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Studies & Degrees in Arabic Studies

Arabic studies combine the Arabic language with the history, literature, religion and societies of the Arab and Islamic world. Arabic is the main language of a band of countries running from Morocco to Iraq, as the University of Oxford puts it, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. A degree in the subject is first of all a language degree, and most students start Arabic from the beginning.

Around the language, students take courses on the history of Islam, classical and modern Arabic literature, Islamic thought, art and the modern Middle East and North Africa. Oxford lists history, literature, art and archaeology, medieval Islamic thought and the Middle East in modern times as fields for specialised study. In Spain the subject also covers al-Andalus and the Arabic heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree in Spain. The official degree is the Grado en Estudios Árabes e Islámicos. Like other Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados), it has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. The Universidad de Granada, the Universidad de Salamanca, the Universidad de Cádiz, the Universidad de Sevilla and the Universidad de Alicante all publish a degree with this name and 240 credits. At Granada the first year includes Árabe Moderno Estándar I and II and an introduction to the history and culture of the Arab and Islamic world.
  • Bachelor's degree abroad. At the University of Oxford, Arabic is a four-year BA course within Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and the second year is spent on an approved course of study in the Middle East. Students may choose Arabic with an additional language or Arabic and Islamic Studies. At the Australian National University, Arabic is a major of 48 units within a bachelor's degree, taught in Modern Standard Arabic.
  • Master's degree and doctorate. Graduates continue with master's degrees in Arabic and Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies, translation or international relations, and with doctoral research. In the United States the subject usually sits in a department of Near Eastern or Middle Eastern studies, such as the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), which has undergraduate and graduate programmes.
  • Postgraduate specialisation. The Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero in Argentina teaches an Especialización en Estudios Árabes, Americano-Árabes e Islámicos of about a year and a half. The university states that it is accredited by CONEAU, the Argentine accreditation body.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 22 active schools for Arabic studies. Spain and the United States have 7 each, Australia has 2, and Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, Sweden and the United Kingdom have 1 each.

In Spain the subject has a long history. The Universidad de Sevilla traces the first teaching of this kind in the city to the Estudio General de Latino y Arábigo of 1253. The Spanish degrees are taught on campus and mainly in Spanish: Salamanca gives Spanish as the language of its degree, Cádiz lists Spanish and Arabic, and Alicante lists Spanish with some subjects in other languages. Salamanca and Alicante each offer 50 places for new students; for Salamanca the figure refers to the 2026-27 academic year. The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universitat de Barcelona are also on the list.

Outside Spain the list includes the University of Oxford, The University of Chicago, UCLA, the Australian National University, the University of Melbourne, Lund University, Aarhus University and Addis Ababa University. Teaching at the universities in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia is in English.

Admission

Previous knowledge of Arabic is not normally required. The Universidad de Salamanca states that there are no special entry tests beyond the general rules for university admission and that applicants do not need to prove a level of Arabic. Students from other countries who apply there must prove their knowledge of Spanish.

Careers

Graduates work in teaching, translation and interpreting, publishing, cultural management, international organisations, diplomacy, journalism and work with migrant communities. The Universidad de Sevilla links its degree to society's need for graduates who can deal with cultural, social and linguistic questions such as immigration and multicultural coexistence.

For translation, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree. It projects employment in that occupation in the United States to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. The figure covers all languages, not only Arabic.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know Arabic before starting the degree?

Usually not. The Universidad de Salamanca states that applicants do not need to prove a level of Arabic, and degrees start the language from the beginning. Check the entry requirements of each university.

How long does a degree in Arabic studies take?

Four years in Spain, where the Grado en Estudios Árabes e Islámicos has 240 ECTS credits. The Arabic course at the University of Oxford also lasts four years, including a year in the Middle East.

Which Arabic do students learn?

Mainly Modern Standard Arabic, the written and formal variety. The Universidad de Granada teaches Árabe Moderno Estándar from the first year, and the Australian National University uses Modern Standard Arabic as the language of teaching. Ask each university which dialects and classical texts it also covers.

Can international students study Arabic studies in Spain?

Yes. The degrees are taught mainly in Spanish, and the Universidad de Salamanca requires students from other countries to prove their knowledge of Spanish.