Arabic
With more than 300 million native speakers worldwide, Arabic is considered a critical language by the U.S. State Department. The ever-increasing demand for bilingual Arabic speakers means there’s never been a better time to study this rich language.
At VCU, we offer beginner, intermediate and advanced Arabic levels. See details about each of our Arabic courses.
Why Do Our Students Love Arabic?
Learn why VCU students enjoy learning Arabic and what they hope to accomplish with their new language skills.
Arabic Courses
ARBC 101. Beginning Arabic I. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Enrollment requires any student with previous exposure to Arabic to take the placement test to determine eligibility. For students with no prior knowledge of Arabic. Beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.
ARBC 102. Beginning Arabic II. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ARBC 101 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Continuation of beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.
ARBC 201. Intermediate Arabic I. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ARBC 102 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Arabic. Building toward intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.
ARBC 202. Intermediate Arabic II. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ARBC 201 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Arabic. Increasing intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.
ARBC 205. Intermediate Conversation. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ARBC 201. Designed to increase student proficiency in the spoken language through audio-oral exercises, dialogues and conversation.
ARBC 301. Communication and Composition. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ARBC 202, ARBC 205 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Arabic. Building toward intermediate-high proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. Authentic materials enhance intercultural competence and communication skills.
ARBC 391. Topics in Arabic: ____. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; variable hours. 1-3 credits. Prerequisite: ARBC 202 or equivalent. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credits. Conducted in Arabic. An in-depth study of selected topics in Arabic. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.