the department chair.
ARAB 499
Independent Study
Units: 1 TO 3
A program arranged between the advanced student and the instructor to provide intensive study in a particular area of interest. Extensive reading and consultation are required, as well as preparation of reports to be assigned by the instructor. Prerequisites: None. May be taken for credit each time topic changes.