Arabic—It’s Practically Everywhere

With the Arab sector being the second largest in Israeli society, it comes as no surprise that Arabic, the mother tongue of about 300 million people around the world, is the second most spoken language in Israel. Therefore, speaking Arabic and having a profound knowledge of Arab culture is necessary and required in all areas of life. Such knowledge stands at the core of creating an inclusive, respectful, and cohesive Israeli society.

The Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University, one of the veterans and leading in academia, is home to Arab and Jewish scholars and students, a close-knit family that studies, creates, and grows together.

By mastering the Arabic language and culture, our graduates successfully integrate into public service and diplomacy, the education system and academia, media and business, law, literature, and the arts. This combination of language and culture also makes our graduates uniquely capable of establishing interpersonal relationships and building intercultural bridges.

The Road to Dubai Is through BIU’s Department of Arabic

Our students study Arabic at the highest level. They learn and practice conversing both literary and spoken Arabic in its most common dialects. Studies in the Department of Arabic can benefit Arabic native speakers, and certainly those who speak the language at different levels.

Even with no previous knowledge of Arabic, successfully integrating into the department’s studies is possible thanks to our unique preparatory program with its highly effective beginner and advanced courses. Studying at the preparatory program will, within a short time, provide you with the necessary foundation to delve deeper into the richness of the Arab cultural assets studied in the department, including a broad selection of courses in classical and modern Arabic literature and Arab philosophy, a variety of Jewish works in Arabic, the history of Islam, the Arab media in Israel and worldwide, and other such intriguing topics that introduce the students to the tapestry of Arab culture.

We Believe in Combinations

Studies in the Department of Arabic leverage almost any other field you choose to study and consolidate an added value in any profession or career.

Few examples:

• Did you choose to study communication, political science, or international relations? Studying in the Department of Arabic will enable you to be updated in real-time on the Arab world’s current events and even influence them.
• Did you choose to study economics or computer science, want to be engaged in business, or hope to establish a high-tech company? Studying in the Department of Arabic will enable you to build relationships with a target audience of hundreds of millions in the Arab world.
• Did you choose to study education or psychology? The studies in the Department of Arabic will make you a more desirable candidate for future employers or clients, thanks to the variety of populations you are able to work and communicate with.

Our faculty, prominent in the field, publish their innovative and contemporary research in the most prestigious journals and win prizes and international competitive research grants. They harness their experience and knowledge to bestow upon their students, even during BA studies, academic and critical thinking and writing skills and guide those pursuing advanced studies through the challenges of MA theses and doctoral research.

Implementing discourse workshops to improve spoken Arabic capabilities, enrichment program and summer courses, tutoring aid, and, of course, commitment to personal attention and a supportive atmosphere—these are some of our novel methods and core values with which we aim to lead you to success.

Experience the Culture, Apply the Theory

Our community tours the country, meets leading Arab cultural figures in Israel and around the world, and participates in the making of current Arab culture through competitions, collaborations, and events in which students create original content that is then distributed to the general public. Among other activities, our students produce videos and written social media campaigns to promote pressing topics on the agenda of Israeli society.

The Department of Arabic offers both undergraduate and advanced degrees, up to and including the Ph.D. We teach the Arabic language in all levels. We specialize in modern and classical Arabic literature, Judaeo-Arabic language and literature as well as Islamic theology and philosophy. We also have strong course offerings in modern Arabic literature, poetry, and advanced grammar.

The Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University is one of the oldest departments in the country, dealing with the Arabic language, Arab literatures and Arab culture. The department's vibrant and dynamic staff includes renowned lecturers and researchers in Israel and around the world. Classes are conducted in a warm and pleasant atmosphere, using advanced teaching aids.

At your disposal, a presentation in which you will find information about the studies in the department, the faculty, the employment opportunities and more.

Also, for your convenience, a video where you can be impressed by what is happening in the department and hear from the lecturers and students.

Areas of study

The study programs in the department include a rich selection of fields of study and research:

• Classical literature and modern literature
• Islamic Thought and Culture
• The Arabic-Jewish language
• Language and linguistics
• Linguistic skills - reading, writing and speaking; Translation and written expression.

During their studies, the students of the department acquire proficiency in the Arabic language, which allows them to read the Koran in its original form, Maimonides' writings, novels by Naguib Mahfouz, and more.