Graduate Minor in Persian & Iranian Studies

The Roshan Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Arizona offers an interdisciplinary doctoral minor in Persian and Iranian Studies. Graduate students in any Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona have the option of completing minor courses for their Doctoral program in the Roshan GIDP.

Try another way of looking. Try you looking and the whole universe seeing.
~Rumi, Persian poet

Students taking this graduate minor may have a major in some field of humanities, fine arts, business, or the environmental, social, natural, design, or health sciences. Students obtaining this minor will specialize in the history of one of the richest literary traditions and one of the oldest civilizations in the world, while having the flexibility to incorporate this knowledge in their own academic disciplines and fields.

The interdisciplinary doctoral minor in Persian and Iranian Studies includes nine or more units selected from approved courses in:

  • modern or classical Persian literature and culture
  • Iranian (or other Persian speaking societies’) history, religion, social organization, and politics

In addition to the completion of core courses, language competency in Persian is expected.

Students completing the minor coursework will have a comprehensive component dedicated to some aspect of research in Persian and Iranian Studies. The curriculum is supplemented by many research and educational activities of the University of Arizona's School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, and the Departments of History, Anthropology, English, Linguistics, etc.

Faculty and students associated with the Roshan GIDP are involved in interdisciplinary research that includes Iranian and Persian-related research projects in social sciences, fine arts, and the humanities.

For a list of required and elective courses, see the Ph.D. Degree Requirements and M.A. Degree Requirements

Financial Support and Opportunities

The Roshan GIDP offers limited financial support for graduate students’ research projects. In addition, the students taking Persian language are eligible for Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships administered by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The Roshan GIDP also supports the Fulbright Teaching Assistant Program, Visiting Scholarships, a Persian Lecture Series, an Iranian and Afghan Film Series, and various community outreach activities.

The Roshan GIDP provides a broad forum for scholarly activities around Persian and Iranian studies on campus and for the wider community.