Middle Eastern and North African Studies Minor

Minimum credits required: 21 (7 courses)

Foreign Language:

Two semesters of foreign language. Arabic is preferred, but French or Spanish may be approved as appropriate for the student’s area study plans. Students with native fluency may appeal for exemption.

Elective Courses:

 Elective courses selected from the menu below. TWO of the elective courses must be at the 300-400 level.

• ECN 362I - Economics of Developing Countries, 3 credit hours
• FRN 311I - Civilization II, 3 credit hours
• HIS 236I - Women in Asian Civilizations, 3 credit hours
• HIS 288I - Islamic History 600-1800, 3 credit hours
• HIS 381I - The Arab-Israeli Conflicts, 4 credit hours
• HIS 389I - The Modern Middle East, 4 credit hours
• INT 200I - Introduction to International Studies, 3 credit hours

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• POL 215I - United Nations, 2 credit hours and
• POL 216IX - International Organizations: Case Studies, 1-3 credit hours

• (when MENA country is a case study), 3 credit hours total

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• REL 108I - Islam, 2 credit hours
• REL 110 - Judaism, 3 credit hours
• SOC 270I - Terrorism: Roots and Responses, 3 credit hours
• ARA/FRN Seminar in Franco-Arab Studies, 3 credit hours

Electives in Middle Eastern Studies: (Choose two of the following)

Of the elective courses, TWO courses must be wholly devoted to the study of Middle Eastern history, cultural, or politics, and must be selected from the menu below.

• REL 108I - Islam, 2 credit hours
• HIS 288I - Islamic History 600-1800, 3 credit hours
• HIS 381I - The Arab-Israeli Conflicts, 4 credit hours
• HIS 389I - The Modern Middle East, 4 credit hours

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• POL 263(I, D) - Seminar in Political Science, 1-3 credit hours OR
• POL 363(I) - Seminar in Political Science, 2-3 credit hours

• (when taught as Middle East Politics), 3 credit hours

Capstone:

Students must complete a capstone thesis or project, XXX 491 or 492 Departmental Thesis of Project, related to the Middle East or North Africa. The project or thesis may be conducted in any department, with the approval of the director of the MENA minor.

Notes:

Topics courses, LAC, or seminars on subjects related to Middle Eastern culture or society may also be counted toward the minor, with the permission of the director of the MENA minor.

We recommend that students have a study abroad experience in the Middle East or North Africa. Courses taken during the study abroad experience may count for the minor and may stand in for area C courses if they are wholly devoted to study of Middle Eastern history, culture, or politics. Students should have the MENA minor director approve plans for coursework to be taken during study abroad.

We recommend that students who do study abroad follow up with further language experience, such as summer immersion programs, translation projects, or target-language research.