Majoring in Middle East Studies is a way to pursue your interest in the Middle East and gain breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding. Students may take courses in a wide variety of fields from a diverse and internationally recognized faculty. Students are encouraged, but not required, to pursue Arabic and/or Hebrew language studies at Penn State and/or Middle Eastern language offerings elsewhere and to pursue study abroad.
Required Courses (9 Credits)
Our approach is to require three core courses and let students develop their plans of study according to their interests and with advice from the director and the undergraduate studies officer. Courses related to the Middle East are offered by African Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Classics and Mediterranean Studies, Communications, Comparative Literature, History, Jewish Studies, Political Science, and Religious Studies.
Students who major in Middle East Studies may find it easy to pair with a major or minor in a disciplinary field (such as Global and International Studies, History, Political Science.)
- HIST/JST 181: Introduction to the Middle East
- HIST 190: The Middle East Today
- HIST 305Y: Middle East Studies Research Workshop
Additional Courses (21 Credits)
Students must select 21 credits, at least 12 of which must be at the 400-level, from the approved additional courses list.
NOTE: No more than 6 credits may come from a language study.