Armenian Course Descriptions

Upper Division Courses

101A-101B-101C. Elementary Modern Western Armenian. (5-5-5)
Lecture, five hours. Course 101A is requisite to 101B, which is requisite to 101C. Armenian grammar, conversation, and exercises. P/NP or letter grading.

102A-102B-102C. Intermediate Modern Western Armenian. (5-5-5)
Lecture, five hours. Requisite: course 101C. Course 102A is requisite to 102B, which is requisite to 102C. Reading of selected texts, composition, and conversation. P/NP or letter grading.

103A-103B-103C. Advanced Modern Western Armenian. (4-4-4)
(Formerly numbered 103.) Lecture, four hours. Requisite: course 102C. Designed for students with speaking fluency and reading abilities in Armenian. Exploration of advanced Western Armenian in following areas of competency: fluency, literacy, accuracy, and proficiency. Use of language to engage literary themes and cultural issues of historical and contemporary significance for Armenian speakers. P/NP or letter grading.

104A-104B-104C. Elementary Modern Eastern Armenian. (5-5-5)
Lecture, five hours. Course 104A is requisite to 104B, which is requisite to 104C. Designed for students with little or no previous knowledge of Eastern Armenian, official idiom of Republic of Armenia. Introduction to basics of grammar and conversation. P/NP or letter grading.

105A-105B-105C. Intermediate Modern Eastern Armenian. (5-5-5)
Lecture, five hours. Requisite: course 104C. Course 105A is requisite to 105B, which is requisite to 105C. Continuing introduction to Armenian grammar, with greater attention to readings from short stories and simple newspaper articles and film viewing on video. Emphasis on improving students' self-expression in the idiom, both orally and in written form. P/NP or letter grading.

106A-106B-106C. Advanced Modern Eastern Armenian. (4-4-4)
Lecture, four hours. Requisite: course 105C. Discussion of contemporary Armenian social and cultural issues through readings from critical essays, editorials, short stories, and poems written since World War II and film showings. Emphasis on enhancing students’ self expression orally and in written form. Letter grading.

130. Armenian Civilization under Bagratid Dynasty, 884 to 1064. (4)
Lecture, four hours. Interdisciplinary investigation of interface between sociopolitical and economic factors in creation of works of art (literature, art, architecture, etc.) and social function these works performed in this important period of Armenian history. Letter grading.

131. Armenian Civilization in Cilician Period, 1080 to 1375. (4)
Lecture, four hours. Interdisciplinary investigation of rise and fall of unique form of Armenian polity established outside the homeland and examination of degree to which its social structure and cultural and aesthetic norms were impacted by those of the West (Byzantium, Western Europe) and East (Crusader states, Seljuqs, Mamluks, Mongols). Letter grading.

150A-150B. Survey of Armenian Literature in English. (4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Knowledge of Armenian not required. May be taken independently for credit. P/NP or letter grading.

C151. Armenian Literature and Canon Formation. (4)
(Formerly numbered 151.) Lecture, four hours. Discussion of fundamental themes and genres around which Armenian literary tradition evolved and modalities by which this has been transformed in course of last two centuries as a result of exposure to European thought and expressive forms. Concurrently scheduled with course C251. P/NP or letter grading.

C152. Modern Armenian Drama as Vehicle for Social Critique. (4)
(Formerly numbered 152.) Lecture, four hours. Readings of selected plays from 1668 to 1992 from three main genres of tragedy, comedy, and serious drama and featuring works by most significant Armenian playwrights, with focus on their role as commentators on contemporary mores and as agents for social reform. Concurrently scheduled with course C252. Letter grading.

C153. Art, Politics, and Nationalism in Modern Armenian Literature. (4)
(Formerly numbered 153.) Lecture, four hours. Examination of role of literature in modern Armenian society in service to a cause or causes, as propaganda for various ideologies, as art for art s sake, etc. Exploration of contrasting aesthetics implicit in these differing interpretations. Concurrently scheduled with course C253. P/NP or letter grading.

C155. Issues in Armenian American Literature and Culture. (4)
(Formerly numbered 155.) Lecture, four hours. Preparation: reading knowledge of modern Eastern and Western Armenian. Theoretically informed exploration of some of most salient questions related to Armenian American community as reflected in its literature and other cultural artifacts in interaction with its pluralistic American ambience. Concurrently scheduled with course C255. Letter grading.

160A-160B. Armenian Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries. (4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisites: courses 102A, 102B, 102C. Reading of texts and discussion of various genres of modern Armenian literature within context of the Armenian cultural renaissance. P/NP or letter grading.

C166. Armenian Film and Culture. (5)
Lecture, six hours. Requisite: course 101C or 104C. Overview of development of Armenian cinematography from first talkie to the present, with focus on work of most seminal directors from Armenian Republic, as well as various voices from worldwide diaspora. Concurrently scheduled with course C266. P/NP or letter grading.

199. Special Studies in Armenian Language and Literature. (2 to 8)
Tutorial, to be arranged. P/NP or letter grading.

Graduate Courses

207. Armenian Intellectual History. (4)
Lecture, three hours. Intellectual and cultural trends reflected in Armenian literature, historiography, religious and philosophical thought. S/U or letter grading.

210. History of the Armenian Language. (4)
Lecture, three hours. Development of the Armenian language in its various stages: classical, middle, and modem. S/U or letter grading.

220. Armenian Literature of the Golden Age (A.D. 5th Century). (4)
Lecture, three hours. Readings of texts and discussion of literary genres; original works and those translated from Greek and Syriac. S/U or letter grading.

230A-230B-230C. Elementary Classical Armenian. (4-4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Course 230A is requisite to 230B, which is requisite to 230C. Introduction to grammar of the classical literary language (5th to mid-19th century) and guided readings in narrative prose texts. Letter grading.

231A-231B-231C. Intermediate Classical Armenian. (4-4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 230C. Intensive review of grammar and reading of select prose and poetic texts. May be taken independently for credit. Letter grading.

232A-232B-232C. Advanced Classical Armenian. (4-4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 231A or 231B or 231C. In-depth reading and linguistic analysis of texts related to the Philhellene School of the 6th to 8th century and related works up to the 19th century. May be taken independently for credit. Letter grading.

250A-250B. Seminar: Armenian Literature. (4-4)
Seminar, three hours. Selected topics from various periods of Armenian literature. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

C251. Armenian Literature and Canon Formation. (4)
Lecture, four hours. Discussion of fundamental themes and genres around which Armenian literary tradition evolved and modalities by which this has been transformed in course of last two centuries as a result of exposure to European thought and expressive forms. Concurrently scheduled with course C151. S/U or letter grading.

C252. Modern Armenian Drama as Vehicle for Social Critique. (4)
Lecture, four hours. Readings of selected plays from 1668 to 1992 from three main genres of tragedy, comedy, and serious drama and featuring works by most significant Armenian playwrights, with focus on their role as commentators on contemporary mores and as agents for social reform. Concurrently scheduled with course C152. Letter grading.

C253. Art, Politics, and Nationalism in Modern Armenian Literature. (4)
Lecture, four hours. Examination of role of literature in modern Armenian society in service to a cause or causes, as propaganda for various ideologies, as art for art s sake, etc. Exploration of contrasting aesthetics implicit in these differing interpretations. Concurrently scheduled with course C153. S/U or letter grading.

C255. Issues in Armenian American Literature and Culture. (4)
Lecture, four hours. Preparation: reading knowledge of modern Eastern and Western Armenian. Theoretically informed exploration of some of most salient questions related to Armenian American community as reflected in its literature and other cultural artifacts in interaction with its pluralistic American ambience. Concurrently scheduled with course C155. Letter grading.

C266. Armenian Film and Culture. (5)
Lecture, six hours. Requisite: course 101C or 104C. Overview of development of Armenian cinematography from first talkie to the present, with focus on work of most seminal directors from Armenian Republic, as well as various voices from worldwide diaspora. Concurrently scheduled with course C166. S/U or letter grading.

290. Seminar: Armenian Paleography. (4)
Seminar, three hours. Discussion of a variety of Armenian scripts and training in use of manuscripts. S/U or letter grading.

596. Directed Individual Study. (2 to 8)
Tutorial, to be arranged. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

597. Examination Preparation. (2 to 8)
Tutorial, to be arranged. S/U grading.

599. Ph.D. Dissertation Research and Preparation. (2 to 8)
Tutorial, to be arranged. S/U grading.

Related Courses

History
112A-l 12B-l 12C. Armenian History
C112D. Introduction to Armenian Oral History
113. The Caucasus under Russian and Soviet Rule
200S. Advanced Historiography: Armenia and the Caucasus
201S. Topics in History: Armenia and the Caucasus
211A-211B. Seminars: Armenian History
C212. Methods in Armenian Oral History

Indo-European Studies
M150. Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics