Middle East Studies (Minor)
The Middle East Studies Minor complements majors in all disciplines, including the sciences, humanities, business, and engineering by providing an interdisciplinary study of a vibrant and critical region of the world. It provides students with an in-depth understanding of the region, its languages, peoples, histories, and cultures. The minor enhances student employment opportunities in both public and private sectors. It also facilitates the development of skills necessary to work and live successfully in the Middle East. Study Abroad and internship programs in the Middle East are offered to encourage and support student engagement in the region. Students can tailor the Minor to suit their individual interests. No courses for the minor may be taken for S/U credit.
As part of the minor, students are strongly encouraged to participate in Study Abroad Program in the Middle East; however, this is not required.
Admissions
To be admitted to the program, a student must have a GPA of at least 2.0. Application for admission to any University minor program is now available via MyPack Portal. Admission will be based upon the student’s academic record, and in most cases no longer requires departmental review. Go to the Add a Minor page to apply. (Students may declare the minor when they are enrolled in a class that counts toward the minor.)
Certification
Students should declare the minor as soon as they have completed the first course for the minor, and complete their course work according to their minor degree audit, and the minor requirements. Students can monitor their progress toward completing the minor by viewing their Minor Degree Audit online, anytime, in MyPack Portal. Questions regarding unmet course requirements on the Minor Degree Audit (indicated by a red ‘X’) should be directed to the Minor Coordinator, below. Students contact the Coordinator of Advising, once they have completed all of their courses for the minor, or during the registration period for the student’s final semester at NC State, in order to complete the final certification of the minor. Students will receive official recognition on their transcripts for the completed minor.
Contact Person
Jodi Stewart Khater
411 Withers hall
919.515.2509
jskhater@ncsu.edu
Plan Requirements
- Completion of 15 credit hours as required.
- 9 Credit hours must be taken at NC State and a maximum of six (6) credit hours may be transferred into the minor from another institution.
- A maximum of TWO (2) courses may double-count between major departmental requirements and courses counting toward the minor.
- A maximum of TWO (2) courses may double-count between courses counting toward this minor and additonal minors.
- A minimum of C- is required for all courses.
- No courses for the minor may be taken for S/U credit.
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Course | |||
| Select one of the following 201-level Middle Eastern language courses: 1 | 3 | ||
| Intermediate Arabic I | |||
| Intermediate Persian I | |||
| Elective Courses | |||
| Select four of the following: | 12 | ||
| Anthropology of the Middle East | |||
| Special Topics in Anthropology (appropriate Middle East offerings per approval of the minor advisor) | |||
| Ancient Mediterranean World | |||
| Modern Middle East | |||
| Jewish History | |||
| Modern Egypt | |||
| Civilization of the Ancient Near East | |||
| Islamic History to 1798 | |||
| Islam in the Modern World | |||
| Modern European Imperialism | |||
| History of U.S. Foreign Relations, 1900-Present | |||
| Oil and Crisis in the Gulf | |||
| History of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict | |||
| Women in the Middle East | |||
| Seminar in History (topic must be related to Middle East and approved by Program Administrator) | |||
| Independent Study in History (appropriate Middle East offerings per approval of the minor advisor) | |||
| Intermediate Arabic II | |||
| Advanced Intermediate Arabic I | |||
| Media Arabic | |||
| Modern Arabic Short Story | |||
| Senior Seminar in World Languages & Cultures | |||
| Egyptian Culture through Film | |||
| Modern Arab Popular Culture | |||
| Literature, Cinema and Culture of the Francophone World | |||
| Special Topics in World Languages and Cultures | |||
| Special Topics in World Languages & Cultures | |||
| Independent Study in World Languages & Cultures | |||
| Intermediate Persian II | |||
| Issues in Global Politics | |||
| Governments and Politics in the Middle East | |||
| Religious Traditions of the World | |||
| Introduction to the Old Testament | |||
| Islam | |||
| Judaism | |||
| Islamic History to 1798 | |||
| Islam in the Modern World | |||
| Religion and Conflict | |||
| Special Topics in Religious Studies (appropriate Middle East offerings per approval of the minor advisor) | |||
| Total Hours | 15 | ||
- 1
Demonstrated 201 equivalency in Turkish or Hebrew (not currently taught at NCSU, but transfer credit and/or proficiency may be applied as determined by the Middle East Studies minor advisor).
Important Notes regarding the required language course:
- Most students will need to take the 101/102 series of language courses prior to their enrollment in the required 201 course, and should plan their schedules accordingly.
- The Student may waive the Language Course requirement by showing proficiency at the 201 level in a Middle Eastern language. Please contact the Middle East Studies minor advisor to make an appointment for the proficiency test.
- Related language courses taken at NCSU above the 201 level may be counted as elective courses for the Middle East Studies minor.
Notes:
- Students are required to obtain the approval of the minor advisor for special topics courses before enrolling in such courses.
- Middle East language courses that are above 201 can also be counted as part of the 12 credit hour requirement.
- Courses taken as part of the 12 elective credits must be from 2 or more different departments.