Diploma in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

Bachelor’s degree from accredited university, acceptable GPA, English proficiency test, one recommendation letter

For graduation the following is required:

• A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours and a thesis are required unless the student is not specialized in Arabic where s/he will be required to finish up to 42 credit hours as indicated in section entitled “Admission” (additional courses are listed under collateral requirements).
• Both specialized and non-specialized students have to take the core courses indicated below.
• Electives should complete the required number of credit hours. Choice will depend upon the thesis topic and the student’s undergraduate field of study and must be approved by the adviser. While they are normally selected from among 500-level TAFL courses, with the adviser’s approval, electives may include up to two non-TAFL courses. No more than two 400-level courses may be counted toward the degree.
• In some circumstances and with the adviser’s approval, a candidate may be allowed to replace the thesis with two additional courses, increasing the total number of minimum credit hours required from 30 to 36 if student is specialized in Arabic. If student is not specialized in Arabic, he/she will need to finish up to 54 credit hours instead of 42. In such cases candidate would be required to take a comprehensive examination instead of writing a thesis.
• Students planning to write a thesis must attend a non-credit thesis seminar (Seminar for Thesis Writers) at least one (preferably two) semesters prior to registering for Research Guidance and Thesis course.
• The student writing a thesis must produce a professional paper on some aspect of TAFL. The thesis must be prepared under the guidance and close supervision of a faculty adviser and a designated committee.