Minor Requirements

For complete information about minoring, see the online catalog.

How to search for MENA courses on Webadvisor!

A minimum of five courses (20 credits total). At least 12 credits must be discrete to the minor. Credits to be distributed as follows:

Core Courses

Two minor core courses, across two departments, chosen from the following:

• SOAN 285 Culture & Power in the Middle East 
• IA 290 Middle East Politics 
• RELS 273 Islamic Origins 
• RELS 274 Islam in the Modern World 

One Language Course

Chosen from the following: 

• Arabic 201 or Arabic 202
• Students may also fulfill the language requirement for the minor with the equivalent level of other regional languages (e.g. Hebrew, Turkish, Persian)

Elective Courses

Two elective courses, chosen from the following: 

• Arabic
  • ARB 202 Intermediate Arabic II (may apply only once to minor)
• Overseas Programs
  
  • IS 215 Morocco: Development & Sustainability
  • IS 216 Moroccan Modernity
  • IS 217 Gender and Society in Morocco
• French
  • FREN 330 Francophone Literature (when focus is MENA)
  • FREN 350 Topics in French and Francophone Literature (when focus is MENA)
• History
  • HIST 217 The Emergence of Modern South Asia
  • HIST 259 India in the Age of Empire
  • HIST 325 History of Islam in Europe
  • HIST 328 The British Empire
• International Affairs
  • IA 290 Middle East Politics (may only be used once within the minor)
• Middle East and North African Studies
  • MENA 299 MENA Independent Study (may be applied only once to the minor)
• Religious Studies
  • RELS 224 Jewish Origins
  • RELS 225 Christian Origins
  • RELS 273 Islamic Origins (may only be used once within the minor)
  • RELS 274 Islam in the Modern World (may only be used once within the minor)
  • RELS 350 Social and Religious World of Early Judaism and Christianity
  • RELS 358 Mysticism and Religious Experience
  • RELS 376 Religious Fundamentalism
  • RELS 450 Seminar: Social and Religious World of Early Judaism and Christianity
  • RELS 453 Seminar in Islamic Studies: Islamic Law
  • RELS 458 Mysticism and Religious Experience
• Sociology/Anthropology
  • SOAN 217 Ethnography of Jews and Judaism
  • SOAN 285 Culture and Power in the Middle East (may only be used once within the minor)
  • SOAN 360 Decolonizing Anthropology

Capstone Project 

• The capstone project is completed under the supervision of the minor advisor. Junior or senior standing is required. Please use this form for certification of the MENA Studies capstone project.
  
  A capstone project consists of one of the following:
  • A MENA focused thesis and/or honors project that contributes to the completion of a departmental major.
  • A MENA focused seminar paper in a 300/400 level course that is not credited to the minor.
  • Presentation of a MENA focused paper at a conference, symposium, Festival of Scholarship in another public forum.
  • Chairing the MENA Studies Symposium.
  • Application for a MENA focused research grant, fellowship, or entrepreneurial funding.
  • A student-designed capstone project related to MENA, pre-approved by the MENAS Studies Director.

In Web Advisor you can restrict your search to the MENA minor by selecting CAS-MIN MENA under course type at the bottom of the menu.