BA in Middle East & North Africa Studies

Middle East & North Africa Studies is a major offered by the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies to students enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences.

The interdisciplinary major in Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Studies provides a coherent grounding in the history, cultures, artistic production, and one or more of the languages of the MENA region. (MENA is defined for this purpose as comprising the Arabic-, Hebrew-, Persian-, and Turkish-speaking areas of the world.) MENA Studies capitalizes on BU’s unusually strong offerings in four Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish) and many aspects of Middle Eastern and North African culture and politics. It is designed to be flexible, easily tailored to each student’s particular interests and learning goals, whether those focus on a certain country in the region or a particular transnational issue. MENA Studies works well on its own, in combination with a minor, or as a double major with International Relations or a disciplinary major.

Graduating MENA Studies majors are well prepared for graduate study and for careers in government, local and international nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector. Majors study one or more MENA languages for a total of at least six terms; they also develop competence in both humanities and social sciences, which helps them integrate these disciplinary approaches and understand the utility and limits of each. Discussions with MENA faculty and fellow students help majors understand the disciplinary and other biases most prevalent in the region and how they are often replicated among scholars who study it. Majors thus have a continuous opportunity to explore, deepen, and perhaps revise their preexisting beliefs and ideas about this contested region.

Study Abroad

MENA Studies majors are encouraged to study abroad for at least one term. Courses taken abroad must be approved by the student’s major advisor for units toward the major.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate substantive interdisciplinary knowledge of legal, political, economic, social, cultural, and historical factors influencing international affairs.
• Display an in-depth understanding of an important functional subfield of the discipline and a major geographical region of the world.
• Conduct theoretically informed and empirically based analysis of real-world conditions and events and present the results of that analysis persuasively in written and oral forms.

Requirements

All BU undergraduate students, including both entering first-year and transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major as well as through cocurricular activities. Students majoring in Middle East & North Africa Studies will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Diversity, Civic Engagement, and Global Citizenship, as well as some requirements in Philosophical, Aesthetic and Historical Interpretation, Scientific and Social Inquiry, Communication, and the Intellectual Toolkit. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in some cases, cocurricular experiences.

MENA Studies majors are required to complete eleven 4-unit courses with a grade of “C” or higher, as outlined below:

• One broad introduction to the region chosen from List A
• At least three humanities courses chosen from List B
• At least three social sciences courses chosen from List C
• Four electives: these may include any from the three lists not used to fulfill the above requirements; language courses from List D as specified below; any other courses on the MENA region (including “topics” courses) offered throughout the University; and/or senior honors work

Majors must fulfill the language requirement as specified below in List D. By petition with advisor’s consent, students may also count relevant courses from Consortium schools and non-BU study abroad programs.

At least three of the 11 courses counted for the major must be at or above the 400 level. At least 7 of the 11 courses for the major must be taken at Boston University (or BU-sponsored Study Abroad programs).

Unless otherwise noted, all courses listed below are 4 unit hours.

List A: Broad Introduction to the Region

One course from List A:

• CAS AH 220 Islamic Art and Architecture
• CAS AN 319 Anthropology of Muslim Cultures and Politics
• CAS AN 548 Muslim Societies: An Interdisciplinary History
• CAS HI 382/IR 328 Turko-Persia in the Twentieth Century
• CAS HI 390 Cities in the Middle East: Mecca to Dubai
• CAS IR 307/PO 368 Introduction to Middle East Politics
• CAS IR 382 Understanding the Modern Middle East
• CAS XL 223 Introduction to Middle Eastern Literatures

List B: Humanities

Three courses from List B:

• CAS AH 215 Arts of Africa and Its Diaspora
• CAS AH 220 Islamic Art and Architecture
• CAS AH 317 From Morocco to Timbuktu: Art and Architecture at the Saharan Crossroads
• *CAS AH 527 Topics in Art and Society
• CAS AN 548 Muslim Societies: An Interdisciplinary History
• CAS AR 342/RN 390 Archaeology in the Holy Land
• CAS AR 347 Egypt and Northeast Africa: Early States in Egypt, Nubia, Eritrea/Ethiopia
• CAS EN 126 Jewish Literature
• CAS LF 456 The Postcolonial Novel
• CAS LH 250 Masterpieces of Modern Hebrew Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LH 283 Israeli Culture through Film (in English translation)
• CAS LH 284/JS 285/HI 392 Israel: History, Politics, Culture, Identity
• CAS LH 330 Israeli Popular Music
• CAS LH 340/JS 380 Israeli Culture Through Media
• CAS LT 388 World Cities: Istanbul
• CAS LY 283 Arab Culture Through Film (in English translation)
• CAS LY 284/XL 284 War in Arab Literature and Film (in English translation)
• CAS LY 350 Introduction to Arabic Literature
• CAS LY 441 1001 Nights in the World Literary Imagination
• CAS LY 471 Topics in Arab Culture and Arabic Language
• CAS LZ 380 Persian Epic and Romance (in English translation)
• CAS LZ 381/RN 348 Rumi and Persian Sufi Poetry (in English translation)
• CAS RN 104 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
• CAS RN 214 Islam
• CAS RN 216 Judaism
• CAS RN 220 Holy City: Jerusalem in Time, Space, and Imagination
• CAS RN 249 Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism
• CAS RN 301 Varieties of Early Christianity
• CAS RN 316 Modern Islam
• CAS RN 322 History of Judaism
• CAS RN 332 Foundations of Jewish Politics
• CAS RN 334 Dead Sea Scrolls
• CAS RN 338 Mysticism and Philosophy: Jewish and Islamic Perspectives
• CAS RN 340 The Quran
• CAS RN 345 Shariah Law
• CAS RN 382 History of Religion in Pre-Colonial Africa
• CAS RN 434 Representations of Muhammad
• CAS RN 435 Women, Gender, and Islam
• *CAS TL 551 Topics in Translation
• CAS XL 223 Introduction to Middle Eastern Literatures
• CAS XL 315 Tradition and Modernity in Iranian Film and Literature
• CAS XL 341 Medieval Travel Writing and the Muslim World
• CAS XL 342 Travel Writing and the Muslim World
• CAS XL 343 Alexander the Great in the East
• CAS XL 380 Gender and Identity in Contemporary Middle Eastern Film
• CAS XL 386 Africa on Screen
• KHC HI 104 Urban Youth in the Middle East

List C: Social Sciences

Three courses from List C:

• CAS AN 307 Turkey and Middle East in Comparative Perspective
• CAS AN 317 Power and Society in the Middle East
• CAS AN 319 Anthropology of Muslim Cultures and Politics
• CAS AN 320 Women in the Muslim World
• CAS AN 327 Islam in Africa
• CAS AN 347 Afghanistan
• CAS AN 532 Literacy and Islam in Africa
• CAS AN 548 Muslim Societies: An Interdisciplinary History
• CAS AN 563 Religion and Politics across Cultures
• CAS AR 342/RN 390 Archaeology in the Holy Land
• CAS EE 385/JS 385 Israel and the Environment
• CAS HI 176 World History 1500–Present
• CAS HI 238 Modern Africa
• *CAS HI 290 Topics in History
• CAS HI 343 Taste, Culture, and Power: The Global History of Food
• CAS HI 378 Armenia from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
• CAS HI 379 Modern Armenian History and Literature
• CAS HI 381/IR 397 History of Modern Iran, 1900–Present
• CAS HI 382/IR 328 Turko-Persia in the Twentieth Century
• CAS HI 385/IR 329 History of Premodern Iran
• CAS HI 389 Americans and the Middle East
• CAS HI 390 Cities in the Middle East: Mecca to Dubai
• CAS HI 393 Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• CAS HI 489 The African Diaspora in the Americas
• CAS HI 490 Blacks and Asians: Encounters Through Time and Space
• CAS HI 595 Morocco: History on the Cusp of Three Continents
• CAS ID 116 Africa Today: The Beat of Popular Culture
• CAS IR 307/PO 368 Introduction to Middle East Politics
• CAS IR 312 Comparative Development in the Middle East
• CAS IR 325/HI 229 The Great Powers and the Eastern Mediterranean
• CAS IR 343 African Politics Today
• CAS IR 351 Africa in International Politics
• CAS IR 382 Understanding the Modern Middle East
• *CAS IR 500 Topics in International Relations
• CAS IR 503/PO 503 The U.S. in the Middle East
• CAS IR 504/PO 577 Politics of the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf
• CAS IR 507 Islam and Politics
• CAS IR 509/PO 556 Islam in Middle East Politics
• CAS IR 510 Comparative Immigration and Racial Politics
• CAS IR 533 Contentious Politics and the Arab Uprisings in the Middle East
• CAS IR 534 Contemporary African Politics
• CAS IR 558 Mapping Dangerous Online Speech
• CAS IR 561/PO 589 Religion and International Relations
• CAS JS 257 Antisemitism After the Holocaust
• CAS JS 387/EE 387 Environmental Law in Israel and the Mediterranean
• CAS LH 284/JS 285/HI 392 Israel: History, Politics, Culture, Identity
• *CAS PO 330 Special Topics in Comparative Politics
• CAS PO 334 Political Violence
• CAS PO 346/WS 325 Bombs and Bombshells: Gender, Armed Conflict, and Political Violence
• CAS PO 375: Democracy and Protest in the Global South
• CAS RN 249 Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism

*These courses may sometimes be credited toward the MENA major, but only with advisor approval and when the topic is relevant to the major.

List D: Middle Eastern Language Courses (requirement and language courses as electives)

At least six terms of Middle Eastern (ME) language courses are required, unless the student enters with background in a ME language (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish). All majors must demonstrate fourth-term proficiency (by completing LX 212 or higher) in one ME language, as well as taking at least two ME language courses past 212 or in a different language. Students who are certified bilingual in one ME language must complete two terms of courses in a different ME language or languages.

Courses at the CAS 212 level or higher in the student’s first ME language, and at the 112 level or higher in a second or subsequent ME language, may also be counted as electives for the major.

Arabic:

• CAS LY 111 Elementary Modern Arabic I
• CAS LY 112 Elementary Modern Arabic II
• CAS LY 211 Second-Year Modern Arabic I
• CAS LY 212 Second-Year Modern Arabic II
• CAS LY 214 Levantine Arabic
• CAS LY 215 Levantine Arabic II
• CAS LY 303 Third-Year Modern Arabic I
• CAS LY 304 Third-Year Modern Arabic II
• CAS LY 350 Introduction to Arabic Literature
• CAS LY 411 Arab Society through Hip Hop & Cartoons
• CAS LY 420 Arabic Media
• CAS LY 471 Topics in Arab Culture and Language
• CAS LY 572 Arabic Translation and Interpreting

Hebrew:

• CAS LH 111 Fundamentals of Modern Hebrew 1
• CAS LH 112 Fundamentals of Modern Hebrew 2
• CAS LH 211 Intermediate Modern Hebrew 1
• CAS LH 212 Intermediate Modern Hebrew 2
• CAS LH 311 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Voices in Israeli Society
• CAS LH 312 Sixth-Term Hebrew: Food Culture in Israel
• CAS LH 330 Israeli Popular Music

Persian (Farsi):

• CAS LZ 111 First-Term Modern Persian (Farsi)
• CAS LZ 112 Second-Term Modern Persian (Farsi)
• CAS LZ 211 Third-Term Modern Persian (Farsi)
• CAS LZ 212 Fourth-Term Modern Persian (Farsi)

Turkish:

• CAS LT 111 First-Term Turkish
• CAS LT 112 Second-Term Turkish
• CAS LT 211 Third-Term Turkish
• CAS LT 212 Fourth-Term Turkish
• CAS LT 303 Understanding Modern Turkey through Film and Literature

Electives

Majors take four electives chosen from any of the courses in lists A–C, senior honors, or Middle Eastern language courses as specified directly above.

Honors in the Major

Honors in the MENA major within the Pardee School may be earned by completing two terms of independent senior honors work (CAS IR 401/402) and presenting an original research paper (thesis) in written and oral form to a committee of faculty readers. The committee will consider both the thesis and the result of the oral examination to determine whether the student will receive honors in the major. A grade of B+ or better in each term of CAS IR 401/402 is also required for the award of honors. CAS IR 401 carries one of each of the following Hub requirements: Writing-Intensive, Critical Thinking, and Research & Information Literacy. CAS IR 402 carries one unit in Writing-Intensive and a unit in Oral and/or Signed Communication. Students are required to attend structured workshops in the fall and spring related to each of these competencies. The research and writing are conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor who will serve as the instructor of record for CAS IR 401/402. In consultation with their faculty advisor, students are also required to complete cocurricular activities that expand their understanding of their research topic. MENA Studies majors may apply units from CAS IR 401 and 402 to the humanities, social sciences, or elective portion of the major.

Admission to the MENA Honors program requires a 3.50 cumulative and 3.60 major grade point average, at the time of application. To learn more about the application process, please visit the Pardee School of Global Studies website. Interested students should contact their Academic Advisor to discuss ideas for research and faculty advisors. Students typically apply for the Honors program in the spring of their junior year. Effective fall 2022, students may not simultaneously study abroad and participate in the Honors program.