Related Fields
Anthropology, Central Eurasian studies, classics, comparative literature, economics, fine arts, folklore, gender studies, geography, history of art, Jewish studies, linguistics, philosophy, political science, religious studies, and sociology.

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Minor in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures offers a minor in five different tracks: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Islamic studies, and Near Eastern Civilization.

Requirements
Fifteen credit hours are required for each minor track in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. The minor is to be completed with a minimum average grade of C+.

1. Nine credit hours must be taken in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures on the Bloomington campus. Up to 6 credit hours of transfer or foreign-study credits can be accepted for a minor in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, with the approval of the undergraduate advisor. COAS TOPICS courses taught by NELC faculty can count toward the minor in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.
2. For the minor tracks in Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian, two courses are required in the appropriate language. Note: this requirement cannot be satisfied through testing. For complete information regarding credit in beginning foreign language courses, consult "Foreign Language." In addition, at least 3 credit hours are required in a course related in content to the student's primary language of study but not a language course per se.
3. For the minor tracks in Islamic studies and Near Eastern civilization, students will take 15 credit hours, selected from the broad array of departmental courses.

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Departmental Honors Program

The departmental honors program is designed to provide outstanding students with an in-depth training in Arabic, Hebrew, or Persian. Such students are encouraged to enroll in this program in their junior or senior year. Honors students must complete a minimum of two courses: N399 Reading for Honors (3 cr.) and N499 Honors Thesis (3 cr.) Students interested in enrolling in N399 should consult the departmental honors advisors and the appropriate language supervisor for Arabic, Hebrew, or Persian. In N399 students will do advanced readings in Arabic, Hebrew, or Persian in preparation for work on a research project. N499 involves a research project leading to the completion of the student's honors thesis. This course should be taken under the supervision of the faculty tutor who guided the student in N399.

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Course Descriptions

Arabic Language and Literature
Hebrew Language and Literature
Persian Language and Literature
Ottoman and Modern Turkish Language and Literature
History, Civilization, and Religion

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Arabic Language and Literature

A100-A150 Elementary Arabic I-II (4-4 cr.) Modern standard Arabic as in contemporary literature, newspapers, and radio. Grammar, reading, dictation, composition, penmanship, conversation, translation. I Sem., II Sem.
A200-A250 Intermediate Arabic I-II (3-3 cr.) P: A100-A150. Grammar, reading, composition, conversation, and translation, using materials from medieval classical and modern literary Arabic. A200, I Sem.; A250, II Sem.
A300-A350 Advanced Arabic I-II (3-3 cr.) P: consent of department. Continuation of A200-A250. A300, I Sem.; A350, II Sem.
N223 Conversational Arabic (3 cr.) Formal spoken or "polite" Arabic, with attention to divergences in Arabic dialects.
N255 Multimedia Arabic (3 cr.) P: A200. Modern literary Arabic as found in newspapers, magazines, television, and radio will be the main sources of material for this course. Focuses on speaking, reading, and vocabulary in this genre. Language laboratory materials, computer programs, and SCOLA will be utilized.
N310 Arabic Composition (3 cr.) P: A100-A150. Readings from Arabic essayists and practice in writing of essays.
N312 Classical Arabic Grammar (3 cr.) P: A100-A150, A200, or consent of instructor. This course will present, in Arabic, the principal features of traditional classical Arabic grammar. A treatise on Arabic grammar will be utilized to constitute a base and guide for student reading.
N329 Arabic Phonetics and Phonology (3 cr.) Systematic study of Arabic phonetics/phonology utilizing scientific phonetics both practical and theoretical and the phonological processes of generative phonological theory.
N393 Individual Readings in Classical Arabic (1-6 cr.; 6 cr. max.) Linguistic and literary analysis of selected classical Arabic texts.
N394 Individual Readings in Modern Arabic (1-6 cr.; 6 cr. max.) Linguistic and literary analysis of selected modern Arabic texts.
N398 Individual Readings in Arabic Language and Linguistics (1-6 cr.) Reading course that focuses on reading and analyzing materials in the fields of Arabic language and linguistics. Students may register to research certain aspects of these fields that are not covered by the regular sequence of departmental courses. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

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Hebrew Language and Literature

H100-H150 Elementary Hebrew I-II (4-4 cr.) Modern (Israeli) Hebrew as in conversation, radio, press, and popular literature. Phonetical and structural drills, grammar, reading, writing, composition. H100, I Sem.; H150, II Sem.
H200-H250 Intermediate Hebrew I-II (3-3 cr.) P: H100-H150 or equivalent. Continuation of H100-H150. Designed to enable student to add classical (biblical) and medieval Hebrew at a later stage. H200, I Sem.; H250, II Sem.
H301-H302 Advanced Hebrew I-II (3-3 cr.) P: H200-H250 or other sufficient preparation. Completion of grammar and introduction to literature of all ages (biblical, midrashic, medieval, modern), including grammar, style, vocabulary, technical terms, and literary forms. H301, I Sem.; H302, II Sem.
H315 Introductory Readings in Hebrew Literature (3 cr.) AHLA Introductory survey, in the original Hebrew, of selected readings-poetry and prose-from among the chief writers of modern Hebrew literature. Emphasis on familiarization with the diverse styles, forms, and themes of modern Hebrew literature to facilitate mastery of the medium for advanced study.
N171 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I (4 cr.) An accelerated introduction to biblical Hebrew. Emphasis on grammar, morphology, and syntax.
N172 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew II (4 cr.) P: N171 or equivalent. A continuation of N171 that builds the student's knowledge of the fundamentals of biblical Hebrew. II Sem.
N271 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I (3 cr.) P: N172 or equivalent. Intensive review and consolidation of grammar combined with readings in biblical narrative, law, prophecy, and poetry. I Sem.
N272 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II (3 cr.) P: N271 or equivalent. This course continues to build the skills necessary for reading various literary genres in the Bible while training the student to do formal textual exegesis. Introduction to scholarly tools necessary for translating and interpreting the biblical text.
N296 Foreign Study in Hebrew (1-6 cr.) P: acceptance into an approved Indiana University overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in Hebrew language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings.
N387 Modern Hebrew Literature in English (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Nineteenth and twentieth-century fiction, poetry, essays, under such headings as assimilation (ideal or aberration?); ghetto and world; secularism versus tradition; ethnicity, land, and universalism; nation, religion, state; utopias and revolutions; nostalgia, self-hate, rejuvenation; portrayal of anti-Semitism in literature.
N388 Recent Hebrew Literature in English (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Fiction, poetry, and essays, with relevance to contemporary issues, such as the past (burden or asset?); the meeting of Europe and Near East; the kibbutz; ideal and reality; Jews, Arabs, Canaanites; diaspora and center; the personal and the collective; inwardness or realism; wars, holocausts, peace.
N390 Biblical Themes in Modern Hebrew Literature (3 cr.) AHLA An examination of how modern Hebrew literature, read in English translation, has perceived and reinterpreted narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Among the issues to be examined are the contemporary individual, social, and historical factors contributing to the process of "rewriting" the Bible in the image of our times.
N395 S. Y. Agnon and the Jewish Experience (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Intensive study of the fictional work of S. Y. Agnon. Among the themes explored are religion and secularism; tradition vs. modernity and change; love, marriage, and divorce; nostalgia for the past and life in the present; Israel and the Diaspora. Taught in English.
N396 Foreign Study in Hebrew (1-6 cr.) P: acceptance into an approved Indiana University overseas study program. Credit for foreign study in Hebrew language or literature when no specific equivalent is available among departmental offerings.
N497 Individual Readings in Hebrew (1-4 cr.) Extensive readings of texts and scholarly works grouped according to periods or specific themes in language, literature, or intellectual movements adapted to specific individual programs. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

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Persian Language and Literature

P100-P150 Elementary Persian I-II (4-4 cr.) Covers the basic grammar of modern Persian, along with conversation, composition, reading, and translating from selected materials dealing with Iranian civilization.
P200-P250 Intermediate Persian I-II (3-3 cr.) Continuation of the elementary Persian level. Review of grammatical structures and vocabulary, reading and translating short literary and expository texts.
P360 Topics in Studies of Iranian Languages (3 cr.) An introduction to selected works of Iranian languages in relation to social history and religious and political developments. Topics will vary from semester to semester. May be taken for a total of 9 credit hours with different topics.
P365 Introduction to Persian Literature in Translation (3 cr.) AHLA Intended to provide coverage of the development of Persian literature from its earliest stages in the tenth century A.D. to the present. Although the course covers a broad period of about 1,000 years, it does so in a general way, and seeks to provide background information for students who may have an interest in Persian literature.
N240 Directed Readings in Persian Language (1-4 cr.) Readings in Persian texts selected in accordance with the student's level and interest. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credit hours.
N380 Topics in Persian Literature in Translation (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Study and analysis of selected readings from Persian literature in English translation. May concentrate on a particular theme, period, or author. Special attention paid to the historical and cultural contexts of the works, as well as problems in translation, critical analysis, and interpretation. May be repeated once for credit with different topics.
N385 Persian Mystical Literature in Translation (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Examines the Persian literature of Islamic mysticism in English translation. Following an introduction to the history and doctrines of Sufism, the class will turn to detailed readings and discussions of works in several prose and poetic genres: hagiographic biography, allegorical epic, mystical lyric, and gnostic meditation.

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Ottoman and Modern Turkish Language and Literature

T100-T150 Elementary Turkish I-II (4-4 cr.) P for T150: T100. This introductory course covers the basic grammar of modern Turkish, along with conversation, composition, reading, and translating from selected materials dealing with Turkish civilizations.
T200-T250 Intermediate Turkish I-II (3-3 cr.) P for T200: T150. P for T250: T200. This course is a continuation of T100-T150 Elementary Turkish I-II. It emphasizes the review of grammatical structures and vocabulary, reading, and translating in short expository texts.
N225 Turkish Literature in Translation (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Designed for undergraduate students. No previous knowledge of Turkish and its literature is required though some familiarity would be useful. Will deal with the major theoretical issues concerning Ottoman literature, Turkish epic and troubadour poetry, and modern Turkish literature. We will study some representative works of Turkish literature within their social and political contexts. The course will also incorporate some Western theories of "literature," such as Marxism, feminism(s), modernism, postmodernism, etc., and their applicability to Turkish literature traditions.
N299 Directed Readings in Turkish (1-6 cr.) Close readings and analysis of philological, linguistic and/or literary materials in classical Ottoman and/or Turkish. Students of Turkish Studies may register to research specific aspects of these fields that are not covered by the regular sequence of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures courses. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
N300 Literature of the Ottoman Court in Translation (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Examination of translated Turkish literature. All works read in English. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
N325 Cultural History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA Students with little or no background in Turkish studies will be introduced to the rich and varied cultures of Turkey, from Ottoman times to the present.

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History, Civilization, and Religion

N205 Topics in Near Eastern Culture and Literature (3 cr.) Selected works of Near Eastern literature in relation to a single cultural problem or theme; for example "Turning Point in the Religion of Israel"; or "History of the Modern Middle East." Topics will vary from semester to semester. May be repeated once for credit.
N220 Muhammad: Life of the Prophet (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA Study, from an historical perspective, of the career of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad b. Abd Allah, from pre-Islamic times through his call to prophethood; his campaigns against the opposition; the establishment of the Muslim community at Medinah; the conquest of Mecca; and his death.
N241 Contemporary Israeli Culture (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA A survey of present-day literature as a mirror of the society; the revival of the Hebrew language; the arts; educational and scientific achievements; the diversity of a dynamic society as manifested in its political, sociological, religious, economic, and other aspects. Historical and archaeological backgrounds dealt with wherever relevant.
N245 Introduction to the Ancient Near East (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA Introduction to ancient Near Eastern cultures from early farmers around 8000 B.C. to the Iron Age kingdoms of the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Iranians; emphasis on agriculture, literacy, urbanization, state formation, sociopolitical, and religious institutions, and legal and economic developments. Archaeological and textual information will be utilized in conjunction with visual aids.
N265 Introduction to Islamic Civilization (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA Survey of Islamic civilization in the classical period. Topics include the life of Muhammad, Koranic and other teachings of Islam, conquests and caliphates, early successor states, law, sects, theology, philosophy, and the relationship between state and religion.
N305 Topics in Near Eastern Studies (3 cr.) CSA Selected works of Near Eastern literature in relation to a singular cultural problem or theme. Topics will vary from semester to semester. May be repeated once with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
N340 Prophets, Poets, and Kings: Iranian Civilization (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA Traces the culture, society, and beliefs of Iran from ancient times through the Muslim conquest to the eighteenth century. Focuses on politics, religions (Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Islam), administrative and social institutions, relationship between secular and ecclesiastic hierarchies, status of minorities, devotional and communal change, and Iranian influences on Islamic culture. Visual aids used in class.
N350 Khomeni: The Roots of Revolution (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA Study of the Iranian revolution using Khomeni as an organizing figure, covering Shiism as political force, the impact of the West on Iran, secularization, Shiite clergy as a class, the conflict between Iranian and Islamic identity. All readings in English.
N365 Islamic Philosophy (3 cr.) AHTI This course introduces the chief philosophers, schools, and issues of Islamic philosophy. Issues discussed include the relationship between religion and philosophy, philosophy and society; the essence/existence and necessary/contingent distinctions; basis of rational knowledge; relationship between mysticism and philosophy.
N370 Koranic Studies (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA The Koran in its historical role as the Islamic revelation. Its formation and compilation, the structural and stylistic characteristics of the text, and its role and function in Islam. The different schools of interpretation throughout history, and comparative studies between the Koran and the Judeo-Christian scriptures.
N399 Readings for Honors (3 cr.) P: approval of the departmental honors advisor. Individual readings for outstanding students in Arabic, Hebrew, or Persian in preparation for the honors thesis (N499) supervised by a member in the appropriate field.
N492 Research in Classical Persian Texts (3 cr.) P: P250 or reading knowledge of Persian. Intensive training in classical Persian. Emphasis on the accurate reading and translation of classical texts, their grammatical and stylistic features, and the use of modern and classical lexica. Survey of relevant bibliographic and secondary sources. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
N495 Directed Readings in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (3-4 cr.) Study and analysis of selected Near Eastern Languages and Cultures issues and problems within an interdisciplinary format. Topics will vary and will ordinarily cut across fields, regions, or periods. May be repeated once with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
N499 Honors Thesis (3 cr.) P: N399 and approval of honors advisor. A specialized research project conducted under the supervision of a staff member in the appropriate field.

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Other Courses

Comparative Literature
C370 Arabic-Western Literary Relations (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA

Folklore
F307 Middle Eastern Folklore/Folklife/Folk Music (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA

History
C392 History of Modern Near East (3 cr.) SHHS

Religious Studies
R356 The Religion of Islam (3 cr.) CSA

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