Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies - Linguistic Specialization (Pending MHEC approval)

Required specific courses (24 hrs)

The linguistic component of this major can be satisfied by the study of any of the 4 major languages spoken in the Middle East (Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew or Turkish). Since McDaniel College only offers Arabic at this time, we will only list courses we teach in Arabic. At the discretion of the Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and in consultation with the coordinator of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, the study of other languages will be accepted. Students must show proficiency in that language at the same level as Arabic.

Study Abroad Requirement (12 hrs)

All students pursuing a major in Middle Eastern Studies must spend at least 12 weeks studying abroad in an Arabic-speaking country (or in a country where one of the other 3 languages is spoken) enrolled in a program with at least 8 credits of Arabic (Farsi, Hebrew or Turkish) language courses.

Four 4-credit courses (16 hrs)

Two of these courses must be at or above the 3000-level

AHY 2220 - The Art of the Ancient Near East
AHY 2242 - Art and Culture of Islam
GSC Islam’s Contributions to Science (peinding approval)
HIS 3316 - Seminar: The Crusades
MUL 2212 - World Music Only if it about the Arab World
MUS 2234 - Music in the Arab World
PSI 2236 - The Politics of the Middle East
PSI 3315 - The Politics of Ethnicity and Nationalism
PSI 3333 - Conflict Resolution, Peacemaking, and Peacekeeping in Post-Cold War World
PSI The Threat of Terrorism to National Security (pending approval)
SIS 2005 - September 11th and Its Aftermath

Special Topics Courses

Special topics courses such as HIS 2265: The Arab-Israeli Conflict, REL 2265: Islam, REL 2265: Women in Islam and the Middle East, SOC 2265: Growing up in Gaza and other courses approved by the Program Coordinator.

Capstone (4 hrs)

The Senior Capstone in Middle Eastern Studies is designed as an individual research project directed by a member of the Middle Eastern Studies Faculty and approved by the Program Coordinator. The research project or paper will reflect the depth, breadth, and focus of the student’s educational experience in Middle Eastern Studies, and will be shared with faculty and students in an oral presentation during the Spring Semester of the senior year. When appropriate, the capstone may also be done in the Program as an individual project under the supervision of the Program Coordinator.

Departmental Writing

The Departmental Writing requirement may be satisfied in either of the following ways:

An individually designed program, as approved by the Program Coordinator and the Curriculum Committee.
Completion of the approved Department Writing requirement in any of the participating departments, be it a single course or a program of courses.