Table of Contents

3420 Middle East Studies

Programs Offered:

  • Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with a Concentration in Middle East Studies
  • Minor in Middle East Studies
  • Minor in Arabic 

Department of World Languages and Cultures
19th floor, 25 Park Place Bldg.
404-413-5980
wlc.gsu.edu

William Nichols, Chair
Germán Torres, Associate Chair
Faye Stewart, Undergraduate Director
Ian Campbell, Faculty Coordinator

The Department of World Languages and Cultures offers an interdisciplinary major in Middle East Studies (MES), a minor in Middle East Studies and a minor in Arabic. The major is ideal for students who want a well-rounded understanding of the Middle East along with the opportunity to study languages of the region. Students take courses on the Middle East in a variety of disciplines, including history, political science, religious studies, communication and women’s studies. Each student selects the specific courses included in his or her program of study in consultation with a program advisor. The MES major prepares students for graduate school or for careers in government, business, the non-profit sector or the military.

MES faculty offer courses in three Middle Eastern languages: Arabic, Hebrew and Turkish. Summer intensive courses are offered in some languages. The department encourages students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities to deepen their knowledge of the culture and languages of the Middle East.

The department and the Middle East Center sponsor a dynamic set of activities outside the classroom, including a lecture series and cultural activities, focused on achieving greater understanding of the rich and varied cultures of the Middle East. Arabic and Turkish coffee hours are a great way for students to engage with other students and faculty and experience Middle East culture. For more information visit: wlc.gsu.edu.

Program Admission

Students may enroll in a concentration upon admission to Georgia State University. Students who wish to change their major to this degree program should select a concentration in consultation with their academic advisor and the faculty coordinator. A 2.0 Georgia State University GPA is required.

Students who enroll in a concentration will be required to submit a course plan checklist to demonstrate their understanding of the degree requirements. It is highly recommended that students develop a course of study with their specific faculty coordinator before taking coursework in the degree program to avoid taking courses that will not count towards graduation.

Academic Advisement for Undergraduate Students

Academic advisement for undergraduate students is provided through the University Advisement Center (freshman through junior status/fewer than 90 hours) and the college’s Office of Academic Assistance (senior status/90 or more hours). See section 3040 for additional information.

Program Degree Requirements

Please refer to the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies section 3030.30 of this catalog for academic regulations for this program.

Students must complete coursework in at least three disciplines (defined by course prefixes) in Area G and in at least two disciplines in Area H. Areas G and H should be constructed so that students take courses in distinct disciplines in each area (with some overlap expected); that is, the same prefix should not predominate in both Area G and H.

In addition to the Program Degree Requirements, students must fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements (see section 3030) and the University Degree Requirements (see section 1400).

Program Financial Information

Effective summer 2009, lab fees will be assessed automatically for students who register for certain courses. As a result, students will no longer be required to purchase lab fee cards. For more information, please feel free to contact the department or review the GoSolar or catalog course listings to determine if a course includes a lab fee.

B.I.S. with a Concentration in Middle East Studies

Area F: Courses Appropriate to the Major (18)

  1. Required Language Courses: competency in Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, or another Middle Eastern language through 2002 level (9-12)
  2. Select additional elective courses from the following to complete 18 hours in Area F:
    • AH 1700 Survey of Art I: Western Art from Antiquity to the Middle Ages (3)
    • AH 1750 Survey of Art II: Western Art from the Renaissance to the Present (3)
    • AH 1850 Survey of Art III: Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas (3)
    • AL 2102 Languages of the World (3)
    • ANTH 1102 Introduction to Anthropology (3)
    • ANTH 2010 Introduction to Biological Anthropology (3)
    • GEOG 1101 Introduction to Human Geography (3)
    • HIST 1111 Survey of World History to 1500
    • HIST 2500 Contemporary World History (3)
    • POLS 2401 Global Issues (3)
    • RELS 2001 Introduction to World Religions (3)

Area G: Area of Concentration (27-33)

Students must complete coursework in at least three disciplines (defined by course prefixes) in Area G.

  1. Required Course to fulfill CTW requirement (3)
    Select one course:

    • ECON 3900 Macroeconomics (3)
    • HIST 3000 Introduction to Historical Studies-CTW (3)
    • POLS 3800 Introduction to Political Research-CTW (3)
    • RELS 3750 Theories and Methods in Religious Studies-CTW (3)
  2. Required Course to fulfill CTW requirement (3)
    Select one course:

    • ARBC 4501 Classical Arabic Lit & Culture (3)
    • ARBC 4502 Modern Arabic Literature in Translation (3)
  3. Select two courses (6-8)
  4. Fifteen to nineteen hours taken at the 3000 level or above from the Middle East Studies course list below or other appropriate courses selected in consultation with the program coordinator.

New courses are regularly added to this list, please check with the Department of World Languages and Cultures for the most recent list of courses.

Area H: Allied Field (15-21)

Students must complete coursework in at least two disciplines (defined by course prefixes) in Area H. In consultation with the adviser, students choose courses in from two or more departments.

Area J: Electives

Electives are used to build the hours in Areas G-J to 60 hours, have 39 hours at Georgia State University taken at the 3000-4000 level for residency, and complete 120 hours required for graduation.

Study Abroad

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in a study abroad program to the region. MES faculty members regularly conduct related summer programs. Students may also study abroad in the region on semester and year-long programs.

Minor in Middle East Studies

Select 15 semester hours from the following courses or other appropriate courses selected in consultation with the program coordinator:

Graduation with Distinction in the Major

This unit offers undergraduate students with the opportunity to earn the designation of graduation with distinction in the major. Please contact the undergraduate director for the specific criteria for this honor.