Overview

Arabic is the main language of more than 350 million people globally and the sixth most widely spoken language in the world and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Knowledge of Arabic provides access to the rich intellectual heritage of Islam and to the history, societies, and cultures of the Middle East and many African countries.

The IOU Master of Arts in Arabic Language Studies (MA ALS) – Research Based Program has been designed to give you a thorough and supportive opportunity to conduct research in Arabic. It enables you to demonstrate advanced familiarity with classical and/or modern Arabic literature, poetry, or Islamic religious texts.

The Master of Arts in Arabic Language Studies (MA ALS) – Research Based Program is a two-year Arabic language pathway (on a full-time basis) and is directed at students who want to obtain a master’s degree in Arabic via research.

Access to MA ALS research is currently available for students with advanced levels of Arabic proficiency.

The language of teaching and learning in this program is Arabic. Students must have advanced near-native competence in the language with an advanced application of written Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) to engage in this program and complete the research project. The thesis must be completed and submitted in Arabic. This program adopts a research approach that includes a single taught module of research methodology and a thesis that has to be completed via research within two years on a full-time time basis. The thesis will be supervised by one of IOU’s committed and experienced academics in the Department of Arabic Language and Linguistics. The thesis must demonstrate sound scholarship and make a contribution to the existing body of knowledge in the field. The candidate may explore a research question housed in Arabic: criticism, literature, grammar, linguistics, applied linguistics, rhetoric, or any other applicable field. The MA ALS research program is based on the standards of leading international universities globally.

Upon completion of the program, the student will be awarded a Master of Arts degree in Arabic Language Studies.

Career paths for graduates of this program include: Arabic language lecturer/professor, researcher, writer, interpreter, and translator (advanced level)

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Upon completion of the MA (ALS) (research), students should be able to
PLO1   conduct research competently and responsibly on advanced levels

PLO2   produce a research report/manuscript/dissertation in the medium of Arabic and contribute to the field of Arabic Language Studies

PLO3   demonstrate advanced familiarity with a field in Arabic Language Studies

PLO4   demonstrate mastery of Arabic Language Studies

PLO5   demonstrate professional and effective oral and written communication skills

PROGRAM ALIGNMENT WITH IOU’s VISION & MISSION

The IOU Master of Arts in Arabic Language Studies (research) is equivalent to:

• Master of Arts in Arabic, SAQA QUAL ID 21570, as registered and accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), South Africa.

Semesters