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Iranian Course Descriptions

Lower Division Courses

1A-1B-1C. Elementary Persian. (5-5-5)
Lecture, six hours. Course 1A is enforced requisite to 1B, which is enforced requisite to 1C. Not open to students with prior knowledge of Persian. P/NP or letter grading.

10A-10B-10C. Persian Conversation. (2-2-2)
Lecture, three hours. Systematic and structured Persian conversation.

20A-20B-20C. Accelerated Elementary Persian. (6-6-6)
Lecture, four hours; discussion two hours; laboratory, 30 minutes per day. Preparation: some knowledge of spoken Persian. Course 20A is enforced requisite to 20B, which is enforced requisite to 20C. Intensive and thorough study of fundamental structure of Persian grammar; reading from a wide range of classical and modern poetry and prose compositions. P/NP or letter grading.

Upper Division Courses

102A-102B-102C. Intermediate Persian. (5-5-5)
Lecture, six hours. Requisite: course 1C or 20C. Course 102A is requisite to 102B, which is requisite to 102C. P/NP or letter grading.

103A-103B-103C. Advanced Persian: Introduction to Classical Persian Poetry. (4-4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 102C. Students who successfully complete courses 20A, 20B, 20C with grades of A may be permitted to enroll. May be taken independently for credit.

104. Philosophical Texts. (4)
Lecture, three hours. Readings in English. Introduction to wide selection of philosophical texts in translation. Identification of major philosophical themes in ontology, epistemology, psychology, and cosmology through texts, with study in detail. P/NP or letter grading.

111A-111B-111C. Elementary Kurdish. (4-4-4)
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, two hours. A proficiency-based course in basic grammar of literary Kurdish (Sorani). Graded readings, translation, composition (level one), conversation (levels one and two).

120. Comparative Study of Six Major Persian Poets. (4)
Lecture, two hours; discussion, one hour. Preparation: knowledge of Persian. Lectures in Persian, readings in English and Persian. Comparative study of six major Persian poets from the 10th to 14th century who shaped the sense of Persian identity and delineated chief distinguishing characteristics of Persian thought and culture. P/NP or letter grading.

130. Intellectual History of Jews of Persia. (4)
Lecture, three hours. Readings in English. Introduction to intellectual history of Jews in Persia by highlighting select areas of Judeo-Persian studies and focusing on various authors and their work P/NP or letter grading.

131. Introduction to Judeo-Persian: Language and Culture. (4)
Lecture, three hours. Preparation: knowledge of Persian equivalent to course 102C. Introduction to history of Judeo-Persian literature and culture to prepare students to read Judeo-Persian texts. P/NP or letter grading.

140. Persian Belles Lettres (Adabiyyat). (4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course l03A. Study of major Persian poets and prose writers: prose -- Sobravardi, Hamadāni, Nasafi, Irāqi, and others; poetry -- Hāz, Sa'di, Rūmi, Bahār, Dehkhoda, and others. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. P/NP or letter grading.

141. Persian Analytical Prose. (4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course l02C. Study of selected analytical and expository prose texts, with emphasis on philosophy, sciences, literary criticism, and history. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. P/NP or letter grading.

142. Persian Popular Ethics. (4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course l02C. Study of major Persian works on popular ethics which have helped shape normative social, cultural, and political values in Iranian civilization. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. P/NP or letter grading.

150A-150B. Survey of Persian Literature in English. (4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Knowledge of Persian not required. May be taken independently for credit.

169. Civilization of Pre-Islamic Iran. (4)
Survey of Iranian culture from the beginning through Sasanian period.

170. Religion in Ancient Iran. (4)
History of religion in Iran from the beginning to the Mohammedan conquest; Indo-Iranian background, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Mazdakism..

180A-180B. Iranian Civilization. (4-4)
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Cultural and social history of the Iranian world, with emphasis on legacy of Persian language and literature. Letter (majors) or P/NP or letter (nonmajors) grading.

190A-190B. Introduction to Modern Iranian Studies. (4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisites: courses 1A, 1B, 1C. Survey of Iranian languages. Comparative and historical grammar.

197A-197D. Variable Topics in Iranian Studies. (4 each)
Lecture, three hours. Variable topics; consult "Schedule of Classes" for topics to be offered in a specific term. P/NP or letter grading.

199. Special Studies in Iranian. (2 to 8)
P/NP or letter grading.

Graduate Courses

220A-220B. Classical Persian Texts. (4-4)
Lecture, three hours. Requisites: courses 103A, 103B, 103C. Study of selected classical Persian texts. May be taken independently for credit.

221. Rumi, Mystic Poet of Islam. (4)
Seminar, three hours. Requisite: course 220A or 220B. Study of life and works of Rumi in context of interaction of Sufism and poetic creativity. May be repeated twice for credit.

M222A-M222B. Vedic. (4-4)
(Same as Indic M222A.) Lecture, three hours. Preparation: knowledge of Sanskrit equivalent to Indic 110C. Characteristics of Vedic dialect and readings in Rig-Vedic hymns. May not be repeated for credit.

230A-230B. Old Iranian. (4-4)
Studies in grammars and texts of Old Persian and Avestan. Comparative considerations. May not be repeated for credit.

23lA-231B. Middle Iranian. (4-4)
Studies in grammars and texts of such Middle Iranian languages as best serve students’ needs (e.g., Pahlavi, Sogdian, Sakian). May be repeated for credit.

250. Seminar: Classical Persian Literature. (4)
Seminar, three hours. Requisites: courses 103A, 103B, 103C, 199. May be repeated twice for credit.

251. Seminar: Contemporary Persian Literature. (4)
Seminar, three hours. Requisite: course 140. Studies in specific problems and trends in Persian poetry and prose in the 20th century. May be repeated twice for credit.

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

597. Examination Preparation. (2 to 8)
S/U grading.

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

Related Courses

Art History
104A. Western Islamic Art
104B. Eastern Islamic Art
C104C. Problems in Islamic Art
213. Advanced Studies in Islamic Art

Ethnomusicology
91L. Music of Persia

History
9D. Introduction to Asian Civilizations: History of the Near and Middle East
106A-106B-106C. Survey of the Middle East from 500 to the Present
110A-110B. Iranian History

Indic (East Asian Languages)
110A. Elementary Sanskrit
110B. Intermediate Sanskrit
110C. Advanced Sanskrit

Indo-European Studies
210. Indo-European Linguistics: Advanced Course II
280A-280B. Seminars: Indo-European Linguistics