Minor in Persian Cultural Studies

The minor in Persian Cultural Studies is for students who seek to acquire a strong grasp of Persian culture and of Iran’s historical, political, literary, and artistic importance around the world, especially in Asia and the Middle East. Students of Persian (Farsi) at Boston University have gone on to jobs in government, in nonprofits, and to graduate programs in Near Eastern Studies.

Successful completion of CAS LZ 212 fulfills the College of Arts & Sciences foreign language requirement. LZ 212 (or equivalent proficiency) is the prerequisite for the minor.

Hub: Courses taken for the Persian Cultural Studies minor will ordinarily also satisfy BU Hub requirements in Philosophical, Aesthetic and Historical Interpretation; Diversity, Civic Engagement and Global Citizenship; and Communication, along with requirements in the Intellectual Toolkit.

Students wishing to major in Persian should pursue a BA in WLL’s Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages & Literatures (MESALL) and/or the Pardee School’s Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Studies. Persian language courses at and above the 211 level also count for the Pardee School’s minors in Muslim Cultures and Muslim Societies.

Requirements

The minor in Persian Cultural Studies requires six 4-credit courses with a grade of C or higher, selected in consultation with and approved by the advisor. With the advisor’s approval, students may include up to three transfer courses from other colleges, universities, or non-BU study abroad programs (students must obtain approval for non-BU study abroad courses in advance). Two of the remaining three electives must then be chosen from WLL’s course offerings.

  1. Two courses on Persian language and literature: CAS LZ 212, LZ 311, LZ 380, LZ 381, LZ 470, LZ 491/2, or XL 315.
  2. Four additional courses with a focus on Iran and/or Afghanistan (to be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor from relevant offerings in the humanities, arts, and social sciences).