Middle East Studies Major

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Major Requirements:

The major in Middle East studies requires ten courses, distributed as follows:

Core Requirement (six courses):
- ARBC 044 CM - Continuing Intermediate Arabic - or equivalent competency in another Middle Eastern language
- GOVT 070 CM - Introduction to International Politics
- ECON 140 CM - The World Economy
- HIST 055 CM - The Middle East: From Muhammad to the Mongols , or equivalent pre-modern (pre-1800) Middle Eastern history course
- HIST 056 CM - The Middle East: From the Ottomans to the Present , or equivalent modern (post-1800) Middle Eastern history course
- Senior Seminar in Middle East Studies - this requirement may be met with ARBT 190 CM - Trends and Movements in Modern Middle East , or an equivalent seminar on the Middle East approved by the program advisor.
Electives Requirement (four courses): Elective courses must be apropos of the Middle East and approved by the program advisor. Electives must include at least two advanced courses (usually numbered 100 or higher). With approval of the program advisor, majors may select elective courses offered at The Claremont Colleges.
Foreign Language Competency: all students must show proficiency in a (one) Middle Eastern language; students studying Arabic may count ARBC 044 CM as a course in the major (see above). Proficiency in a Middle Eastern language course may be used to fulfill CMC’s general education requirements in a foreign language (3^rd semester), but it cannot be used for the foreign literature requirement.

Senior Thesis in Middle East Studies

The senior thesis is a general education requirement and the capstone experience of a student’s undergraduate education. Students must complete a senior thesis in at least one of their majors under supervision of a faculty reader who teaches within that major, unless granted a special exception. Middle East Studies majors are encouraged to write their senior thesis on a topic related to the Middle East.

Study Abroad

Middle East studies majors are strongly encouraged to study abroad in the Middle East for a semester or a year. Students will usually be allowed count up to two approved courses from each semester abroad toward their major electives.

Special Options for Majors

Dual Majors

Dual majors in Middle East Studies must complete a total of eight courses, including the core requirement of six courses and two approved electives. One of the electives must be an upper-level course.

Students with a dual major including Middle East Studies are encouraged to write their senior thesis on a topic in Middle East studies. For further information, see Senior Thesis in Middle East Studies above.

Note the restrictions on honors in the major for students with a dual major under Honors in Middle East Studies below. For further information on dual majors and the requirements for the other discipline of the dual major, check the appropriate sections of this catalog.

Honors in Middle East Studies

Students may be considered for honors in the major if they:

Complete a 2-credit, 2-semester thesis on a subject related to Middle East Studies
Attain a grade point average of 10.50 or better in the major

Students with a dual major including Middle East Studies may be considered for honors in the major if they:

Have completed the full major in Middle East Studies and are granted honors, or
Qualify for and receive honors in both disciplines of their dual major. See Academic Honors at Graduation for details.

General Education Requirements for Middle East Studies Majors

Students with interdisciplinary majors requiring courses in the humanities and/or social sciences are required to take designated courses in six different fields of the humanities and social sciences for the general education requirements. Middle East Studies majors must complete courses in at least three of the four fields of the social sciences (economics, government, history, and psychology) and at least two of the four fields of the humanities (literature, philosophy, religious studies, and literature in a foreign language) totaling at least six courses.

Middle East studies majors may use the third semester of a Middle Eastern language for the foreign language requirement; fourth semester courses of a Middle Eastern language may not be used for the foreign literature requirement.

Student Learning Outcomes of the Program in Middle East Studies

Students will demonstrate an understanding of Middle Eastern culture, society, and polity.
Students are able to use primary and secondary sources effectively in carrying on research in Middle Eastern Studies.
Students will have proficiency in a Middle Eastern language at an intermediate level or above.
Students demonstrate effective and appropriate writing skills in communicating the histories and cultures of the Middle East.