Middle Eastern Studies
Academic Program Introduction
Middle Eastern studies explores the many facets of Middle Eastern and North African civilizations. These include the languages, literature, history, religion, art, societies, and politics of the region, as well as its diaspora.
Majors learn modern standard Arabic. The program encourages, but does not require, students to study abroad in the Middle East, North Africa, or another Arabic-speaking region.
Learning goals
- Demonstrate knowledge of the histories, ecologies, social, politics, cultures, religious traditions, and communities of the Middle East and North Africa.
- Develop an in-depth field of study in a particular field, such as modern Arabic literature, Islamic studies, women and gender, Iranian studies, or history of the Muslim world.
Programs of study
Middle Eastern studies major and minor
Students may explore anthropology, art, history, literature, political science, religion, and women’s and gender studies.
Course highlights
An exploration of themes of resistance and dissent in the literatures and cultures of North Africa and the Middle East since the early 1980s. Topics include the rise of democratic movements, such as political parties, associations, and NGOs; the role and importance of Islam to the identity of contemporary nation-states in the region; the status of women and minorities in the ideologies of the movements under study; and the status and implications of dissent. Materials studied include works of fiction and nonfiction, films, speeches, song lyrics, and online publications.
(ARAB 310 and MES 310 are cross-listed courses.)-
Elementary Arabic
ARAB102
An introduction to the Arabic language. The course takes a comprehensive approach to language learning and emphasizes the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students are introduced to the principles of grammar, taught how to read and write in the Arabic alphabet, and trained in the basics of everyday conversation. Through the use of a variety of written, video, and audio materials, as well as other resources made available through the Web, the course emphasizes authentic materials and stresses the active participation of students in the learning process.
Research highlights
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In “Tongues of Eve: The Politics of Language in Postcolonial Algerian Literature,” an honors thesis, Molly Hoyer ’18 compares the work of two prominent Algerian novelists: Ahlam Mosteghanemi, who writes in Arabic, and Assia Djebar, who wrote in French. Hoyer double majored in Middle Eastern studies and comparative literary studies.
Opportunities
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Arabic Cluster
In the Arabic Cluster, students live together, communicate in Arabic, and participate in Arabic cultural activities. A Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant from an Arabic-speaking country also lives in the Arabic Cluster and helps arrange cultural events and programming.
for more
Our newsletter
Published annually, our newsletter features recent or upcoming classes, students’ first-hand accounts of Wintersession in Morocco and semesters abroad, interviews with faculty, and more.
Middle Eastern Studies Program
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481