Middle East and North African Studies Minor

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE:
Joan Friedman (History & Religious Studies), Chair
Monica Florence (Classical Studies)
Sarah Mirza (Religious Studies)
Garrett Thomson (Philosophy)

The interdepartmental minor in Middle Eastern and North African Studies is intended to complement students’ major academic work in other departments and programs. Its purpose is to cultivate a critical understanding of the region stretching from Morocco in the west to Iran in the east - a broad swath of the globe rich in history, diverse in cultures, and crucially situated with respect to political conflicts from ancient times until today - and of its peoples and cultures outside their places of origin. While a region as large and diverse as this cannot be seen as a single entity, nevertheless commonalities, past and present, necessitate an area-wide perspective. Students will acquire a critical perspective through a multidisciplinary set of minor requirements, including one semester of off-campus study in the region or one Wooster-In program in the region.

Minor in Middle East and North African Studies

Consists of six courses plus regional off-campus study:

One course each in three historical periods: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern
Three other courses within the minor

Special Notes

Off-campus study: The minor in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Studies requires either the completion of one semester study abroad in an endorsed off-campus study or participation in a Wooster-In program in the region. Acceptable programs are either Wooster-endorsed semester long programs (currently available in Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia) or regional “Wooster In” programs led by Wooster faculty members (current program: Wooster In Israel and Palestine).
Language study: Language study is strongly recommended and may be pursued either on or off campus. Relevant languages offered on campus are Middle Egyptian, Ancient Greek, and Modern Hebrew. Other relevant ancient and modern languages include, but are not limited to, Arabic (all forms), Aramaic, Biblical Hebrew, Farsi, Turkish, and Ugaritic. MENA minors considering offcampus language study should consult a member of the MENA faculty.
No more than two language courses may count toward credit in the minor.
No more than three off-campus courses may count toward the minor.
Approval of the MENA Curriculum Committee is required for all transfer credits.

Note to Archaeology, Art History, Classics, English, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies Majors: By College policy, students may double count up to two courses for both for minor and major credit.