Middle East and Islamic Studies Minor

Program Coordinator: Dr. Michael Turner (turnerml@uncw.edu).

The Middle East and Islamic Studies Minor offers courses in the civilizations, histories, languages, religions, geographies, politics, and literatures of the Middle East. Students take an interdisciplinary approach to the cultures of this region, which has had an important impact on the development of our civilization and plays a vital role in today’s world community. The minor’s course offerings treat the Middle East from ancient times to the modern period and emphasize methods of historical and interdisciplinary analysis. MEIS minors are expected to reach an intermediate level of proficiency in Arabic, which is the most widely spoken language in the region and the liturgical language of Islam. The minor requires a total of 21 credit hours. All students must complete six credit hours consisting of ARB 101 and ARB 102, then select six additional credit hours from the list of additional core courses, with each course in a different discipline. The remainder of the credit hours should be selected from the designated electives. Students must have a least a “C+” (2.33) average in courses counted toward the minor, and at least two courses counted toward the minor must be at or above the 300-level.

Requirements for a Minor in Middle East and Islamic Studies:

Core Courses (required)

All core courses in the below list must be completed for the minor (6 credit hours).

Core Courses (two from different disciplines)

At least two additional core courses from the below list, each from a different discipline, must be completed for the minor (6 credit hours).

Electives (9 credit hours)

Elective credits from the list below count toward the remainder of the required 21 credit hours for the minor. Students may petition to include courses not on this list – including Directed Independent Study and special topics courses – as long as they incorporate significant Middle East-related content.

Additional Information:

Students must have a least a “C+” (2.33) average in courses counted toward the minor, and at least two courses counted toward the minor must be at or above the 300-level.