Persian Studies at the University of Virginia

The University of Virginia can take pride in being one of the few American academic institutions that has offered courses in Persian language and literature for four decades.  In addition to being a long-standing program, the Persian Program at the University of Virginia has been recognized as one of the strongest Persian programs nationwide.  Professor Michael Houdson of Georgetown University reported in his assessment that “Persian Studies…  is an asset to the University, particularly as UVa strives for more ‘international’ capabilities and recognition.

The UVa Persian Program seeks to promote greater awareness and appreciation of the cultural richness of an ancient civilization; at the same time, it seeks to foster a better understanding of contemporary Iran. Our program focuses principally on Iranian studies; however it bears mention that as the official language in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Persian has been designated a “critical language” and has become a crucial area of study for many students seeking degrees in Politics and Foreign Affairs. Persian is also widely spoken in at least thirteen more countries (Uzbekistan, Turkey, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Israel, Bahrain, Canada, Russia, and Kuwait). 

Two years of Persian language instruction (Elementary and Intermediate Persian) provide proficiency in areas of comprehension, conversation, reading, and writing.  In the third year of Persian study, students explore the intricacies and complexities of the Persian language through the introduction of original literary works—prose and poetry, classical and modern.  Larger social, political, historical, and cultural aspects of literary production in Persian are emphasized in a variety of literature courses.

The faculty and the course offerings of the Persian Studies program at the University of Virginia bridge multiple disciplines. Our interdisciplinary program offers not only multi-level courses in Persian language and literature, spanning the period from the birth of the language as a literary force to contemporary times, we also offer courses in: classical and contemporary literature in English translation; women’s studies; cinema; and philology.

The Persian program offers two categories of courses: (PERS) classes taught in Persian; (PETR) Persian literature in translation classes. This allows students to both acquire specialized knowledge in the language and to explore varied interests in literary, philosophical, cultural, and historical aspects of Persian literature through the study of translated works.

Persian Placement Test