The Department prides itself on its strength in the classical medieval period, although it does offer one modern field as well. The goal of Arabic and Islamic studies is to give an integral view of Islamic culture in pre-modern times.
Within this general framework the student will
normally focus on one of the following fields:
- Arabic language and literature,
- Islamic religion and culture,
- Islamic intellectual history (especially
philosophy and theology),
- Islamic institutional history,
- Islamic law, and
- Modern Arabic literature and culture.
For the A.M. degree: Students must meet the general graduate requirements for all students pursuing an A.M. degree in NELC. In addition to these, the student and the advisor will meet to design and agree upon a course of study specific to the interests of the student.
For the Ph.D program: In addition to the general graduate requirements, students pursuing a Ph.D in Arabic and Islamic Studies must also meet the field requirements listed below.
Field Requirements
Note: These are requirements for students pursuing
a Ph.D in Arabic and Islamic Studies. For students pursuing the A.M.,
please see the general graduate requirements above by clicking
here.
(1) Classical Arabic. A firm grounding in Classical Arabic is a prerequisite for all other pursuits. Upon admission, students are expected to have two years of Cl. Arabic or equivalent. All students are expected to take Arabic 240 (Classical Arabic Philology), which constitutes the fourth year in the Classical Arabic track. Students coming in with two years of Arabic should first take Arabic 130a/b (Advanced Classical Arabic), before proceeding to Arabic 240.
(2) Second Middle Eastern language. Students are required to take two years of another ME language with a final grade of B- or better. If they acquired their knowledge of the language outside the regular course offerings, they will be required to pass an examination. Eligible languages are Persian, Turkish (including Ottoman Turkish), Hebrew, and Syriac.
(3) Research Languages. Students are required to pass departmental examinations in French and German (see general graduate requirements).
(4) Specific requirements for the field within Arabic and Islamic Studies that the student chooses. These fields are as follows:
(a) Arabic
Language and Literature
(b) Islamic
Relision and Culture
(c) Islamic Intellectual
History
(d) Islamic
Institutional History
(e) Islamic Law
(f) Modern Arabic Language
and Culture
(a) Arabic Language and Literature
This may count as one field in the General Examinations or as two separate fields. If students intend to write their thesis in either Arabic language or Arabic literature, they are required to take two separate examinations in these two fields. If they intend to write their thesis in fields (b) to (e) below, Arabic language and literature will count as one field for the General Examinations. Students with a focus on language are required to take Arabic 146r (History of the Arabic Languages) and Arabic 248r (Medieval Arabic Writings on Grammar [or Literary Theory]: Seminar). They are strongly encouraged to take introductory courses in Linguistics (such as Linguistics 110, 112a/b, 115, 120) and/or Semitic Philology (such as Sem. Philol. 140, 200r). Students focusing on literature are required to take Arabic 245r (Classical Arabic Literature: Seminar), ideally twice. If they feel they are still in need of a general overview, they are encouraged to take, or audit, Arabic 150r (History of Classical Arabic Literature [in translation]). It is also strongly recommended that they take a course or two in Comparative Literature (such as Comp. Lit. 112, 207, 211, 275). Students with a language focus should take, or audit, the literature courses (Arabic 150r and 245r) for their examination in Arabic literature; likewise, students with a literature focus should take, or audit, the courses on language (Arabic 146r and 248r) for their examination in Arabic language. Students who want to take the examination in Arabic language AND literature should take two and audit two of the Arabic courses mentioned (one course on language and one on literature, each). A fair knowledge of the foundational texts of Islam is required for all students in Arabic language and literature; those who do not come in with this kind of knowledge should take either Arabic 230a and 230b (The Hadith) or Arabic 231a and 231b (The Qur'an).
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(b) Islamic religion and culture
Electing this as an examination field involves developing (1) a general, synoptic grasp of the broad history of Islamic religion and culture with (2) a focus on two or three selected topical foci within that history, e.g., Qur'an and exegesis, Hadith studies, Sufism, law, reform, ritual and practice, theological developments, education, religion and politics, or religious institutions and ideas in a particular period and region. It is expected that anyone focusing on Islamic religion will at a minimum do one field in Arabic language and literature (above) and complete course work through the advanced level as specified there. In addition, two or more years of work in a second Islamic language and a minimum of five further courses in Islamic religion, history, literature, culture, art history, etc. is normally expected. These will come primarily from NELC, History, and History of Art and Architecture and Study of Religion, but there are often courses in other departments (e.g., Anthropology, Sanskrit and Indian Studies) or other faculties (e.g., Divinity or Law) that may be counted. Every student's precise curriculum in Islamic religion and culture is to be worked out with his or her adviser.
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(c) Islamic intellectual history (especially philosophy and theology)
In addition to Islamic Civilizations 145 ("Islamic Philosophy and Theology") as well as a full year of Arabic 240 ("Classical Arabic Philology"), certain specified courses are required of all students who plan to write a dissertation on some aspect of Arabic/Islamic Philosophy (falsafa) or Islamic Theology (kalâm). The aim of these requirements is to give students the ability to locate a particular text more precisely within Islamic intellectual history: both diachronically (i.e., in terms of that text's relationship to previous and later texts within the text's own specific intellectual tradition, be it falsafa or kalâm) and synchronically (i.e., in terms of that text's relationship to contemporaneous texts within other textual traditions, be they Islamic Law, Qur'an Commentary; Sufism, etc.). Students planning to write on some aspect of Arabic/Islamic Philosophy (falsafa) will be required to complete at least two semesters of Arabic 249r ("Arabic Philosophical Texts: Seminar"); one semester of Arabic 250r ("Arabic Theological Texts: Seminar"); one undergraduate-level course on Ancient Philosophy (e.g., Classics 100, Philosophy 101; Philosophy 102, Philosophy 105); and one graduate-level course on Ancient Philosophy (e.g. Classics 268r; Greek 110r, Philosophy 202). By the time they take their General Examinations, students planning to write about some aspect of Arabic/Islamic philosophy will also be required to demonstrate - through examination or through completion of coursework with a grade of "B" or better - at least a third-year level of proficiency in Greek OR Latin OR Hebrew, depending on their specific interests. (NB: Students planning to write on some aspect of the Greco-Arabic translation movement will also be required to demonstrate at least a second-year level of proficiency in Syriac.) Students planning to write on some aspect of Islamic Theology (kalâm) will be required to complete at least two semesters of Arabic 250r ("Arabic Theological Texts: Seminar"); one semester of Arabic 249r ("Arabic Philosophical Texts: Seminar"); four courses in the following areas: Qur'an; Islamic Law; Institutional History; Hadith; Arabic Grammar; Sufism; or Late-Antique or Medieval Christian or Jewish Thought.
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(d) Islamic institutional history
The institutions of predominately Muslim societies in the pre-modern world, both formal (such as the caliphate) and informal (such as the family) are appropriate focuses for study in this degree program. Normally the student will take survey courses in the history of Muslim societies in the period before 1500 as well as relevant seminars. The student is encouraged to take comparable courses offered in European history.
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Forthcoming.
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(f) Modern Arabic Literature and Culture
Students who opt to concentrate on Modern Arabic should read the general requirements of "Arabic and Islamic Studies" and note the following (course) requirements: (1) Modern Arabic Literature: Four semesters of seminars and/or reading and research courses (Arabic 300/320r); (2) Classical Arabic Language/Literature: Arabic 240 (Classical Arabic philology; full-year course), and two semesters of classical literature/literary history (such as Arabic 150r/245r); (3) Literary Theory: Two semesters of literary theory in consultation with supervisory committee; (4) Second ME language: Four semesters of Modern Hebrew, Turkish, or Persian; (5) Electives in contemporary Arab studies: Two semesters of area studies that deal with contemporary Arab culture (history, anthropology, or religious studies).
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Shahab Ahmed, Assistant Professor in Islamic Studies
Khaled Al-Masri, Preceptor in Arabic
Ali Asani, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Culture
Mostafa Atamnia , Preceptor in Modern Arabic on the Ali Abdul Rahman Alturki Endowment
Khaled El-Rouayheb , Assistant Professor of Islamic Intellectual History
Carl Sharif El-Tobgui, Preceptor in Arabic
William A. Graham, Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies (FAS) and John Lord O’Brian Professor of Divinity (Divinity School) (Dean of Harvard Divinity School)
William Granara, Professor of the Practice of Arabic on the Gordon Gray Endowment
Wolfhart P. Heinrichs, James Richard Jewett Professor of Arabic
Susan Miller, Senior Lecturer on Islamic Civilizations
Roy Mottahedeh, Gurney Professor of History (Department of History)
John S. Schoeberlein, Lecturer on Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
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For a complete list of the courses in Arabic,
Islamic Civilizations, and other fields in NELC click here.
For a complete list of the courses in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences,
please click here.
For the Harvard University Wide Online Course Catalog, please click
here.
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©Copyright 2006 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
