college departments

The Establishment of the Department

     The department of Arabic Language was established since the founding of College of Arts in 1949.

Vision

     The department sees that Arabic Language is the identity of the native speakers and a bond that unifies and distinguishes them from the rest of the world. Therefore, the department seeks to serve and increase interest in this language and distribute its grammar in order to keep the language vivid in both speaking and writing. Accordingly, the Arabic language remains the repository of knowledge and intellect that needs to be preserved over time.

Mission

     The department seeks to graduate generations being proficient in Arabic language and possessing research, professional, technical skills, thereby enabling them to contribute effectively to the development of the society and meet labour market needs.

The General Objectives of the Department

• Developing a sense of pride of the Arabic language
• Developing the linguistics skills of the students
• Improving professional and research skills of the faculty members
• Linking consciously the old and the modern to understanding of the linguistic and literary heritage of the ancestors, then, reviewing what contributions the modernists have provided in both fields of linguistics and literature for using them in rereading our heritage with a new vision

The Branches of the Department

     The department does not have branches in the undergraduate studies but the students study basic course materials of Arabic language such as grammar and literature as well as familiarising the students with foreign literatures. The academic study of Arabic language is expanded in postgraduate studies into two basic fields in MA and PhD: (literature and linguistics and grammar).

The Development Plan of Arabic Department

    The development plan of Arabic language is distributed on five hubs that must be complemented each other to achieve a desired development. These five hubs are addressed separately only for the academic purposes. But in fact, faltering or lagging in one of them can influence the desired development in its totality. The five hubs of development are:

1- The student development

     There is no doubt that the student is one of the foundations of the educational process. Raising the scientific level of the student is an essential part of the accredited scientific construction. On way to develop the scientific performance of students is to avoid traditional teaching methods of prompting that makes the student a passive recipient. All he/she has to do is listening to what is said, memorizing the information and later writing down them on the exam paper as he/she was taught. In this way, it is impossible to build a generation that is capable of critical thinking that will support the continuous development and improvement. Thus, the department seeks to change these traditional methods and use modern methods of teaching through opening a dialogue with the students and urging them to speak and interact positively that develop the scientific and cultural capabilities. The department also looks forward to use the methods of recent scientific development such as the brainstorm and the student’s mini-lecture that is presented in front of the colleagues and other methods that building the scientific and research personality of the student.

2- The teaching staff development

     The faculty members are just as important as the students and both of them form the sides of an educational equation. The department aspires to move up the level of performance of the teaching staff from its perspective that must be continuously developed and not stopping at some point and being satisfied in pursuit of knowledge because knowledge does not stop at borders, and its methods and skills are constantly renewed. The world nowadays has reached a stage of huge knowledge that cannot be lagging behind or taking time in pursuing it. As a consequence, the department seeks to find mechanisms that allow the faculty members to experience the modern teaching techniques and serious persistent follow-up to what is published in the world of the publication (books and journals).

3- The development of curricula

     The importance of the curricula comes from the fact that it represents a link between the student and the teacher. The department looks forward to update the curricula on further scientific developments in all fields of science, and leave the situation that confined to the outdate curriculums. Therefore, the department urges the faculty members to evaluate their curricula constantly in order to capitalise on strongest points and reduce its weak ones. The weaknesses should be addressed by learning and adding what is new.

4- The development of teaching techniques

     The curricula are not enough to graduate generations capable of conveying the mission of department properly. In a world facing the tremendous and unprecedented technological development, the limitation to use the traditional methods in conveying information to the student is not acceptable. The modern technical means of teaching should be employed such as smart boards, tablets, computer presentations and other modern teaching means proven in the halls of scientific institutions in the various fields of knowledge.

• The development of infrastructure of the department

     It is indisputable that the educational process will keep moving as planned and produce desired results, if the quality services and infrastructure safety are provided. If these two things are achieved, the teacher and the student leave with peace of mind and reassurance. In addition, they perform the tasks assigned to them, and they not pay attention to what impede the learning process including lack of services or bad services. Verifying the performance of health facilities, providing the electrical equipment, ensuring the smoothness of operation of cooling and heating systems and maintaining cleanliness in the department’s halls, staff rooms and corridors, all of these things bring them comfort and relief.

The Postgraduate Studies

     The first postgraduate course was launched in 1960-1963. The number of course students was 11.

The Branches of Postgraduate Studies

      The postgraduate studies have two branches for a master’s and doctorate degrees, namely: literature and linguistics and grammar.

The establishment of the department of Archaeology

The Department of Archaeology was established in 1951.

The General Objectives of the Department of Archaeology

• Providing a select group of natives with an archaeological culture to create generations to be proud of their nation’s heritage, and providing qualified elements of this branch of science and knowledge needed by State’s departments and institutions
• Conducting archaeological researches through excavations and publishing the findings of such excavations to familiarize the universities and institutions that concerned with the importance of Iraq’s heritage and civilization and how much it has contributed to the development of humanity on both an intellectual and cultural level

Branches of the Department

     The curriculum had initially been comprised a mixture of topics relating to ancient Arab and Islamic antiquities, but with the development of the department it had come to include three branches namely, ancient, cuneiform and Islamic until the late 1990s. At the start of the new century, the ancient branch and the cuneiform studies have been merged, now the department has only two branches ancient and Islamic.

     The Department of Geography was established in 1949, since the founding of College of Arts. It has many scientific and academic contributions in geographical conferences and seminars held at the national level of country, Middle East and world.

     The department has a library containing 3932 books and periodicals. It offers postgraduate programmes in the fields of natural and economic phenomena, and population and settlement. Therefore, this department provides a specialised academic staff that meeting the needs of the country and some Arab universities.

The Establishment of the department of History

The department of history was established in 1949.

Vision

     Ancestral knowledge is invested through the employment of historical and cultural heritage to show the bright aspects of civilisations in Mesopotamia across historical eras. Bridging the past to the present and extrapolating the future by studying and internalising the experiences of the past to take advantage of their positives and avoid their negatives. Trying to understand the past in the spirit of the present since the study of history is an interrelated dynamic process arising from the present to understand the past. Moreover, the need for understanding the history of other people in their different eras to know the fact of the civilizational ties between themselves on one hand and with our history of civilisation on the other hand.

Mission

     Contributing to scientific, cultural and social formation of students and members of the faculty for participation of human development to arise national awareness within the social fabric that thrives in its diversity, starting with the premise that composition of communities based on history, language and religion. The history is not limited to criticise and analyse texts, but besides that, it tries to understand them in a way that connects it with the development of human civilisation.

Objectives

• Preparing qualified staff for research in history, and working with Ministry of Education
• Providing the students with knowledge and understanding on ancient, Islamic, modern and contemporary history
• Developing the leadership personality of the graduate and his/her professionalism as a scientific researcher in history
• Providing the students with the general skills necessary for communication, solidarity and cooperation with the local community within a realistic framework, and graduating scientific competencies to meet its needs
• Getting away from Ideology in teaching history and it is offered in a pure scientific spirit based on modern theories and what contemporary studies have found.
• Approaching the other human and social sciences and benefiting from their theories in teaching history particularly sociology, philosophy and geography, and it should not be restricted to old curricula that treated the history as a sacred text that is unexplainable

Department Branches

     The study of history is divided into four main branches: ancient history, Arab Islamic history, modern history and contemporary history. The department awards bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in these four branches.

The Establishment of the Department of Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy was established in 1949.

The Department’s Vision

     The vision is focused on a group of cognitive levels that conform with the requirements of the reality. The core purpose of this vision is the development of cognitive capacities and occupational skills for teaching staff, employees, and students of the undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

 First level: The teaching staff

• The department holds cultural events and the participation of the teaching staff should be emphasised in these events
• Urging the teaching staff to write at least one research in the field they teach
• Within this vision, the cultural committee designs a cultural program throughout the academic year. This program consists of four monthly cultural activities, as follows:

1. An intellectual seminar is organised during the first week
2. A seminar is held during the second week
3. An intellectual lecture is given during the third week
4. Postgraduate seminar is organised during the fourth week

• Emphasising the subjects of cultural activities must be at the core of philosophical area to provide some practical solutions in lived reality
• Working to use technology to deliver lectures in a way that suits the basic idea of any subject, so two typical halls (under preparation) have been provided
• Urging the teaching staff to pursue what is new in Middle Eastern and Western cultural achievement
• Reaffirming writing the researches and books that should be in the specialisation

Second level: The cadre staff

• Urge the cadre staff to develop the practical skills by learning the computer programing.
• Encouraging the staff, who have a bachelor’s degree, to apply for postgraduate studies
• Participation in courses of the development of management capacity is confirmed

Third level: The undergraduate studies

• Obligation to wear the uniform
• Commitment to attendance
• Adoption of the semester system (courses)

Fourth level: The postgraduate studies

• Choosing topics of theses and dissertations should be in accordance with the student’s marks
• Diversity of the topics of theses and dissertations should be in a way that serves the cognitive framework
• Effectiveness of the proposed topic should be emphasised into the society
• The postgraduate studies of philosophy are divided into two divisions:

1. Greek and medieval philosophical studies
2. Modern and contemporary philosophical studies

The General Objectives of the Department

The department of philosophy aims at:

• Working towards creating an open-minded generation that depends on reason and logic to judge things and phenomena, and dealing with its findings effectively and rationally
• Having cognisance of the products of creative Arab Islamic mind that explain the Geek philosophy, and the role of Islamic philosophers in conveying this philosophy and its explanations to Europe that living in the darkness of Medieval ages
• Understanding the modern and contemporary Western philosophical tendencies and the impact of these tendencies in the formulation of European mentality with its positive and negative sides
• Studying the ancient Eastern thought as seen in the sciences, rules and views of the major ancient Eastern civilisations such as civilisations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China, and knowing the impact of these civilisations in the advancement of the sciences and the construction of human civilisation in its various aspects
• Building a vital mentality that looks at the others without sensitivities and prejudgments and feels the importance of cultural dialogue that imparts the national roots and the cultural identity that interact with the other nations, peoples and civilizations
• Preparing lecturers who can to teach philosophy to students of the preparatory stage

The Establishment of the Department of Psychology

The Department of Psychology was established in 1974.

The General Objectives of the Department

• Providing students with the basic theoretical knowledge and information of understanding and interpreting the human behaviour
• Providing the students with the scientific experiences and the information relating to the applications of psychology in various environmental fields
• Providing the students with the research methods that enable them to conduct scientific research that contribute to the needs of institutions, organisations and individuals
• Disseminating culture and knowledge of psychology among the people by delving deeper into this field and through the mass media where the members of the department participate
• The department offers another set of subjects courses that support other disciplines of some scientific departments of college
• The department works to disseminate psychological knowledge among the associate members of institutions and government departments through continuing educational courses and lectures delivered by professors of the department to the members of those institutions and departments.
• Furthermore, its contribution to community service through the provision of psychological services and scientific consultations that can be done individually to those who requested or by contributing the faculty members of the department to the cultural programs that are the various visual, audio, written media or by holding or participating seminars and scientific conferences

The Branches of the Department

     There are no branches in the department but the general disciplines of the teaching staff of psychology department which include the following:

1- Social Psychology

2- Psychology of Personality

3- Cognitive Psychology

4- Educational Psychology

5- Experimental Psychology

6- Psycholinguistics

7- Mental Health 

8- Psychological Assessment

9- Personal growth

10- Educational and psychological measurement

11- Applied Statistics

The Establishment of the Department of Sociology

The Department of Psychology was established in 1951-1952.

Vision

     The departments of sociology, in Iraq, aim at achieving the objectives and goals of the university education and academic distinction in accordance with the orientation of Iraqi State. Furthermore, they seek to study the human communities in terms of scientific perspective that helps students to affirm their identity and understand their community by means of quality criteria during the undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

Mission

     The main mission of department of sociology in Iraq is to train qualified specialists in sociology, social service and anthropology. Furthermore, it attempts to provide them with skills, knowledge and modern professional experience represented by informatics skills, teamwork, scientific research, communication and employing them in the field of sociology, social service and anthropology. Moreover, it provides the scientific basis that fulfils the conscious understanding of society problems by means of putting forward course curricula or doing researches and studies in different social fields including cultural sociology, economic sociology, religious sociology, criminal sociology, human development, social politics, social management of social foundations, elder care facility, people with special needs and anthropology with all types, political, medical, urban, globalization and so on.

Objectives

1. Providing communities with social workers and specialists in the fields of sociology, social service and anthropology so as to participate in developing processes and raising the social reality
2. Training social researches and scholars to work in state foundations and to enrol in marketplace and developing new methods and skills for the scientific research
3. Providing Iraqi universities with departments of sociology that specialized with different sociology branches and powered with scientific experience, teaching competence
4. Interacting with Iraqi and Arab and Global universities as well as scientific centre by means of inviting visitor professors and participation or attending conferences .Further, providing consultations and necessary experience to improve working conditions of state facilities of relevance to sociology and its branches to take part in finding solutions for problems or negative social phenomenon
5. Coping with the prerequisites of academic accreditation by scientific or global institutions in terms of developing course curriculum in the field of sociology and providing sources of informatics and labs to boost the scientific research and rehabilitate the students.
6. Contributing in boosting the cultural awareness among individuals of society by taking part in conferences, symposiums, workshops that are held by academic institutions, or state organizations as well as civil society organizations which concerned with sociology
7. Cooperating positively according to thoughtful scientific vision in harmony with the vision of HESR, RC, by training and holding courses, workshops, symposiums, conferences to reinforce scientific relationship
8. Re-habilitating and training graduates in working in Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, education ,culture ,health, social research centre, strategy and Folklore press, civil society organization and independent bodies
9. Coping with theoretical and practical or field aspects in specialized studies in sociology and social services, anthropology by conducting and doing researches and studies organizing symposiums, conferences and workshops in Iraq or abroad

The Branches of the Department

1. Sociology

It is a mixture of theoretical and field aspects of sociology. It attempts to figure out social problems in the light of social theories in the world. Let it be known that these theories have been changed in the era of globalization

2. Social Service

The main concern is to serve individuals and society groups, organize society. Bearing in mind all the branches of sociology are concerned with studying individual problems in society.

3. Social Anthropology

It is concerned with field studies of the societies: local, rural, urban and it attempts to draw plans and projects to process these problems.

     The students are obliged to study these branches in the first and second years of study, starting from the third year the students should major in one branch according to the average of the first and second academic year.