Arabic is both an Asian and African language consisting of several dialects. It is the official language of 27 nation-states and spoken by over 290 million people. Modern Standard Arabic is the standardized and literary variety of Arabic used in writing and in most formal speech.
The major in Arabic was first offered at the University of Georgia beginning in spring 2009. Students take required courses in Advanced Standard Arabic, Islamic Arabic, Advanced Conversation & Composition, and Arabic Media in addition to other electives such as the study of the Koran, Islam in the Modern World, Middle East history and religion, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and American foreign policy.
The study of Modern Standard Arabic is ideally suited for students of the Social Sciences considering work or research 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.