The United States Naval Academy has unique majors which give cadets the opportunity to focus on foreign languages and cultural fluency. Arabic is one of those majors and is considered a priority strategic language under the National Strategic Language Initiative. Those that major in Arabic at the U.S. Naval Academy will take ten courses in the Arabic language and four related major electives. They can expect to cover topics ranging from language to culture. The related major electives include courses like Middle Eastern politics/history/economics, Arabic literature, linguistics, and more. While it is not required, it is strongly recommended that Arabic majors study abroad for a period of time in an Arabic speaking country. Midshipmen are eligible to apply for a Language Study Abroad Program (LSAP) in their second year of language study. They may apply for a semester abroad program in the Arab World, which can lead to studying for a semester in places like Eqypt, Qatar, Jordan, and Morocco. They may also apply to study abroad through programs outside of the Academy. There are also scholarship opportunities that can fund these programs, like the Critical Language Scholarships offered by the Department of State. These programs can take midshipmen to places like Tunisia and Oman. Yes. Some students at the Naval Academy earn a second major in subjects like political science or history. Students have also created subfields of interest by focusing their major related electives on topics like literature or linguistics. The study of Arabic is demanding and students should prepare to give at least 6 hours of study per week for the first two years. Students who successfully completed their studies in Arabic from the United States Naval Academy have gone on to work in intelligence, receive additional training at the Defense Language Institute, focus on becoming a Foreign Area Officer, and more. There are also many uses for Arabic in civilian life, whether it’s in government service or business.