Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Introduction to Middle East Studies. Provides an overview of the scholarly study of the region, including basic concepts, historical development and current debates.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
The Ancient Mediterranean. (Same as Hist 3500.) Political, cultural, religious, economic, and social developments of the Ancient Near East, Greece and Rome and their influence on Western Civilization.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Introduction to Judaism. (Same as RelS 3400.) Central practices and beliefs of Jewish tradition; historical development of Judaism from its origins to the reestablishment of the state of Israel, with thematic attention given to the concept of Jewish identity. Texts include primary sources (e.g. Hebrew Bible, Mishnah) in translation, as well as noted Jewish fiction.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Introduction to Islam. (Same as RelS 3500.) Central practices and beliefs of Islam; readings from the Qur'an, hadith and other primary sources (in translation); and contemporary issues in Islam which might include the status of women, Nation of Islam and Islamic fundamentalism and revivalism.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Sufism & Islamic Mysticism. (Same as RelS 3520.) The rise of ascetic and mystical tendencies in Islam; the development of Sufism and the Sufi brotherhoods; the conflict between Sufism and Islamic law, and their eventual reconciliation; anti-Sufi polemics of reformers and fundamentalists in modern times; the continuing importance and vitality of Sufism today.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Introduction to Jewish Studies. (Same as JSt 3000.) A survey of the Jewish experiences since Biblical times, with special attention to the modern period (c. 1680-1945) and contemporary period (1945-present). Students synthesize material drawn from numerous disciplines, including film, history, literature, philosophy and religious studies. The course is facilitated by a lead teacher, with regular guest lectures by faculty and experts from different fields. Topics vary with faculty.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
The Middle East, 600 to 1800. (Same as Hist 3780.) Political, cultural, social and economic development in the lands from Spain to Central Asia since the rise of Islam.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
North Africa to 1800. (Same as Hist 3515.) Political, economic, cultural and social history of North Africa and its interactions with the Mediterranean world, Sub-Saharan Africa and the broader world system. Examines the history of the Berbers alongside the history of Arab and European influences in the region from Roman times to 1800.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
The Middle East since 1800. (Same as Hist 3790.) Political, cultural, social and economic development from Morocco to Iran, including imperialism, nationalism, independence and religious revival.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
Medieval Mediterranean/Islamic World. (Same as Hist 3510.) Overview of the history of the Medieval Mediterranean World, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the Atlantic World (500-1500). Topics will include the origins and spread of Islam, cross-cultural contacts around the Mediterranean, the Crusades, and the other examples of Islamic/Christian/Jewish interaction.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
Origins and Collapse Ancient Near East Societies. (Same as Hist 4510.) History of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iran, the Levant, Anatolia and Central Asia from 3500 BCE to 323 BCE. Areas of exploration will include the origins of the state; the development of Egyptian and Mesopotamian kingship; the collapses of the Early and late Bronze Age; human environment interactions; nomads and settled societies; Mesopotamian literature; women's legal status; the Hittite Empire; daily life in an Egyptian village; the invention of the alphabet; Assyrian imperial terrorism; the rise of monotheism; the Persian empire.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
Ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome. (Same as Hist 4520.) History of Persia, Greece, and Rome from 1800 BCE to 500 CE. Areas of exploration will include Bronze Age Greece in Near Eastern context; the 12th century BCE "Catastrophe"; Archaic Greek religion; the polis; Greek drinking parties and politics; the Persian conquest; the rise of Zoroastrianism; Hellenic syncretism; Parthia and Rome as the heirs of Hellenism; the metropolitan Roman empire; disease and demography in Late Antiquity; and the rise of Christianity.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
The Middle East and the Americas. Relationship between the Middle East and the Americas. Explores the use of literature and mass media as well as the impact of the Cold War on present US/Middle East relations. Explores also questions of race, migration to the Americas and political Islam.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
Palestine and Modern Middle East. Social, economic, cultural and political history of Palestine and its relation to the larger Middle East. Starting from the expansion of European power in the nineteenth century at the expense of the Ottoman Empire, the course charts the developments in Palestine during the modern era. Explores history through the prism of violence, state formation, identity politics, nationalism and migration and its larger impact on the Middle East.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Politics of the Middle East and North Africa. (Same as PolS 4260.) Politics and culture of the region. Contemporary issues including: the region's relations with the West, regional conflict, and increasing role of religious movements in politics.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Politics and Religion in Comparative Perspective. Prerequisite (recommended): PolS 3200 or PolS 3400. (Same as PolS 4285.) Role of religious beliefs and institutions on political behavior.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Model Arab League. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (Same as PolS 4952.) An exercise in modeling the process and politics of the Arab League. May be repeated for credit.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Middle East in World Affairs. (Same as PolS 4423.) Prerequisite (recommended): PolS 3400 or PolS 4260. International relations of the Middle East (West Asia and North Africa), combining IR theory and the perspectives of policymakers and other actors of the region.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Government and Politics of South Asia. (Same as PolS 4258.) Examines the societies and politics of South Asia, with specific reference to India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947.
Credit Hour(s): 4.0
Geography of the Middle East and North Africa. (Same as Geog 4408.) An examination of the physical and human geography of the Middle East from Iran to Morocco. Emphasis is placed on forces that define and shape the Middle East today, including the peace process, water resource management, economic development, and the balance between religious and secular life.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Modem Judaism. (Same as RelS 4450.) Key issues and historical events shaping Judaism in the modem world, including Zionism, the development of Jewish denominations, the Holocaust, Middle East conflict, women's roles in Jewish life, and the development of Judaism in the United States. No previous knowledge of Judaism is required; all readings are in English.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Islamic Fundamentalism and the Modem World. (Same as RelS 4480.) Modem Islamic movements including modernization, secularization and fundamentalism. Emphasis on fundamentalist views on women, politics, popular religious practices and violence; Muslim responses and alternatives to fundamentalism.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Special Topics in Islam. (Same as RelS 4570.) Investigation of a specific theme, figure(s) or text(s) within Islam, such as Islamic ethics, historical portrayals of Muhammad, or the Nation of Islam. May be repeated if topic varies.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Life of Muhammad. (Same as RelS 4580.) Study and contrast of various perspectives of the life of the Prophet Muhammad including medieval Muslin hagiographies, medieval European polemics, and modem reinterpretations of both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Judaism. (Same as RelS 4490.) Examination of selected topics in Judaism. May be repeated if topics vary.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Art of Ancient Egypt and Nubia. (Same as AH 4010 and AAS 4310.) Survey of painting, sculpture, architecture and minor arts in ancient Egypt and Nubia with reference to their chronological development and underlying historical, religious and cultural meanings.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt I: 4000-1600 BC. Prerequisite: AH 1700 with grade of C or higher, or consent of instructor. (Same as AH 4011.) An examination of the art and architecture of ancient Egypt from the predynastic period to the Middle Kingdom with reference to stylistic characteristics and historical, religious and cultural contexts.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt II: 1600-31 BC. (Same as AH 4012.) Art and architecture of ancient Egypt from the New Kingdom to the Ptolemaic Period with reference to stylistic development and historical, religious and cultural contexts.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Art and Architecture of the Ancient Near East. Prerequisite: AH 1700 with grade of C or higher, or consent of the instructor. (Same as AH 4020.) An investigation of art and society from the Neolithic period to Alexander the Great, using archaeological data and art historical methods to analyze ancient objects and monuments.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Islamic Philosophy. A survey of the Islamic philosophical tradition, its characteristics and the major questions with which it has concerned itself. Topics include the development of Islamic thought and its different schools, through the development of Islamic legal scholarship, mysticism and philosophy.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0 TO 6.0
Study Abroad. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Students will explore the culture and history of a Middle Eastern country through direct field experience in the country. Foreign language knowledge is not required.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 6.0
Middle East Studies Internship. Prerequisite: Advanced standing, and approval of sponsoring faculty advisor and of department chair. Academic training and professional experience through short-term internships at relevant corporations, non-profit organizations and public or private agencies. Paper required. May be taken more than once, but only three credits may be applied toward major requirements.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 6.0
Special Studies Seminar. This course offers an in-depth examination of an issue in Middle East Studies.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
International Journalism. Prerequisites: Jour 3060 and 3070 with grades of C or higher. Only students with an institutional GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to enroll in this course. (Same as Jour 4650.) Critical and comparative approaches to the study of communication systems and journalism at the national, regional, and global levels. Analysis of issues and implications of the globalization of mass media, information systems, and culture. Strategies for international communication research.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Arab and Islamic Feminisms. (Same as WSt 4840.) We will look at how Arab and Islamic feminisms articulate with concerns of other feminisms indigenous to the global south and how Arab and Islamic feminisms have emerged as oppositional discourses to colonialism, patriarchal nationalism, and Western feminism.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 6.0
Honors Thesis: Research. Prerequisites: consent of the instructor and Honors Program director. Readings or research preparatory to honors thesis.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 6.0
Honors Thesis: Writing. Prerequisites: MES 4870 and consent of the instructor and Honors Program director. Writing or production of honors thesis or project.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 4.0
Independent Study. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and Institute director. This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to do more advanced work in an area in which they have already had regular course work. Not to be used as a substitute for regularly offered upper-level courses. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours if topic varies.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0 TO 4.0
Directed Readings B.I.S.-CTW. Directed Readings designed for Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies students. This course may satisfy the junior and/or senior-level Critical Thinking Through Writing requirements.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 4.0
Directed Readings. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.