About this Degree Arabic is a Semitic language akin to Hebrew, Aramaic, and Amharic, and more distantly related to certain language families of North Africa. Studying Arabic has many benefits. Arabic is a beautiful language with a rich heritage of literature, scholarly work and ancient culture. It was adopted by the United Nations as one of its six official languages in 1974. Students become familiar with many of the cultural patterns, social issues, historical events, artistic traditions, and elements of daily life of the people whose cultures are rooted inArabic. Practical as well as curious about the world, students feel that knowing Arabic will give them a career edge in such fields as diplomacy, intelligence, business, engineering, international development, and academia. Many companies in the United States and abroad are looking for employees who speak more than one language. Even if students don’t use his or her ability to speak Arabic, the cultural awareness gained is a transferable skill that will be highly prized. Modern Standard Arabic is ideally suited for students of the Social Sciences considering work or research anywhere in the Arab world (including North Africa); students of the humanities such as History, Art, Music, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Religion; or students of Applied Sciences and Business who may be considering work or research in an Arabic speaking country. What you will learn If you’re studying Arabic specifically, it’s mainly a language degree, but courses in Literature, Religion and Middle East History will give students a broad understanding of this historically rich and increasingly important region and its many cultures. Employment Information Employers: Airports Architectural Firms Archives Banks Bookstores Broadcasting Companies Chambers of Commerce Communications Firms Consumer Affairs Offices Foreign Service Government Agencies Historical Societies Human Services Agencies Import/Export Companies Insurance Companies Justice Department Legal Firms Magazines and Newspapers Military Branches Museums Non-profit Organizations Professional Associations Public Relations Firms Publishing Companies Radio/Television Stations Research Foundations State/LocalGovernments Television / Film Industry Travel Agencies Visitors Bureaus Possible Job Titles: Modern Standard Arabic is ideally suited for students of the Social Sciences considering work or research anywhere in the Arab world (including North Africa); students of the humanities such as History, Art, Music, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Religion; or students of Applied Sciences and Business who may be considering work or research in an Arabic speaking country. Broadcaster Civil Service Worker Columnist Consultant Corporate Manager Development Program Officer Editor Environmentalist Foreign Correspondent Foreign Service Officer Government Relations Specialist Human Resource Specialist Import/Export Manager Intelligence Analyst Interpreter Lecturer Librarian Linguist Literary Agent Lobbyist Manager Market Analyst Political Risk Analyst Press Representative Public Relations Specialist Publishing Assistant Reporter Researcher Translator Travel Agent
