The Middle Eastern Studies (MES) minor is offered to MSU students as formal acknowledgement of the completion of a specialized program of study over and above their normal degree requirements that leads to greater proficiency in areas related to Middle Eastern Studies.
Once completing the MES minor, students will able to demonstrate knowledge of the profound impact of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations on the cultures of the world in areas such as literature, religion, science, and politics. Additionally, students will be able to put into a historical context many of the political and cultural relationships shared by those who live in and interact with geographical areas included in the Middle East. They will also be able to identify and discuss some of the current cultural, social, and political issues at play in the Middle East, such as gender, religion, ethnicity/identity, pop culture, the Arab Spring, and recent conflicts in Palestine/Israel, Iraq, Egypt, and Syria.
The MES minor requires a minimum of 18-credit hours. Students must complete at least 9 hours (3 courses) from the Core Course List, and 9 hours (3 courses) from the Elective Course List. Only one Special Topics (2990, 4990) or Directed Individual Study (4000) in Middle Eastern Cultures, Religion, or Anthropology will be accepted for completion of this minor.
Students seeking the MES minor are required to complete at least three courses from the Core Course List:
AN/MEC/REL 3553 – Near East Archaeology
HI/MEC/REL 4403/ MEC/REL 6403 – Ancient Near East
HI 4413 – Ancient Greece and Rome
AN/MEC/REL 3473 – Islam
MEC 4000 – Directed Individual Study (Only one). (May use AN 2990, 4000, REL 2990, 4999)
Students will select their three remaining courses from the following Elective Course List to complete the MES minor:
AN 1143 – Cultural Anthropology
AN/FL/MEC 2990 - Arabic I
AN/FL/MEC 2990 - Arabic II
AN/FL/MEC 2990 - Arabic III
AN/FL/MEC 2990 - Arabic IV
AN/MEC 3143 - Anthropology of the Middle East
AN/MEC/REL 3473 – Islam
AN 3533 – Rise of Civilization
AN/MEC/REL 3553 – Near Eastern Archaeology
AN 3540 – Archaeological Travel & Participation Program
FLH 1113 – Greek I
FLH 1123 – Greek II
FLL 1113 – Latin I
FLL 1123 – Latin II
GR 4283 – Geography of the Islamic World
HI/MEC/REL 4403 – Ancient Near East
HI 4413 – Ancient Greece and Rome
MEC/REL 1213 – Introduction To Old Testament
MEC/REL 1223 – Introduction To New Testament
MEC/REL 2233 – Introduction to Old Testament Archaeology