The Middle Eastern Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program that gives student the opportunity to study the Middle East in-depth by combining existing course offerings from a number of disciplines. The minor is available to students from a wide variety of majors, and is particularly valuable option for students majoring in International Studies, Political Science, Anthropology, or History. The minor consists of 18 credit hours, including three required upper-division courses in politics, cultures and history of the Middle East, and three elective courses with a focus on the Middle East. The list of available elective courses is expanding.
The minor is a part of a broader Middle Eastern Studies Program, funded by the King Fahd endowment. The program offers, on competitive basis, grants for Middle Eastern Studies students studying at UA Little Rock and for UA Little Rock faculty with interest in the Middle East. The program also supports a series of monthly lectures and events on the Middle East.
The minor requires 18 upper level hours to include:*
- ANTH 3319 Cultures of the Middle East
- HIST 3336 Islam and the Modern Middle East OR
HIST 4390 Pre-Modern Middle East (AD 600-1900) - POLS 4375 Politics of the Middle East
and 9 hours of elective credit selected from courses with a Middle Eastern focus including the following courses:*
- ANTH 3320 Buried Cities, Ancient Lives
- ANTH 4325 Egyptology
- ANTH 4398 ST: Caravans, Suqs, and Ports: Archaeology of Trade in the Middle East and Indian Ocean
- ANTH 4398 ST: Arabian Archaeology
- ANTH 4398 ST: Islam and Gender
- GEOG 4300 Geography of the Middle East
- HIST 4350 US-Middle East Relations
- HIST 4390 The Arab-Israeli Conflict
- INTS 3321 Topics in Modern International Cultures: Islamic Law
- POLS 3101 Model Arab League
- POLS 3301 Model Arab League Travel Course
- POLS 3301 Global Terrorism
- RELS 3336 Islam
- RELS 4380 Judaism in Contemporary Culture
Students can transfer credits for other minor-related coursework, including study of Middle Eastern Languages abroad. Other elective courses may be substituted with prior consent of the program coordinator.
If you want to declare a Middle Eastern Studies minor, you must do so in your home (major) department. However, it is highly recommended that you contact one of the Middle Eastern Studies faculty members to discuss the minor and the other exciting opportunities available through the UA Little Rock Middle Eastern Studies Program.
*Please note that these classes are NOT offered every single semester, so contact the Middle Eastern Studies Chair or one of the MEST faculty members to find out about upcoming course schedules.
