Arabic and Social Anthropology, MA (Hons)

Arabic, spoken by over 350 million people from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf, ranks as the world's sixth most widely spoken language and one of the United Nations' six official languages. Our four-year programme combines Arabic with Social Anthropology, providing beginners with a thorough foundation in classical and modern Arabic—developing skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking—while exploring human behaviour across social, cultural, religious, and political contexts. Students analyse original sources, from pre-Islamic poetry and Islamic texts to contemporary novels, newspapers, and media, with exemptions available for those with prior experience. Heritage learners are welcome, though not native speakers.The programme spans pre-honours years (1-2) for core and optional courses, followed by Year 3 abroad in an Arabic-speaking country and a tailored Year 4 focusing on advanced language, translation, and anthropological research. Taught in a historic capital with Arabic instruction since the 18th century, it fosters fluency, interdisciplinary exploration, and access to exceptional libraries and societies.