Autumn 2025 - All Courses
Arabic 1101.01 - Elementary Modern Standard Arabic I
Developing the ability to use Arabic functionally and communicatively in context; intensive oral interaction with instructor and fellow students; the basics of the writing system. Classroom track. Not open to native speakers of Arabic.
Prereq: Not open to native speakers of Arabic. Not open to students with 1101.02 or 4 cr hrs of 1101.51. This course is available for EM credit.
Professors: Noor Murteza, Hekmat Dirbas
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
TWRF: Online & Hybrid options
Class number: #26503, #28822, #15155, #15156, #29299
Arabic 1102.01 - Elementary Modern Standard Arabic II
Developing further language ability through learning how to perform certain functions orally and using them with fellow students; reading and writing passages reflecting their abilities. Classroom track.
Prereq: Not open to native speakers of Arabic. 1101.01 or 4 cr hrs of 1101.51. Not open to students with credit for 1102.02 or 4 cr hrs of 1102.51. This course is available for EM credit.
Professors: Hekmat Dirbas, Noor Murteza
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
Online or TWRF: 11:30 AM - 12:25 PM
Class number: #25345, #29066
Arabic 1103.01 - Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I
Building on previously acquired functional abilities; using Arabic to express opinion and feelings; oral interaction in the classroom; reading authentic texts or various genres. Classroom track.
Prereq: Not open to native speakers of Arabic. 1102.01, 1102.02, or 4 cr hrs of 1102.51. Not open to students with credit for 1103.02 or 4 cr hrs of 1103.51. This course is available for EM credit
Professors: Noor Murteza, Hekmat Dirbas
GE Foundations: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
Hybrid or TWRF: 12:40 - 1:35 PM
Class number: #27457, #15157, #27458
Arabic 2111 - Colloquial Arabic I
Introduction to the phonology and grammar of the everyday spoken language used in the Eastern Arab World.
Prereq: 1103.01 or 1103.02. Not open to students with credit for 4111.
Professor: Marie-Therese Labaki
Credit Hours: 3
TR: 2:20 - 3:40 PM
Class number: #24908
Arabic 2241 - Contemporary Arab Cultures: Arts, Mass Media, Society
Explores the intersecting political, artistic, and intellectual currents and practices that have shaped contemporary Arab cultures. Organized as a survey of different cultural phenomena in Arab societies and diasporas including: the Arabic language and its varieties, music, poetry, law, television & cinema, and more. We will critically examine various meanings of the term “culture,” such as social norms, popular culture, and the arts. Contains engagement with literary narrative, poetry, film, music, theater, and architecture from Arab regions. Students play an active role in curating course content. Taught in English.
Professor: Hekmat Dirbas
GE Foundation: Historical and Cultural Studies, GE Foundation: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Diversity
Credit Hours: 3
Online, MW: 2:20 - 3:40 PM
Class numbers: #27032, #29074
ARABIC 2702 - Gender and Citizenship in Modern Arabic Literature
This course explores modern Arabic literature from the 1960s to the present as a space where different understandings of gender and citizenship are analyzed and imagined. Starting with debates about gender and citizenship in the early postcolonial period, we will discuss novels, short stories, and poetry by women writers that speak to different historical and national contexts, such as liberation from colonial powers, the Lebanese Civil War, Palestinian historical memory, and legacies of slavery in the Gulf. We will complement these literary texts with both documentary and narrative film. In each section of the class, we will consider how literary texts intervene in different conceptions of citizenship and social justice. By participating in ongoing scholarly conversations on modern Arabic literature and gender we will also reflect on how our own learning community is generating questions and knowledge.
Prereq: Completion of GE Foundation Writing and Information Literacy course. Not open to students with credit for 2702 (372), 2702H (372H), 372, or WGSSt 2702H (372H).
Professor: Johanna Sellman
GE Theme: Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World
Credit Hours: 3
TR: 2:20 - 3:40 PM
Class Number: #35625
Arabic 3105 - Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic III
Developing reading skills through reading adapted and authentic Arabic texts; selections reflect cultural and literary aspects of Arabic culture.
Prereq: 2104
Professor: Marie-Therese Labaki
Credit Hours: 5
M-F: 12:40 - 1:35 PM
Class number: #15158
Arabic 5401 - Translation: Theory and Practice
Examination of some general guidelines for translating from Arabic to English or from English to Arabic, depending on the first language of the student. Requires advanced reading proficiency.
Prereq: Arabic 3105, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 615.
Professor: Johanna Sellman
Credit Hours: 3
TR: 3:55 - 5:15 PM
Class number: #35626/35627
Conversation, reading, writing, vocabulary building, phonetics, and grammar of Hebrew.
Prereq: Closed to native speakers of this language. Not open to students with 3 or more years of high school Hebrew through regular course enrollment or EM credit. This course is available for EM credit. GE for lang course.
Professor: Galit Golan
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
TWRF: 11:30 AM - 12:25 PM, 12:40 - 1:35 PM
Class numbers: #17779, #26216
HEBREW 1103.01: Intermediate Hebrew I
Reading of Modern Hebrew short stories, poems, and essays; special emphasis on oral practice and Hebrew idioms.
Prereq: Closed to native speakers of this language. 1102, or permission of instructor. This course is available for EM credit. GE for lang course.
Professor: Galit Golan
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
TWRF: 10:20 - 11:15 AM
Class number: #17780
An introduction to the historical, ideological, and cultural growth of Judaism examined from a variety of methodological perspectives.
Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 201.
Professor: Adena Tanenbaum
GE Foundation: Historical and Cultural Studies
Credit Hours: 3
TR: 3:55 - 5:15 PM
Class number: #28626
HEBREW 2241 - Culture of Contemporary Israel
An introduction to the culture of modern Israel: historical roots, socio-political institutions and developments, and literary and artistic creations reflecting the realities of contemporary Israeli society. The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with contemporary Israeli culture in all of its diversity. Since the founding of the State in 1948, Israeli society has faced a series of dramatic challenges and has undergone tremendous changes. This course will survey the major social, cultural, religious and political trends in Israel, with special emphasis on the post-1967 period. We will explore developments in music, dance, poetry, and archaeology; responses to founding ideals and ideologies; the impact of the Arab-Israeli conflict; efforts to absorb new waves of immigration and to deal with questions of ethnicity; and the roles of religion and secularism in Israeli society. We will draw on a broad range of material, including print media, films, and YouTube clips. By the end of the course, students should have an insight into the complexity of Israeli society and the richness of Israeli culture, as well as an understanding of Israel’s role in Jewish life, the Middle East, and the world at large.
Prereq: 2241H requires Honors standing, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 241. GE cultures and ideas and diversity global studies course. Cross-listed in Jewish Studies 2242.
Professor: Adena Tanenbaum
GE Foundation: Historical and Cultural Studies
Credit Hours: 3
MW: 3:55 - 5:15 PM
Class number: #35623/35624
Hebrew/JEWSHST 2700 - Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Reading and analysis of selected chapters from the Hebrew scriptures and post-biblical Hebrew writings representative of major historical, cultural, and literary trends.
Prereq: English 1110. Not open to students with credit for 2700H, Hebrew 2700, or 2700H.
Professor: James Moore
GE Foundation: Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts, GE Foundation: Race, Ethnicity & Gender Diversity
Credit Hours: 3
TR: 2:20 - 3:40 PM
Class number: #35633/25459
Hebrew/JEWSHST 3245: Israeli Film & Society
A survey of Israeli films from 1948 to the present day, tracing the development of film production in Israel as well as the relationship between film and society.
Prereq: English 1110. Not open to students with credit for 2245 or Hebrew 2245 or 3245.
Professor: Naomi Brenner
GE Foundation: Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World
Credit Hours: 3
Class number: #35634/35635
Hindi 1101.01 - Elementary Hindi I
Study of Hindi language, with appropriate cultural background; development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Hindi, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages, is one of the 15 officially recognized languages of India. The goals of Hindi 1101 are to introduce students to the Devanagari script and sound system, elementary vocabulary, basic grammar and sentence structure, as well as to enable students to identify the elements of the spoken and the written language. Students will also learn about the culture, traditions, and history of India. By the completion of this course, students are expected to have enough vocabulary to participate in a basic conversation, and to be able to read and write simple sentences.
Prereq: Closed to native speakers of the language. This course is available for EM credit.
Professor: Preeti Palvankar
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
MTWR: 4:10- 5:05 PM
Class number: #17782
Hindi 1103.01 - Intermediate Hindi I
Continued study of Hindi language, with appropriate cultural background; development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. In Hindi 1102 and 1103, students are further trained to develop their skills of speaking, comprehension, reading and writing. A variety of practice activities and language tasks, ranging from mechanical to communicative, will be used in class, such as grammar exercises, pronunciation practice, language games, reading and listening comprehensions, movie watching, songs, role-playing, and small skits and plays. Presentations and discussions about Indian culture will be required and encouraged. After completing these three courses, students should be able to listen to complex conversations or stories, watch movies and understand them, read and understand short texts, engage in conversations on everyday topics, and write essays on familiar topics using the structures and vocabulary introduced in class. The course should add to students' familiarity and understanding of Indian culture.
Prereq: 1102. This course is available for EM credit.
Professor: Preeti Palvankar
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
MTWR: 5:20- 6:15 PM
Class number: #17783
Islam 2350 - Islam, Politics, and Society in History
Introduction to the manner in which Islam has interacted with politics in the Middle East and vicinity from the rise of Islam through the present.
Prereq: English 1110.xx. Not open to students with credit for 340.
Professor: Mehrak Kamali-Sarvestani
GE Foundation: Historical & Cultural Studies
Credit Hours: 3
Online
Class number: #27789
What does it mean to live as modern Muslims in western societies? How do they cope with prejudice, Islamophobia, traditions, integration, war, migration, and new opportunities? We explore the experiences of religious minorities in the U.S. and Europe for Muslims whose families are originally from the Arab world, Iran, South Asia, Turkey, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia.
Professor: Johanna Sellman
GE Theme: Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World
Credit Hours: 3
W&F: 9:35 - 10:55 AM
Class Number: #28628
Islam 3501 - Introduction to Islam
Examination of Islam as a world religion, enabling an understanding of its major tenets and beliefs as they are envisioned by insiders and outsiders.
Prereq: English 1110. Not open to tudents with credit for NELC 3501.
Instructor: TBD
GE Foundation: Historical and Cultural Studies
Credit Hours: 3
MW: 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
NELC 1125 - Stories of the Middle East and South Asia
This course will read and analyze a variety of short stories to illuminate different cultures of the Middle East and South Asia. The goal of the course is to introduce students to diverse cultures through literature. Students will be become familiar with a variety of literary representations, social structures and religious, ethnic and racial diversity after the completion of this course.
Professor: TBD
GE Foundation: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Diversity
Credit Hours: 3
WF: 9:35 - 10:55 AM
Course number: #35648
NELC 2244 - Films of the Middle East
Overview of contemporary films from different Middle Eastern countries; how filmmakers of the region view, present, and construct their countries using particular modes of representation.
Prereq: English 1110.
Professor: Mehrak Kamali-Sarvestani
GE Theme: Lived Environments
Credit Hours: 3
Online
Class number: #36735
This course examines histories, lived experiences, and artistic representations of citizenship and diaspora. Over the course of the semester, we will focus on South Asia, specifically India/Pakistan, and the Middle East, specifically Israel/Palestine, two societies in which citizenship and diaspora have been particularly significant and complex, as well as diasporic communities in the US.
Professors: Naomi Brenner, Ila Nagar
GE Theme: Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World
Credit Hours: 3
TU&TH: 12:10 - 2:00 PM
Class Number #35651/35652
NELC 3102 - Lost Languages Lost Cultures
The last known Hieroglyphic text is a graffito dated to 394 CE. Knowledge of this ancient writing system disappeared once all non-Christian temples in Egypt were closed by the Romans, and with it, 3000 years of Egypt’s history. Myths surrounding the meaning of these mysterious writings emerged. Medieval scholars read allegorical meanings into the elaborate epigraphs, always assuming that the hieroglyphs recorded ‘ideas’, but were never able to divine their meaning. For nearly 15 centuries, the writing system resisted decipherment. In 1822, the French scholar F. Champollion unlocked the script and with it a lost language – Ancient Egyptian. The next decades saw nearly the millennia of lost history restored. But how was this accomplished? The decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs is but one story in the decipherment of forgotten writing systems and lost languages in the 19th and 20th centuries. This class will examine 6 great decipherments, how scholars were able to crack the code, the nature of these writing systems, and the languages, cultures, and history unlocked. We will look in detail at what methods epigraphists and linguists used to accomplish this and what gaps remain in our understanding. The second part of the course will turn to undeciphered scripts. We will examine various attempts by scholars to decode this group of writing systems and why they continue to resist decipherment, with due attention to how, in some cases, colonialism led to the loss of cultural and historical knowledge.
Professor: Ahmad Al-Jallad
GE Theme: Traditions, Cultures, and Transformations
Credit Hours: 3
TU&TH: 11:10 AM - 12:30 PM
Class Number: #28818
NELC 3111 - Ancient Empires
This is an introduction to the history and cultures of the ancient empires of southwestern Asia, focusing on the period from the Akkadian empire to the establishment of Islam (ca 2340 BCE - ca 750 CE).
Prereq: English 1110
Professor: Sarah Schellinger
GE Foundation: Historical and Cultural Studies
Credit Hours: 3
MWF: 11:30 AM - 12:25 PM
Class number: #36417
NELC 3667 - Messages from Beyond: Divination, Prophecy, and the Occult in Religion and Culture
In this course, we will explore how people from antiquity to our time have sought to find meaning in the complexity and uncertainty around their physical and social environment to access what they perceived as hidden realms as sources of meaning. Students will learn how messages from beyond guide their daily lives, provide them with sources of authority or companionship for their art of philosophy.
Professor: Daniel Frank
GE Theme: Lived Environments
Credit Hours: 3
TU&TH: 9:35 - 10:55 AM
Class Number: #27775
NELC 3700: Mythology of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
An introductory comparative survey of the mythology of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Prereq: English 1110 (110). Not open to students with credit for 370.
Professor: Sarah Schellinger
GE Theme: Lived Environments
Credit Hours: 3
MWF: 10:20 - 11:15 AM
Class Number: #27065
PERSIAN 1101 - Elementary Persian I
Introduction to Persian; development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. In Persian 1101, Elementary Persian I, students learn the alphabet, some basic conversational Persian, one third of the grammar content of the required text, and about 500 words in addition to basic grammatical items. They also read and write simple prose of approximately one paragraph in length. The final grade is determined on the basis of class attendance, homework, quizzes, a midterm test, and a final examination.
Prereq: Closed to native speakers of this language. Not open to students with credit for Persian 101. This course is available for EM credit.
Professor: Mehrak Kamali-Sarvestani
GE: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
TWRF: 10:20 - 11:15 AM
Class number: #19852
PERSIAN 1103 - Intermediate Persian I
Further development of listening, writing, speaking, and reading skills; reading of simplified Persian texts. Students begin consolidating skills in conversational and social Farsi, master the last third of the required text of 1101 and 1102, acquire an active vocabulary of 2,200 words, begin to read shorter, annotated literary texts, and write simple expository prose of about a page in length. The required text and dictionaries are the same as in 1110 and 1102. The final grade is determined on the basis of class attendance, homework, quizzes, a midterm test, and a final examination. In Persian 2104, Intermediate Persian II, students master conversational and social Farsi and read and write in Farsi about general or non-specialized subjects without frequent reference to bilingual dictionaries or grammars.
Prereq: Closed to native speakers of this language. 1102 or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 102. This course is available for EM credit. GE for lang course.
Professor: Mehrak Kamali-Sarvestani
GE: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
TWRF: 11:30 AM - 12:25 PM
Class number: #19853
The course shows how everyday life in South Asia where caste is a category of oppression compares to everyday life in the United States where race is a category of oppression. Everyday life will also introduce students to how race and caste as categories of oppression interact with gender and ethnicity in the United States and South Asia.
Professor: Richa Jhaldiyal
GE Foundation: Race, Ethnicity and Gender Diversity
Credit Hours: 3
MWF: 1:50 - 2:45 PM
Class number: #27047
SASIA 3220 - Citizenship in South Asia
This course engages students with a look at how citizenship is imagined in nation states, how it was imagined in colonial India, and how it is manifest in post-colonial South Asia.
Professor: Richa Jhaldiyal
GE Theme: Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World
Credit Hours: 3
TR: 12:45 - 2:05 PM
Class number: #28782
SASIA 3625 - Understanding Bollywood, Knowing India: Hindi Cinema Since 1960
Explores life in India from the lens of Hindi language cinema. Course engages with social class, gender, sexuality, Indian diaspora in the West, family structure, marriage, politics, caste, language (special focus on multilingualism in India), religion, and globalization, and how these relate to lived experiences of people in Indian society. Not for Film Studies credit.
Professor: Ila Nagar
GE Theme: Citizenship for a Diverse and Just World
Credit Hours: 3
TR: 12:45 - 2:05 PM
Class number: #27048
TURKISH 1101: Elementary Turkish I
Introduction to Turkish; development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. Typically offered Autumn semester. In Turkish 1101, students learn the alphabet, basic conversational Turkish, and half the grammar content of the required text. They master at least 500 words in addition to basic grammatical items, and read and write simple prose of approximately one paragraph in length. Students will also be required to purchase the materials of the accompanying oral course at nominal cost. The final grade is determined on the basis of class attendance, homework, quizzes, one midterm test, and one final examination.
Prereq: Not open to native speakers through regular enrollment, or EM credit. This course is available for EM credit.
Professor: Ceyda Steele
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
Online
Class number: #21300
TURKISH 1103: Intermediate Turkish I
Reading of Turkish short stories and poems with attention to literary and cultural appreciation; development of basic language skills. In Turkish 1103, students master conversation and social Turkish and read and write Turkish on general or non-specialized subjects without frequent recourse to bilingual dictionaries or grammars. With an active vocabulary of 1,500-5,000 words students are able to write two- or three-page summaries, presentations, and reports without extraordinary effort. The required texts and dictionaries are the same as for 1102 and the final grade determination is on the basis of class attendance, homework, quizzes, a midterm test, and a final examination.
Prereq: 1102, or placement exam.
Professor: Ceyda Steele
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
Online
Class number: #25785
Turkish 3797 - Global Intercultural Citizenship in the Middle East: Turkey
The course offers a collaborative online international learning (COIL) virtual education abroad experience that includes immersive opportunities such as virtual reality visits to important sites, online conversations and collaborations with students at a university in the Middle East, and workshops and demonstrations with local scholars and artists.
Professor: Sarah Schellinger
GE Theme: Citizenship for a Diverse & Just World
Credit Hours: 4
TU&TH: 9:35 - 10:55 AM
Class Number: #28848
Introduction to Uzbek language; development of listening, reading, speaking and writing skills. This course will increase students' knowledge of the sound system, alphabet and the basic structure and practical use of the Uzbek language. Throughout the course, practice of all four language skills, listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing will be stressed extensively. Students will be exposed to authentic materials such as video clips and pictures showing the real cultural life of the Uzbek people during the classes.
Prereq: Not available to native speakers. This course is available for EM credit.
Professor: Kamola Azimova
GE Foundation: World Languages
Credit Hours: 4
Online