Right: PAS students hike under an ancient aquaduct towards an oasis as the sun sets in Wadi Qelt.
The Palestine and Arabic Studies (PAS) Program is an academic program at Birzeit University that offers international students the opportunity to combine the study of the Arabic Language with social science courses about Palestine and the Arab World. International students carry out their studies while experiencing first hand the political and social realities of the area.
Drawing upon its inventory of reputable language and social science professors, Birzeit University has produced this comprehensive study program, offering accredited courses of academic quality, together with a series of special lectures and field trips. The year-round program consists of three semesters, two longer ones and one shorter, intensive semester during summer. Students may enroll at the beginning of any semester. The PAS Program is open to university students and graduates from around the world, and to those working in a field related to the Middle East, who wish to gain an in-depth knowledge of the region, its language, and cultures.
The PAS Program consists of Arabic language and several social science courses from which students may select a maximum of four each regular semester or three in summer. The Arabic courses include four levels of Modern Standard Arabic and two of Colloquial Arabic (Jerusalem dialect).
Arabic courses are designed to teach the language as an integral part of the culture, while the social science courses, taught in English, provide analyses of Arab and Palestinian issues in the disciplines of politics, sociology, literature, and history. International students proficient in Arabic may, with permission, take courses in various fields that are taught in Arabic and offered within the university's regular program. International students can also register for classes that are taught in English, such as French, English, math, business and various economic courses along with Birzeit University regular students.
Contact the PAS Program by e-mail on pas-isp@birzeit.edu