<p>I was wondering if I have to know either Arabic or Hebrew to do well in these Majors, and if I do not know these two languages whatsoever (I am interested in the field however) would I still be able to excel in the major and field? Also, to major in a language such as Spanish, at what level should I be able to speak it/read it?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Steve</p>
<p>Generally, a knowledge of a Middle Eastern language is specified as part of the requirements for a major in Middle Eastern studies. To excel in that field, yes, I would think you do need to know a relevant language. This could be Arabic, but you could learn Turkish or Persian instead, if you are interested in Turkish or Iranian studies.
For Judaic Studies, Hebrew usually is required. I suppose you could do Yiddish instead for certain literary or historical studies.</p>