Minor in Persian and Iranian Studies
The Persian and Iranian Studies Minor Program offers courses on Greater Iranian cultures and civilizations, as well as Proper Iran, a multidisciplinary program for students seeking a deeper understanding of related peoples from ancient times to the present. Established in 2007 at San Francisco State University, it remains the only minor of its kind in the California State University system. It serves as an academic resource for exploring and understanding the cultural heritage of various ethnic groups, including Afghans, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Baluchis, Gilakis, Kurds, Lurs, Mazandarani, Persians, Tajiks, Turks, and others. The program enables students to explore related historical and cultural expressions, offering a comprehensive perspective on historic and modern Persianate societies and their diasporas. It provides both lower- and upper-division courses and collaborates with other programs on campus. Its goal is to prepare graduates for careers that value knowledge of major Persian-speaking societies, such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan, as well as other related communities in Asia.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Articulate how history, language, geography, culture and/or religions in the Greater Iranian territories influenced contemporary Persianate societies.
- Identify themes of Iranian culture and artistic expressions through literature, cinema and media.
- Evaluate the contributions and influence of Iranian and Persian history and culture on western civilization.
- Articulate the way that religious traditions grow, change and influence one another through the spectrum of Greater Iranian history.
Persian and Iranian Studies Minor – 12 units minimum
Students can request that other advanced courses not listed here be considered for the minor; the program advisor will review these petitions.
A minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.
All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
Required Courses (12 units)
Select 12 units from below. At least one course must have a PRSN prefix or be cross-listed with PRSN.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH/HUM 496 | Art, Architecture, and Space in the Islamic World | 3 |
| HIST 310 | Ancient Near East: Cities and Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia | 3 |
| HIST 382 | History of Iran and Afghanistan 1500 - Present | 3 |
| HUM 370 | Biography of a City: Asian Cities | 3 |
| MEIS 300 | Foundations in Middle East and Islamic Studies | 3 |
| MUS 513 | Asian Musical Diaspora | 3 |
| PHIL/JS/HUM 501 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| PHIL 516 | Islamic Philosophy | 3 |
| PRSN 100 | Persian Language Immersion | 3 |
| PRSN 101 | First Semester Persian | 3 |
| PRSN 102 | Second Semester Persian | 3 |
| PRSN/I R 260 | History and Cultures of Iran | 3 |
| PRSN 290 | Persianate Literatures in Translation | 3 |
| PRSN/CINE 320 | Iranian Cinema | 3 |
| PRSN 411/I R 415 | Iranian Media in English | 3 |
| PRSN/PHIL 502 | World Religions | 3 |
| PRSN/PHIL/RELS 503 | Religions in Iran | 3 |
| PRSN/PHIL 509 | The Buddhist Tradition | 3 |
| PRSN 699 | Independent Study | 1-3 |