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Requirements

Middle Eastern and North African Studies Minor

Students interested in Middle Eastern and North African studies should contact Robert G. Morrison, professor of religion.

Requirements for the Minor in Middle Eastern and North African Studies

By studying the languages and cultures of a region outside of Europe and North America, Middle East and North African (MENA) studies minors enhance their awareness of global diversity and learn about the importance of language to understanding other perspectives. MENA minors also improve their ability to analyze historic and current events in the region, and understand how accurate, informed conclusions require both nuance and a recognition of complexity.

The minor consists of five courses.

Required courses:

Select two courses in a single Middle Eastern language a2
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý1101
Elementary Arabic I
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý1102
Elementary Arabic II
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2203
Intermediate Arabic I
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2204
Intermediate Arabic II
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2305
Advanced Arabic
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2306
Advanced Arabic II
Select three courses in the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa b3
¹ó¸é³§Ìý3216
North African Cinema: From Independence to the Arab Spring
³Ò³§°Â³§Ìý2227
Muslim Women: Contemporary Challenges and Activism
³Ò°¿³ÕÌý2690
Islam and Politics
±á±õ³§°ÕÌý2825
Cosmopolitanism and Colonialism: Swahili Civilization and East African History, ca.900--Recent Times
²Ñ·¡±·´¡Ìý2350
Modern Middle Eastern and North African History
²Ñ·¡±·´¡Ìý2620
Race and Settler Colonialisms, Today
±Ê±á±õ³¢Ìý1113
Introduction to Classical Arabic Philosophy
¸é·¡³¢Ìý1150
Introduction to the Religions of the Middle East
¸é·¡³¢Ìý2208
Islam
REL 2209 Gender and Islam
REL 2210 An Introduction to Sufism and Islamic Mysticism
¸é·¡³¢Ìý2232
Approaches to the Qur'an
¸é·¡³¢Ìý2237
Judaism Under Islam
¸é·¡³¢Ìý3333
Islam and Science
³§°¿°äÌý2260
Capitalism, Modernity, and Religion in Turkey
SOC 2380 Gender in the Middle East
a

³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ offers Arabic, but Hebrew, Turkish, and Persian studied off-campus could count, with prior approval. Please see the program director for information about other middle eastern languages.

b

These are examples of courses that fulfill this requirement. Students should consult the program director for more information about additional course options and note that any course offered in or cross-listed with MENA will satisfy this requirement.  Two of the three courses must be from two different ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ departments/programs and no more than one course may be taken at the 1100 level.


Arabic Minor

Requirements for the Minor in Arabic

Students interested in Arabic should contact Batool Khattab, lecturer in Arabic, or Marybeth Bergquist, academic department coordinator.

Arabic minors attain a basic level of proficiency in one of the world’s most difficult languages and also learn how important Arabic is for a deeper understanding of the history, politics, society, and culture of most Middle Eastern and North African countries. Arabic minors enhance their awareness of global diversity by learning more about how important foreign languages are to imagining and understanding other perspectives. 

The minor consists of five courses.

Required courses:

  • Four courses in Arabic instruction (two years, beginning at the level into which the student is placed)
  • A fifth course focusing on any aspect of the cultures of the Middle East or North Africa (such as a course in philosophy, religion, literature, history, or politics) at the 2000 or 3000 level.​
Select four courses in Arabic instruction a4
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý1101
Elementary Arabic I
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý1102
Elementary Arabic II
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2203
Intermediate Arabic I
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2204
Intermediate Arabic II
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2305
Advanced Arabic
´¡¸éµþ°äÌý2306
Advanced Arabic II
Select one course in the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa b1
a

Two years of instruction, beginning at the level into which the student is placed

b

Must be taken at the 2000 or 3000 level. This course may focus on any aspect of the cultures of the Middle East or North Africa, such as a course in history, literature, philosophy, politics, or religion. Students should consult the program director for guidance on course selection.


This is an excerpt from the official ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ College Catalogue and Academic Handbook.