Arabic

Arabic is one of the most significant languages in the world, spoken across more than twenty countries, central to the Islamic tradition, and the vehicle for a literary, scientific, and philosophical heritage of extraordinary richness. The language family encompasses Classical Arabic, the sacred register of the Quran and medieval scholarship, Modern Standard Arabic as used in contemporary media and formal writing, and the diverse spoken vernaculars that vary considerably from one region to another. Studying Arabic to degree level takes you into this complex linguistic landscape while also opening a vast body of literary, historical, and cultural material ranging from pre-Islamic poetry and the stories of the Arabian Nights to the modern Arabic novel and contemporary journalism.

At the University of Oxford you will study this four-year full-time degree under the tutorial system that gives Oxford's language education its particular intensity and depth. The typical entry tariff is 168 points, and the programme is designed to take students who may have little or no prior Arabic to a high level of reading, writing, and spoken competence across the standard and classical registers. Alongside the linguistic training you will engage deeply with Arabic literature, Islamic thought, the history of the Arab world, and contemporary Arab politics and society.

The tutorial system means your understanding is tested and developed in intensive one-to-one or small-group encounters with experts who push your thinking at every stage.

Arabic graduates from Oxford are in exceptional demand across diplomacy, foreign affairs, intelligence, international journalism, development, business, and academic research. The combination of linguistic competence and deep cultural and political knowledge of the Arab world is genuinely rare and highly valued. Careers in government, the foreign office, international organisations, law firms with Middle Eastern practices, and cultural and educational institutions are all open to graduates.

Further study in Arabic, Middle Eastern studies, Islamic studies, or international relations is a natural continuation for those pursuing specialist or research careers.