The Department of West Asian Languages and Cultures was established in early 2009, made up of some majors from the former Department of Oriental Studies. It consists of three teaching and research units: Persian Language and Culture Unit, Hebrew Language and Culture Unit, and Ancient Oriental Civilization Unit. The department currently has a faculty of eight, two of whom are full professors, four tenured associate professors, one lecturer and one assistant professor. Two research institutes are affiliated to the department, namely Center for Iranian Culture Studies and Center for Israeli and Judean Culture Studies.

The Department of West Asian Languages and Cultures offers undergraduate courses in modern Persian and Hebrew. Students with proper training in their undergraduate education may pursue graduate studies at MA and doctoral levels with concentrations in Israel studies, Hebrew language and culture, Hebrew Bible study, Persian language and literature, history and culture of Iran, and ancient oriental civilizations (Assyriology, Hittitology).

The department offers graduate courses in ancient languages, including Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, Cuneiform Luwian, Hieroglyphic Luwian, Lycian, Persian, Iranian History, Specialized Studies on Persian Writers and Their Works, Hebrew Bible, Cuneiform Literatures, etc.

These courses are offered by the three constituent units of the department, specializing respectively in Iranian study, Hebrew language and culture and ancient oriental civilizations.

Established in 1957, the Persian Language and Culture Unit is the oldest institution that engages in Persian teaching and research in domestic universities. For more than sixty years, it has trained more than 200 BA, MA and doctoral graduates in Persian language and culture for the country.

The Hebrew Language and Culture Unit was founded in 1985 and enrolled eight students then. It is the first undergraduate program to teach modern Hebrew language in domestic universities. In 1991, this teaching and research unit was formally established, and more than 100 BA and MA graduates have been trained so far.

The Ancient Oriental Studies Unit was established in 1994. The unit does not enroll undergraduate students. It undertakes the teaching tasks of some compulsory courses, general courses and public elective courses in the department and the school. Since 1998, the unit has enrolled students majoring in ancient oriental civilizations for Master's degree. Since 2002, the unit has recruited PhD students in the research area of ancient West Asian languages and cultures. Since 2007, the unit has enrolled PhD students in the research area of the ancient Anatolian civilizations.