Middle East Studies

All students are required to take MES 100 Middle East: Connections and Conversations (1-credit) course.

Middle East Studies recommends the following distribution for the remaining (elective) 18 credits:

• 6 credits in humanities (Art u0026amp; Art History, English, History, Philosophy, Humanities)
• 6 credits in social sciences (Economics, Global Studies, Sociology, Political Science)
• 6 credits drawn from any combination of courses approved by the program.

Students are also strongly encouraged to study a relevant language (such as Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Persian, Kurdish etc.), credit for which may be transferred in from other institutions. These credits will be counted toward the minor, but only for a maximum of nine (9) of 18 total elective credits.

The following courses have been approved to satisfy the Middle East studies minor requirements. Other courses, including study-abroad courses and independent studies, may count toward the minor provided their content is sufficiently related to Middle East studies (subject to the director’s approval).

Required Courses

MIDDLE EAST STUDIES

• MES 100 Middle East: Connections and Conversations (1-credit)

Electives (18 credits)

ARABIC

• ARB 101 –Elementary Arabic I
• ARB 102 –Elementary Arabic II
• ARB 103 –Elementary Arabic III
• ARB 201 –Arabic Composition
• ARB 490 –Independent Study in Arabic Language and Culture

ART HISTORY

• ARH 307 From Abraham to Alexander, The Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Middle East
• ARH 444 Sacred Space in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

GLOBAL STUDIES

• GST/ PHL 328: Islamic Philosophy in the Global Context

HISTORY

• HIS 339 Ancient Egypt
• HIS 342 History of the Middle East to 1920
• HIS 345 History of the Modern Middle East

HUMANITIES

• HUM 315 Islam: Origins, Theology, and Practice

PHILOSOPHY

• PHL 480: Philosophy in the Islamic World

POLITICAL SCIENCE

PSC 361 International Politics of the Middle East

PSC 329 Comparative Middle Eastern Politics

Students are encouraged to spend time in the Middle East, learn languages of the region, and immerse themselves in the diverse cultures of the region. Providence College offers access to several study abroad programs (other programs can be designed in consultation with the program’s director):

Jordan- Amman

• Jordan: Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action (SIT)
• Jordan Study Abroad (CET)

Israel- Haifa

• Haifa Israeli and Middle Eastern Studies (Boston University)

Morocco- Rabat

Morocco: Multiculturalism and Human Rights (SIT)

Morocco: Migration and Transnational Identity (SIT)

Dr. Gizem Zencirci
Middle East Studies Program Director
401.865.2365
fzencirc@providence.edu