We prepare our students to be engaged global citizens and critical thinkers.

 

This minor is intended to enable students to pursue a multi-disciplinary approach to the Middle East and to acquire a thorough understanding of the area from anthropological, economic, historical, literary, political, and religious perspectives.

Students electing this minor must complete at least 15 credits at the 2000, 3000, and 4000-level from at least three fields that satisfy the following criteria.

  1. The basic required course is HIST 3705.
  2. In addition, students must complete four courses from the following list: ANTH 3038; ANTH 3513/HIST 3300; CLCS 3201, 3203; FREN 3218; HEJS 3201; HIST 3704, 3712; HIST 3301/CAMS 3253; HIST 3330/CAMS 3256/HEJS 3218; INTD 3260; POLS 3447, 3462, 3464/W; and any 2000, 3000, and 4000-level courses in Middle East Languages.

Education Abroad courses, POLS 2998, and those offered by the Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (CLCS) Program count toward the minor when the topic contains substantial Middle Eastern material.

With the approval of a student’s Middle Eastern Studies Advisor, one other course not listed above or a 3-credit independent study course with substantial Middle Eastern content may also be counted toward the minor

Students are strongly encouraged to take a Middle Eastern language such as Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish.

Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad at a university in the Middle East.

The minor is offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and supervised by a committee of affiliated faculty. For information, visit the Middle East Studies website.

Contact

Jeremy Pressman, Ph.D.
Director of the Middle East Studies Program
Professor of Political Science
365 Fairfield Way
Storrs, CT 06269

Current Courses

Spring 2024

Course # Title Day/Time Instructor
POLS 2221 Introduction to Government and Politics in the Middle East and North Africa Tu, Th Hind Ahmed Zaki
POLS 3464W The Arab-Israeli Conflict Tu, Th Jeremy Pressman
DRAM 3995 Special Topics in Dramatic Arts : Performance and Islam Tu, Th Asif Majid

 

Past Courses

Fall 2022

Course # Title Day/Time Instructor
ARAB 3000 Classical Arabic Nicola Carpentieri
ARAB 3751 Al-Andalus: Music, Science and Literature in Muslim Spain Nicola Carpentieri
DRAM 4135 & HRTS 3298 Performing Islam Tu, Th
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Asif Majid
HIST 3704 Medieval Islamic Civilization to 1700 Fakhreddin Azimi
HIST 3712T Middle East Crucible Fakhreddin Azimi

Spring 2022

Course # Title Day/Time Instructor
ARAB 2751 Arabic Folk-Tales and Mirror for Princes Tu, Th
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Nicola Carpentieri
ARAB 3550W Classical Arabic Literature Tu, Th
12:30 pm - 1:45 pm
Nicola Carpentieri
DRAM 3995 Special Topics: Palestinian Drama and Literature Tu, Th
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Gary English
HEJS/CAMS/HIST 3330 Palestine under the Greeks and Romans M, W
11:15 am (in-person)
F
11:15am (online)
Stuart Miller
HIST 3705 The Modern Middle East from 1700 to the Present Tu, Th
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Fakhreddin Azimi
HIST 3712 The Middle East Crucible Tu, Th
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Fakhreddin Azimi
POLS 3464W Arab-Israeli Conflict M, W
4:40 pm - 5:55 pm
Jeremy Pressman
POLS/WGSS 3249 Gender Politics and Islam Tu, Th
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Zehra Arat

Fall 2021

Course# Title Day/Time Instructor
ECON 2103 Deep Roots of Modern Societies We, 4:40 pm - 7:10 pm Metin M.  Coşgel
ARIS 3000 Classical Arabic Tu, Th
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Nicola Carpintieri
ARIS 1170 Women's Writing in the Contemporary Arab World Mo, We
2:40 pm - 3:55 pm
Hind Ahmed Zaki
HIST 3704 Medieval Islamic Civilization to 1700 Tu, Th
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Fakhreddin Azimi
HIST 3712 The Middle East Crucible Tu, Th
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Fakhreddin Azimi
ARAB 3212 Arabic Composition and Conversation Tu, Thu
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Maha Darawsha
ARAB 3771 Cinema in the Middle East and North Africa Tu, Thu
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Maha Darawsha
Hazza Abu Rabia

Spring 2021

Course# Title Day/Time Instructor
SPAN 3200 Civilization of Spain until 1800 Tu, Th
12:30 pm - 1:45 pm
Rosa Helena
Chinchilla
HIST 3705 The Modern Middle East from 1700 to the Present Tu, Th
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Fakhreddin Azmi
HIST 3712 The Middle East Crucible Tu, Th
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Fakhreddin Azmi
POLS 5340 Politics and Security in the Middle East Tu
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Jeremy Pressman

Fall 2020

Course# Title Day/Time Instructor
ARAB 3295 Women's Lives in Women's Words MWF
11:15 am - 12:05 pm
Hind Ahmed Zaki
ECON 2103 Deep Roots of Modern Societies Tuesday

5:15-7:45 pm

Metin M. Coşgel
HEJS 2200 Israel: History and Society MW
11:15 am
Avinoam J. Patt
HIST 3704 Medieval Islamic Civilization to 1700 Tu, Th
11:00 am
Fakhreddin Azimi
HIST 3712 The Middle East Crucible Tu, Th
3:30 pm
Fakhreddin Azimi
POLS 2998-005 Political Issues: Contemporary Affairs in the Middle East Tu, Th
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Jeremy Pressman
POLS 2998W-003 Gender and Politics in the Middle East MWF
1:25 - 2:15 pm
Hind Ahmed Zaki
POLS 3208WH Politics of Oil Monday
4:00 - 6:30 pm
Oksan Bayulgen
 POLS 3464W  The Arab-Israeli Conflict Tu, Th
12:30 - 1:45 pm

Jeremy Pressman

 

Spring 2020

Course#

Title

Day/Time

Instructor

ARIS 1211 An Introduction to Islam Th
6:30-9 pm
Ladha
HIST 3705 The Modern Middle East from 1700 to the Present Tu, Th
11-12:15
Azimi
HIST 3712 The Middle East Crucible Tu, Th
2-3:15
Azimi
POLS 3464W Arab-Israeli Conflict Tu, Th
12:30-1:45
Pressman

Fall 2019

Course#

Title

Day/Time

Instructor

POLS 3447 American Diplomacy in the Middle East      Stamford Campus MW
1:25 - 2:15PM
Lefebvre
POLS 3464W Arab-Israeli Conflict Tu, Th
12:30 - 1:45PM
Pressman
POLS 3402 Contemporary International Politics Tu, Th
9:30 - 10:45AM
Pressman
POLS 3208WH Politics of Oil M
4:00 - 6:30PM
Bayulgen
FREN 1176 Literatures and Cultures of the Postcolonial Francophone World Tu, Th
12:30 - 1:45 PM
Ladha
ARAB 3751 Al-Andalus: Music, Literature and Science in Muslim Spain Tu, Th
5:00 - 6:15 PM
Carpentieri
ARIS 3000 Classical Arabic Tu, Th
11:00-12:15 PM
Carpentieri