Hi! I am currently a senior in high school. The degree I intend to pursue in college is an international relations degree with a concentration in economics in the Middle East. To complement this, I want to learn Classical Arabic. I have been fortunate enough I have gone to Morocco twice in my life, with a Morrocan family I’ve known for years. Knowing this family, growing up I was exposed to Moroccan culture and the language. I know a bit of Moroccan Arabic (forgive me, I can’t spell the exact name of the dialect), however, it differs significantly from the prominent, “classical” Arabic.
My dilemma is that I am not Ivy League material, which are the schools offering the best foreign affairs/IR degrees. Illinois State schools suck, as well. I was considering doing a community college and then transferring, but no local community colleges offer Arabic. The closest community college is 2 hours away near Chicago. With the high cost of living in that area, I wouldn’t be saving any real money.
Like most people, I want to degree the amount of debt I will have after school, especially since I would like to attend a prestigious graduate school eventually.
Any suggestions would be appreciated
Indiana University
U Michigan, Indiana U
Why classical Arabic, given your interest in the international relations and economics of the Middle East? Classical Arabic is more relevant for humanities fields, such as Islamic religious studies.
If your interest was in modern Arabic, I’d recommend the various Language Flagship programs (https://thelanguageflagship.org/content/arabic).
Also, your assumption that the Ivy League schools are the schools offering the best foreign affairs/IR degrees is questionable.
The dialect spoken in Morocco is Maghrebi or darija. Classical Arabic is the Arabic of the Quran. Modern Standard Arabic is what is most commonly taught in university Arabic programs and is the form of Arabic used in the media and other formal settings. Most college Arabic programs that teach a dialect usually offer classes in the Egyptian and/or Levantine (Syria/Jordan/ Palestine) dialects. You are more likely to learn Darija if you do study abroad in Morocco (by way of the Arabic Flagship capstone year in the Language Flagship program or through study abroad programs like the Critical Language Scholarship,etc.)
I second the option of the Language Flagship schools. Also UIUC (which has an overall decent Arabic program including an Arabic minor and study abroad options, as well as an Islamic Studies minor) and Ohio State are good options. All of these universities have a good international relations/studies program and/or the option to concentrate in IR within the political science department, so you will wind up with a solid (and hopefully cost effective) background in IR and Middle Eastern Studies.
Also, @zapfino is right: the best IR programs are not at the Ivy League schools…see Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, George Washington, Stanford, American, U Denver.
Send me a pm if you have questions.