Middle East and North African Studies
Investigate the interaction among the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of society.
As home to several of humanity’s earliest major civilizations and some of today’s most important cultural, political, religious, and social happenings, the Middle East and North African Studies (MENA) region provokes pressing questions central to a liberal arts education and to understanding our complex world. Our interdisciplinary minor offers you the opportunity to study this dynamic region from a variety of academic and artistic perspectives. We conceive of the MENA region to include not only the societies of the central Middle East and North Africa but the many peoples and places directly shaped by developments there, such as interactions between the Ottoman Empire and Europe, Islamicate influences in Southern Asia, U.S. foreign policy, and socio-cultural connections to sub-Saharan Africa.
The MENA minor is readily compatible with majors across the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. Both quintessentially ancient and utterly modern, the MENA region presents a lens onto some of the most enduring and urgent developments in human history.
Mackenzie Kirkpatrick BA ’19More about MackenzieThrough my internship, I have gained applicable skills that I can use to pursue a career in the arts.
William Lew BA ’23More about WilliamMy mentor is Professor Peter Drake. He has lots of insight to share about my academics and major, while also encouraging me to engage with different programs and opportunities offered at L&C.
Isabel Artiaga BA ’22More about IsabelIf you are an athlete, imagine a scenario in which you are injured. Would you still like the school after that? Trust your gut, it’s never wrong.
