introductory year (60 ECTS)

This is offered to students who have no previous knowledge of the Arabic language or Islamic Studies or who have only an elementary knowledge. This is why the preparatory course seeks to offer students an immersion into the essence of the Institute’s programme of studies: the Arabic language as an important tool for understanding, from within, Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim relations. Please note that special students can follow courses of Islamic Studies and courses of Christian-Muslim relations independently of the Licentiate programme.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
The Introductory Year attempts to build specific theoretical and practical skills which are evidenced by the achievement of educational objectives. Expressed in terms of learning outcomes, these are the following:
- to know the basic concepts of written literary Arabic (morphology, syntax, and verbs) that permit the student to understand simple texts of a literary or religious nature;
- to acquire the phonetic concepts that permit a student to read Arabic texts correctly;
- to acquire a basic vocabulary of Islamic religious terminology;
- to possess a panoramic historical overview of the history of the Islamic world in its various expressions;
- to know the fundamental concepts of the Qur’ān and the Sunna;
- to possess a panoramic overview of the history of Christian-Muslim relations;
- to be able to utilize scientific tools that make possible the academic study of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations.

Arabic Language (36 ECTS)
The annual programme is divided into three parts:

Preliminaries (first two weeks):
• Alphabet
• Exercises (composition and reading of single words)

First semester:
• Grammar (morphology, syntax, verbs, exercises)
• Reading and comprehension of literary texts
• Dictation and conversation

Second semester:
• Grammar (morphology, syntax, verbs, exercises)
• Reading and comprehension of literary texts
• Dictation and conversation 
• Religious texts (Christian and Islamic)

Courses / Professors
PL001 Grammar: Morphology, Syntax (HANAN HADDAD / DIEGO SARRIÓ CUCARELLA)
PL002 Grammar: Verbs (MARIANGELA LAVIANO)
PL003 Reading and comprehension of literary texts (DENISE KHOURY)
PL004 Dictation and conversation (ALMA SALEM / MARTIN WULLOBAYI)
PL005 Religious texts (MARTIN WULLOBAYI)

Islamic Studies (First level) (18 ECTS)
The programme of Islamic Studies in the Introductory Year offers students an overview of Islam and a basic methodological formation for Islamic Studies. The programme is divided into 4 sections: History of the Islamic world up to the abolition of the Caliphate, the Qur’an, the Sunna and Methodology.

Programme:
PI001 History of the Islamic World I (CELESTE INTARTAGLIA)
Teaching language: Italian
PI002 History of the Islamic World II (CELESTE INTARTAGLIA)
Teaching language: Italian
PI003 Introduction to the Qur’an (CHRISTOPHER CLOHESSY)
Teaching language: English
PI004 Introduction to the Sunna (FELIX PHIRI)
Teaching language: English
PI005 Sources and methods for Islamic Studies I (CELESTE INTARTAGLIA)
Teaching language: Italian
PI005 Sources and methods for Islamic Studies II (CELESTE INTARTAGLIA)
Teaching language: Italian

Muslim-Christian Relations (6 ECTS)
The Christian-Muslim relations courses of the Introductory Year offer a panoramic introduction to the history of relations between these communities. 

PR001 History of Christian-Muslim Relations I (CHRISTOPHER CLOHESSY)
Teaching language: English
PR002 History of Christian-Muslim Relations II (CHRISTOPHER CLOHESSY)
Teaching language: English