REQUIREMENTS FOR MINOR :

The Minor in Middle Eastern Studies (MES) was established in 2003 to expose students to the diverse cultures, languages, literatures, religions, and political systems of the Middle East as it takes center stage in the international geopolitical landscape. To improve the quality of the Minor and to take advantage of new courses being offered we have changed the requirements for the Minor effective Fall 2008.

New Requirements:

Students must complete a total of 20 credits (6 courses) for the Minor in Middle Eastern Studies: 8 credits in a regional language, 3 credits in one core course, and another 9 credits in upper division courses (numbered 300 or above). All in all, at least 12 credits should be in upper division courses (numbered 300 or above). In accordance with university policy a maximum of six credits may be counted toward more than one degree.

The 20 credits in the Middle Eastern Studies Minor should be distributed as follows:

I. Two consecutive courses in one regional language (see list below) (8 credits)

  • ARB 101: Arabic I
  • ARB 102: Arabic II
  • ARB 201: Arabic III
  • ARB 202: Arabic IV
  • ARB 301: Advanced Arabic
  • PRS 101: Persian I
  • PRS 102: Persian II
  • PRS 201: Persian III
  • PRS 202: Persian IV
  • HEB 101: Hebrew I
  • HEB 102: Hebrew II
  • HEB 201: Hebrew III

II. One of the following two core courses (3 credits):

  1. HST/MES 318: Introduction to Modern Middle East
    2. or
  2. PSC/MES 344: Politics of the Middle East

III. Three upper division courses from at least two different departments including but not limited to the following list (9 credits):

  • ANT/HWT/MES 382: Health in the Middle East
  • ANT/IRP/MES 468: Middle East in Anthropological Perspective
  • ARC 435/FIA 457: Islamic Architecture
  • HEB 301: Advanced Hebrew
  • HST 373: Middle East Since 1500
  • HST/MES 318: Introduction to Modern Middle East
  • HST/MES 319: Middle East in the 20th Century
  • PSC/MES 344: Politics of the Middle East
  • PSC/MES 345: Islam and Politics in Asia
  • PSC/MES 349: Politics of Iran
  • PSC/MES 366: Representations of the Middle East
  • PSC/MES 367: Oil, Water & War
  • REL 301: Ancient Near Eastern Religions and Cultures
  • REL 324: Religions and Storytelling
  • REL/JSP 302: The Temple and the Dead Sea Scrolls
  • REL/JSP 334: Modern Judaism
  • REL/JSP/LIT 335: Israeli Literature & Culture
  • REL 364: Islamic Literatures
  • REL/SAS 367: Islamic Arts and Aesthetics
  • REL/PHI/JSP 435: Modern Judaic Thought
  • REL/WSP/SAS 465: Gender in Islam
  • PSC/MES/HST 368: Islam and the West
  • PSC/SOC 362/REL 355: Religion, Identity & Power
  1. A maximum of three credits of independent studies can be applied to the minor.
  2. Up to six credits of special topic courses can be counted toward the minor by submitting a petition to the Program Director.
  3. A maximum of 9 credits of relevant, departmentally-approved course work taken overseas or at another university may be applied to the minor.
  4. Experience credit courses (i.e., internships) may not be used to satisfy the requirements of the Middle Eastern Studies major.
  5. Students who wish to seek exemption from any of the above requirements need to submit a petition to the Program Director.

Important Note:

  • Beginning in December 2008 any student graduating will have to have meet the new requirements. This will happen automatically without the need for any paperwork or drops/adds.
  • Those students currently in the minor can be “grandfathered in” meaning that if they had declared the MES Minor prior to Fall 2008 they can fulfill the old requirements (listed below). However, they need to obtain a signed petition from the Program Director for their files so that the Recorders can clear their minors. Students who wish to pursue this option don’t have to drop and then add the Minor again.

Old Requirements:

The old MES Minor required students to take 21 credits (at least 12 credits in courses numbered 300 or above). Students take a twelve-credit core, consisting of:

  • an introductory course on Middle Eastern politics (PSC/MES 344)
  • a course about the Judaic tradition (either JSP/REL 135, JSP/REL 231, or JSP/REL 335)
  • a course about the Islamic tradition (either REL 165, REL 364, or REL 367)
  • Senior Seminar Topics in Middle Eastern Studies (MES 430)
  • In addition, students take nine credits from the elective list.

To declare a minor in Middle Eastern Studies, the student needs to follow these five steps:

  • Pick up a "Declaration of Minor Form" from the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office (329 Hall of Languages) or from their home department.
  • In filling out the form, please use "MID10MIN" for the section entitled “Code.”
  • Bring the form to Professor Mehrzad Boroujerdi (332 Eggers Hall, 443-5877;mboroujerdi@maxwell.syr.edu) to sign.
  • Take the form back to your home college (i.e., Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office in 329 Hall of Languages) to acquire another signature.
  • Go to the Registrar Office (first floor of Steele Hall) and hand them the form so that they can officially list the Minor in your transcript.

The following courses are approved for credit in Middle Eastern Studies:

Anthropology

ANT/IRP 600 Middle East in Anthropological Perspective (*)

Architecture
ARC 435/ARC 735 Islamic Architecture

Fine Arts
FIA 482 The Rise of Global Pop
FIA 490 Independent Studies in Middle Eastern Music

Geography
GEO 400 Geography of Israel and Palestine

History
HST 300 Gender, Colonialism, Nationalism
HST 318 Islamic Civilization 1500 to 1900
HST 319 The Byzantine Empire
HST 373 Middle East Since 1500
HST/JSP 392 History of the Holocaust
HST 401 The Modern Middle East
HST 700 Israel National Security, 1949-present

Language, Literature and Linguistics
ARB 101 Arabic I
ARB 102 Arabic II
ARB 201 Arabic III
ARB 202 Arabic IV
FLL 100 Persian I
HEB 101 Hebrew I
HEB 102 Hebrew II
HEB 201 Hebrew III
HEB 202 Hebrew IV
TRK 101 Turkish I
TRK 102 Turkish II
TRK 201 Turkish III
TRK 202 Turkish IV

Political Science
PSC/MES 300 Representations of the Middle East
PSC/MES 300 Oil, Water & War
PSC 300 Sociology of Islamic Fundamentalism
PSC/MES 300 Middle Eastern Political Systems
PSC/MES 300 Islamic Political Thought
PSC/MES 300 Transitions to Democracy
PSC/MES/REL 300: Sociology of Islamic Fundamentalism
PSC/MES/WSP 300 Women in the Muslim World
PSC/MES 344 Politics of the Middle East
PSC/MES 345 Islam and Politics in Asia
PSC/MES 349 Politics of Iran
PSC 350 Contemporary Issues in the Middle East
PSC 682 Social Theory & Middle East Politics (*)
PSC 700 International Relations of the Middle East (*)
PSC700/LAW 790 Perspectives on Terrorism
PSC 760 International Negotiations

Religion
REL/JSP 114 The Bible
REL/JSP 135 Judaism
REL/SAS 165 The Islamic Tradition
REL 200 Science and Spirituality in Islam
REL/JSP 215 The Hebrew Bible
REL 217 The New Testament
REL/JSP/LIT/ETS 231 Judaic Literature
REL 301 Ancient Near Eastern Religions and Cultures
REL/JSP 302 Second Temple Judaism
REL/JSP/LIT 333 Hebrew & Yiddish Literature in Translation
REL/JSP 334 Modern Judaism
REL/JSP/LIT 335 Israeli Literature & Culture
REL 364 Islamic Literatures
REL 367 Islamic Arts and Aesthetics
REL/PHI/JSP 435 Modern Judaic Thought
REL/JSP 439 Hasidic Stories
REL/WSP/SAS 465 Gender in Islam
REL 607 Ancient Religious Rhetoric
REL 625 Pluralism in Islam (*)
REL/ANT 628 Muslim Rituals, Practices, and Performance (*)
REL 676/JSP 600 Religion and Literature (*)

Courses designated with (*) satisfy the Senior Seminar requirement for the Minor (MES 430)