The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at this time of transition offers complex challenges and promise.

The study of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region includes history, politics, culture, religion, language and literature, all of which interact and make for an exciting learning experience and a perspective that is in-demand in many professions. In these courses, you will explore contemporary issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli dispute, the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, the Syrian-Lebanese-Israeli triangle, and modern-day revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, as well as themes such as political reform, human rights, the roles and rights of women, and U.S. policy in the Middle East and North Africa. 

The Curriculum

View the 2024-2025 Academic Catalog to find course titles, numbers and descriptions.

Requirements for a Minor in Middle East and North Africa Studies

  1. HIST2140 History of Modern Middle East
  2. POLSC2411 The Contemporary Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and Promise
  3. THRS2211 Islam (R) (RI)

4-5. Electives: Choose two, with one at the 3000-level required

  • LANG2664 The Arab World Through Its Literature (AI-L)
  • POLSC3405 Negotiating Peace
  • POLSC3407 People and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa (WI)