Yüksel Sezgin
mes@maxwell.syr.edu
315-443-4431
Faculty
Eliana Abu-Hamdi, Hossein Bashiriyeh, Çağlayan Başer, Ekrem Başer, Zachary J. Braiterman, Erella Brown, Omar Cheta, Michal Downie, Ken Frieden, Rania Habib, Timur Hammond, Susan Henderson, Catherine Herrold, Violette Humsi, Tazim R. Kassam, Fethi Keles, Osamah F. Khalil, Amos Kiewe, Natalie Koch, Jaklin Kornfilt, Sandra D. Lane, Kara Richardson, Robert A. Rubinstein, Yüksel Sezgin, Sevinç Türkkan, James W. Watts, Yael Zeira
This interdisciplinary minor examines the history, culture, languages, religions, and politics of the Middle East. Faculty research and teaching focus on ancient source texts, the art, literature, history, and culture of the Middle East; conflict resolution; gender issues; and contemporary political issues. Students may study these and other aspects of the Middle East.
Requirements
The minor requires 20 credits in Middle Eastern Studies, consisting of:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| 8 |
| Arabic I | |
| Arabic II | |
| Arabic III | |
| Arabic IV | |
| Arabic V | |
| Arabic VI | |
| Persian I | |
| Persian II | |
| Persian III | |
| Persian IV | |
| Hebrew I | |
| Hebrew II | |
| Hebrew III | |
| Hebrew IV | |
| Advanced Hebrew I | |
| Advanced Hebrew II | |
| Turkish I | |
| Turkish II | |
| Turkish III | |
| Turkish IV | |
| 12 |
| Total Credits | 20 |
Elective Courses
Sample courses include, but not limited to those listed below (students may petition the Program Director to substitute other courses with at least 1/3 MES content).
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ARB 301 | Arabic V | 3 |
| ARB 302 | Arabic VI | 3 |
| ARB 326 | Structure of Standard Arabic | 3 |
| ARC 435 | Islamic Architecture | 3 |
| HOA 389 | Islamic Architecture | 3 |
| ENG 410 | Topics in Forms and Genres | 3 |
| QSX 400 | Selected Topics: Queer Sexuality | 1-6 |
| WGS 400 | Selected Topics | 1-6 |
| GEO 435 | The Global Middle East | 3 |
| HEB 301 | Advanced Hebrew I | 3 |
| HEB 401 | Hebrew Literature in the Original | 3 |
| MES 340 | America and the Middle East | 3 |
| HST 336 | America and the Middle East | 3 |
| HST 407 | Iraq: Modern Nation to US Occupation | 3 |
| HUM 404 | 'AZAHAR' The Islamic Conquest and the Christian Reconquest | 2 |
| MES 338 | Middle East Media | 3 |
| HST 338 | Middle East Media | 3 |
| MES 308 | Ancient Judaism and the Origins of Christianity | 3 |
| MES 315 | Arab American Literature and Culture | 3 |
| MES 317 | The Arab Revolutions | 3 |
| HST 317 | The Arab Revolutions | 3 |
| HST 208 | Middle East Since the Rise of Islam | 3 |
| HST 209 | Modern Middle East | 3 |
| MES 321 | Christians, Jews and Muslims | 3 |
| MES 335 | Israeli Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JSP 335 | Israeli Literature and Culture | 3 |
| LIT 335 | Israeli Literature and Culture | 3 |
| REL 335 | Israeli Literature and Culture | 3 |
| MES 336 | Arabic Cultures | 3 |
| ARB 336 | Arabic Cultures | 3 |
| LIT 336 | Arabic Cultures | 3 |
| MES 342 | Religion and Politics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | 3 |
| JSP 342 | Religion and Politics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | 3 |
| PSC 342 | Religion and Politics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | 3 |
| REL 342 | Religion and Politics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | 3 |
| MES 344 | Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| PSC 344 | Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| MES 349 | Politics of Iran | 3 |
| PSC 349 | Politics of Iran | 3 |
| MES 350 | Gender, Violence, and Sexualities in the "War on Terror" | 3 |
| ENG 352 | Race, Nation, and Empire | 3 |
| MES 360 | Reading Gender and Sexualities: Gender and Sexuality in the Arab World | 3 |
| ENG 362 | Race, Gender & Sexualities | 3 |
| MES 364 | Enchanting Words: Muslim Poets, Singers and Storytellers | 3 |
| REL 364 | Enchanting Words: Muslim Poets, Singers and Storytellers | 3 |
| SAS 364 | Enchanting Words: Muslim Poets, Singers and Storytellers | 3 |
| MES 365 | God and Beauty in Islamic Art | 3 |
| MES 374 | Popular Culture in the Middle East | 3 |
| HST 374 | Popular Culture in the Middle East | 3 |
| MES 368 | Islam and the West | 3 |
| HST 368 | Islam and the West | 3 |
| PSC 368 | Islam and the West | 3 |
| MES 382 | Health in the Middle East | 3 |
| MES 386 | Sounds of the Silk Road | 3 |
| MES 391 | Revolutions in the Middle East | 3 |
| PSC 391 | Revolutions in the Middle East | 3 |
| MES 392 | Islamism and Islamist Movements Today | 3 |
| PSC 392 | Islamism and Islamist Movements Today | 3 |
| REL 362 | Islamism and Islamist Movements Today | 3 |
| MES 393 | Middle Eastern Political Systems | 3 |
| PSC 393 | Middle Eastern Political Systems | 3 |
| MES 394 | History of Islamic Political Thought | 3 |
| PSC 394 | History of Islamic Political Thought | 3 |
| MES 395 | Democratization in the Muslim World | 3 |
| PSC 395 | Democratization in the Muslim World | 3 |
| MES 406 | The Middle East in Graphic Novels | 3 |
| ENG 412 | Race, Forms & Genres | 3 |
| MES 453 | Feminisms, Sexualities, and Human Rights in Middle Eastern Societies | 3 |
| QSX 453 | Feminisms, Sexualities, and Human Rights in Middle Eastern Societies | 3 |
| WGS 453 | Feminisms, Sexualities, and Human Rights in Middle Eastern Societies | 3 |
| MES 465 | Beyond the Veil: Gender Politics in Islam | 3 |
| MES 468 | Middle East in Anthropological Perspective | 3 |
| MES 495 | Distinction Thesis in Middle East Studies | 3 |
| MES 400 | Selected Topics in Middle Eastern Studies | 1-6 |
| IRP 400 | Selected Topics | 1-6 |
| PHI 308 | Classical Islamic Philosophy | 3 |
| PSC 362 | Religion, Identity and Power | 3 |
| PSC 400 | Selected Topics | 1-6 |
| REL 301 | Ancient Near Eastern Religions and Cultures | 3 |
| REL 307 | The Temple and the Dead Sea Scrolls | 3 |
| JSP 307 | The Temple and the Dead Sea Scrolls | 3 |
| REL 334 | Modern Judaism | 3 |
| JSP 435 | Modern Jewish Thought | 3 |
| REL 435 | Modern Jewish Thought | 3 |
