About
Georgetown was the first in the country to establish its M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Arabic Literature, Language and Linguistics. Our faculty are top-notch, engaged in active research projects on linguistics, Islamic studies, as well as classical and contemporary Arabic literature. The strength of the Arabic program at Georgetown, as well as the superb quality and professional standing of the Georgetown faculty with expertise in linguistics, literature, and Islamic Studies, makes Georgetown an ideal place for pursuing a doctoral degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies.
Teaching
Teaching Arabic is at the center of what we do. Indeed, the need for area studies specialists with advanced proficiency in Arabic has never been greater or more compelling. As Americans struggle to build a better understanding of the Arab world, its society, its religion, and its culture, we have continued to develop a determined and vigorous long-term strategy to create and maintain linguistic and cultural expertise among our students. Arabic is the native language of over 300 million people in 20 different countries as well as the liturgical language for over two billion Muslims. It is a member of the Semitic language family and has a long and distinguished literary and intellectual tradition. It is now a key factor in understanding and negotiating crucial contemporary global issues. In accordance with Georgetown’s Jesuit ethos, we stress knowledge of Arabic as a path to living altruistically and creatively in a globally-integrated world.
Undergraduate Program
Our Undergraduate Program supports one of the largest Arabic enrollments of any university in the U.S. We work closely with undergraduates to create an understanding of the Arab world through the highest-quality teaching of Arabic language and culture. Our goal is to provide Georgetown students with the kind of language and critical skills that will allow them to thrive in vocations that involve serious work in Arabic language and culture. Despite the rapid growth of the past few years, our department remains student-centered, and Arabic majors have advisers who guide them through their studies from the day they arrive on campus. Outstanding Arabic majors may be nominated for departmental awards.
Study Abroad
There are several options for study abroad programs. Please visit the Georgetown Office of Global Engagement Site for more.
Visit Study Abroad Site Here
Graduate Studies
The M.A. and Ph.D. Programs in Arabic and Islamic Studies offer advanced training in the disciplines of Arabic Linguistics, Arabic Literature (Modern and Classical), and Islamic Studies (Intellectual History, Theology, Law) with an emphasis on the close reading and interpretation of primary sources, whether linguistic or textual, modern or classical. The department strives to educate students in current theoretical, critical and cultural scholarly approaches as tools to explore and analyze primary sources and linguistic data and to evaluate and challenge secondary scholarship. In forming the new generation of research scholars in our fields, we strive to give them the linguistic and critical tools necessary for original and creative scholarship. Our Ph.D. students typically go on to academic careers, often beginning with post-doctoral fellowships, with tenure-track university appointments or in other research institutions.
Centers
Finally, as our undergraduate and graduate students quickly learn, the strengths of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies are greatly amplified by the fact that Georgetown is home to the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) and the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), research centers that offer degree programs, lectures, and coursework on a wide range of topics concerning the Arab world.