Undergraduate Bulletin

Fall 2024

Requirements for the Minor in Middle Eastern Studies (MES)

All courses offered for the minor must be taken for a letter grade. Failure to obtain prior approval of the program may result in denial of credit for the minor

Completion of the minor requires 18 credits chosen from courses on the Middle East or Muslim societies, of which at least nine credits must be upper-division. Courses to be distributed as follows:
a. 12 credits in courses on the student's approved topic
b. 6 credits in courses from other minor topic areas in Middle Eastern studies

Note:
Besides the required courses, it is strongly recommended that students take a year of language related to their chosen topic area.

Sample Programs
The following programs are suggested as examples only. Students should consult an advisor about other possibilities, such as Islamic studies, Middle Eastern history, or Semitic languages and linguistics. The courses indicated in parentheses are recommended language courses but are not required.

Near Eastern Religions
ANT 360 Ancient Mesopotamia
JDH 230/RLS 230 Judaism
JDH 320/RLS 320 The Rabbinic Tradition
JDS 225/HIS 225 The Formation of the Judaic Heritage
JDS 226/HIS 226 The Shaping of Modern Judaism
AAS 280/RLS 280 Islam
AAS 380/RLS 380 Islamic Classics
SOC 386 State and Society in the Middle East
ARB 111, ARB 112 Elementary Arabic or ARB 211, ARB 212 Intermediate Arabic or HBW 111, HBW 112 Elementary Hebrew

Ancient Near East
ANT 290 Science and Technology in Ancient Society
ANT 358 Ways to Civilization
ANT 360 Ancient Mesopotamia
JDS 225/HIS 225 The Formation of the Judaic Heritage
SOC 264 Introduction to Middle Eastern Society
ARB 111, ARB 112 Elementary Arabic or ARB 211, ARB 212 Intermediate Arabic or HBW 111, HBW 112 Elementary Hebrew

Middle Eastern Culture and Politics
ANT 310 Ethnography (appropriate topic only)
ANT 311 Immersion in Another Culture (appropriate topic only)
AAS 280/RLS 280 Islam
AAS 380/RLS 380 Islamic Classics
SOC 264 Introduction to Middle Eastern Society
ARB 111, ARB 112 Elementary Arabic or ARB 211, ARB 212 Intermediate Arabic or  HBW 111, HBW 112 Elementary Hebrew