Persian Minor
Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
New West 113, CB# 3267
(919) 962-4294
Claudia Yaghoobi, Persian Program Advisor
Morgan Pitelka, Chair
Pamela Lothspeich, Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Ash Barnes, Student Services Specialist
Persian is an important language of the Middle East and Central Asia, spoken by approximately 70 million native speakers and roughly 110 million people worldwide. It is the official language of Iran. It also includes Persian Dari spoken in Afghanistan, and Tajik in Tajikistan. Studying Persian will also introduce you to the rich and diverse culture that produced major epic poets such as Ferdowsi, Sufi poets such as Rumi and Hafez, magnificent miniature paintings, fine carpets, and much more.
Department Programs
Majors
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Interdisciplinary Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Arab Cultures Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Chinese Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Japanese Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Korean Studies Concentration
- Asian Studies Major, B.A.–South Asian Studies Concentration
Minors
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
- take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum of 12 hours of C or better in the minor (some minors require more)
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
The undergraduate minor in Persian consists of four courses. Students may complete either two language courses and two culture courses, or three language courses and one culture course.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Two language courses beyond PRSN 203 (the first semester of intermediate Persian), chosen from: | 6 | |
| Intermediate Persian II | ||
| Persian Short Stories | ||
| Persian Language through Literature, Film, and Media | ||
| One course chosen from among the following: | 3 | |
| Iranian Post-1979 Cinema | ||
| Introduction to Persian Literature | ||
| Persian Sufi Literature | ||
| Love in Classical Persian Poetry | ||
| Iranian Prison Literature | ||
| Literary Diasporas of the Middle East | ||
| Postcolonial Literature of the Middle East | ||
| Gender, Space, and Place in the Middle East | ||
| History of the Indian Subcontinent to 1750 | ||
| History of Muslim Societies to 1500 | ||
| HIstory of Muslim Societies since 1500 | ||
| The Modern Middle East | ||
| Revolution in the Modern Middle East | ||
| The Middle East and the West | ||
| Women in the Middle East | ||
| First-Year Seminar: Wars and Veterans: Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan | ||
| The Cinemas of the Middle East and North Africa | ||
| Introduction to Islamic Civilization | ||
| Modern Muslim Societies | ||
| Sufism | ||
| Islam and Islamic Art in South Asia | ||
| Religion and Culture in Iran, 1500-Present | ||
| Iranian Women Writers | ||
| Middle East Women Writers | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Middle Eastern Literature | ||
| First-Year Seminar: Emperors, Courts, and Consumption: The Mughals of India | ||
| Modern Central Asia | ||
| Modern Muslim Literatures | ||
| Sociology of the Islamic World | ||
| A fourth course chosen from either the language or culture list above. | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Placement credit (PL) may not be used to meet minor requirements.
See the program page here for special opportunities.
