Middle Eastern Studies, BA

Program Director:

Yüksel Sezgin
100 Eggers Hall
315-443-4431
mes@maxwell.syr.edu

Faculty

Lamis Abdelaaty, Hossein Bashiriyeh, Zachary J. Braiterman, Erella Brown, Michal Downie, Miriam Fendius Elman, Carol Fadda-Conrey, Ken Frieden, Rania Habib, Timur Hammond, Susan Henderson, Violette Humsi, Jeanette S. Jouili, Amy Kallander, Tazim R. Kassam, Osamah F. Khalil, Amos Kiewe, Natalie Koch, Jaklin Kornfilt, Sandra D. Lane, Dana M. Olwan, Kara Richardson, Robert A. Rubinstein, Yüksel Sezgin, James W. Watts, Yael Zeira, Corri Zoli

The Middle Eastern Studies Program (MESP) provides students with the opportunity to study the languages, history, culture, religions and politics of the Middle East. Overseen by the College of Arts & Sciences and the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs at the Maxwell School, the MESP brings together faculty members from many departments including Anthropology, Architecture, Art and Music Histories, English and Textual Studies, Geography, Health and Wellness, History, International Relations, Language, Literature, and Linguistics, Law, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion and Women’s and Gender Studies.

For all Arts and Sciences|Maxwell students, successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in this major requires a minimum of 120 credits, 96 of which must be Arts and Sciences|Maxwell credits, completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements, and the requirements for this major that are listed below.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Describe modern history and political development of the Middle East region

2. Acquire and demonstrate basic knowledge of one of the four languages, widely used in the region (i.e., Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish)

3. Recognize key peoples, geography, social, intellectual, and/or religious facets of the Middle East region

4. Use cultural knowledge to analyze cultural differences

5. Use a variety of methodological and theoretical approaches from the humanities, social sciences, and/or related professions in the study of the Middle Eastern region

Major Requirements

This interdisciplinary major, leading to a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies, requires 36 credits in Middle Eastern Studies courses.

The major will require students to complete- (a) Three consecutive semesters in one of the regional languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish), (3x4=12 credits). (b) Students must take 24 credits of elective MES content courses that concentrate on the history, politics, society, and culture of the area including Iran, Turkey, Israel, and the Arab world. Other regions, which have been influenced by Middle Eastern societies and cultures, are also included. These courses must be drawn from at least 3 different departments (3x8=24 credits). No more than six credits may be from 100/200-level courses.

The Major is open to all undergraduates who have a GPA of 2.8 or better.

Prospective majors must meet with the Program Director before submitting a major application.

A maximum of six credits of independent study can be applied to the major by petition.

Elective Courses

Students must take 24 credits of elective MES content courses across at least three different departments that concentrate on the history, politics, society, and culture of the area including Iran, Turkey, Israel, and the Arab world-other regions, which have been influenced by Middle Eastern societies and cultures, are also included.

No more than six credits can be earned in 100/200-level courses.