Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies

Coordinator: Dr. Mohamed Esa

The Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies Major is an interdisciplinary program that provides an insight into the history, culture, religion, politics, and current events in the Middle East and Northern Africa. In addition, the major in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies provides the students with a solid grounding in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). After completion of such a major, students are expected to be able to read, write and communicate orally in Arabic. Students majoring in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies will also learn about the contributions of Arabs and Muslims to world civilization. Hopefully, they will become bridge builders who can promote mutual understanding, respect of and appreciation for the Arab World and the Middle East.

Students majoring in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies can choose one of two areas of study: a linguistic or a cultural specialization The linguistic specialization would consist of as many courses in Arabic as possible, a study abroad component, plus a certain number of courses in English from art history, history, music, political science, religious studies, sociology or any other field with courses related to the Arab world, the Middle East or Islam. The cultural specialization would consist of a minimum number of courses in Arabic or any other language from the Middle East (Turkish, Hebrew or Farsi), a shorter period of study abroad component and a substantial number of courses in English, depending on the area of interest of the students: history, political science, religious studies, sociology, etc.