1999-2000 Bulletin Entry for:

(file last updated: [7/6/1999 - 13:11:31])

Objectives

The IMES concentration is an interdisciplinary curriculum sponsored by the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies in conjunction with the faculty from several other departments. It is designed to provide a strong foundation in Middle Eastern studies with a specialized knowledge of Islam. The concentration requires students to take elective courses from the departments represented by the faculty committee. Key contributing departments, besides Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, include politics, history, economics, sociology, African and Afro-American studies, and anthropology. With a solid training in language, political theory and praxis, history, economics, sociology, and anthropology, the concentration is especially appropriate for students wishing to pursue graduate work, particularly in the field of Middle Eastern studies, or for those who wish to pursue careers dealing directly or indirectly with the Middle East.

How to Become a Concentrator or Program Member

The student who wishes to concentrate in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies must take the core course in Islamic civilization (IMES 104a) and at least two full years of a Middle Eastern language. The two years of language may be comprised of either two years of Arabic or, alternatively, one year of Arabic and one year of another Middle Eastern language, such as Persian or Hebrew. In addition, with the goal of achieving a balanced understanding of the overall field of study, the student must take two courses in the classical period and two courses in the modern, as well as four courses to be chosen from the wide intellectual variety of elective courses. Study in the Middle East for a term or a year is encouraged. As a culmination of the student's education, he or she is encouraged to write a senior thesis, with emphasis on some aspect of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies.

The student who wishes to complete the program in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies must take the core course IMES 104a (Islamic Civilization and Institutions) and at least one full year of a Middle Eastern language. In addition, the student must take one course in the classical period and one in the modern, as well as two courses to be chosen from the variety of elective courses.

Committee

(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

(Politics)

(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

(Sociology)

(Anthropology)

(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)

(Classical Studies)

(African and Afro-American Studies)

(Anthropology)

(Romance and Comparative Literature)

Requirements for the Concentration

A. Either four semesters of Arabic (usually ARBC 10a, 20b, 30a, and 40b) or two semesters of Arabic and two semesters of another Middle Eastern language such as Persian (PRSN 10a and 20b) or Hebrew (HBRW 10a and 20b).

B. Core course: IMES 104a.

C. At least two courses pertaining to the classical period from the following electives: NEJS 103a, 103b, 128a, 128b, 144a, 147a, PRSN 30a.

D. At least two courses pertaining to the modern period from the following electives: HIST 184a, NEJS 143b, 144b, 145b, 146b, 147b, 148a, 157a, 161b, 171b, 175a, 195b, 197b, SOC 157a.

E. Four additional courses from the list of electives below.

Requirements for the Program

A. Two semesters of a Middle Eastern language.

B. Core course: IMES 104a.

C. At least one course pertaining to the classical period from the following electives: NEJS 103a and b, 128a, 128b, 144a, 147a, PRSN 30a.

D. At least one course pertaining to the modern period from the following electives: HIST 184a, NEJS 143b, 144b, 145b, 147b, 148a, 157a, 161b, 171b, 175a, 195b, 197b, SOC 157a.

E. Two additional courses from the list of electives below.

Courses of Instruction

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

Usually offered every year.

Staff

Usually offered every year.

Staff

Usually offered every year.

Staff

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

[ cl³⁸ nw hum ]

This course considers major issues in Islamic history, providing an appreciation of Islamic religion, civilization, and culture. Topics include Islam's relations with other civilizations and its role in contemporary society. Usually offered in odd years.

Mr. Levy

The following courses are approved for the program. Not all are given in any one year, so the Course Schedule for each semester should be consulted.

Economics of Third World Hunger

Economy and Society in Africa

Third World Ideologies

Political Economy of the Third World

Africa in World Politics

World Religions

Tradition and the Contemporary Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa

Selected Topics in Comparative Religion: Seminal Works in the Study of Religion

Comparative Economic Systems

Introduction to the Economics of Development

The Civilization of the Early Middle Ages

The Civilization of the High and Late Middle Ages

The Crusades and the Expansion of Medieval Europe

Nineteenth-Century Europe: Nationalism, Imperialism, Socialism (1850-1919)

Evolution of the International System, 1815 to the Present

Europe since 1945

World War II

Advanced Literary Arabic

Comparative Grammar of Semitic Languages

Near Eastern Law: Source, Sense, and Society

Biblical Ritual and Cult

Explorations in Islamic Literature I: The Arab World

Explorations in Islamic Literature II: The Persian World

The New Testament: A Historical Introduction

The World of Shi'i Islam

Jews in the World of Islam

Nationalism and Islam in the Modern Middle East

The Making of the Modern Middle East

The Destruction of the Ottoman Empire, 1800-1923

The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire, 1300-1800

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Radical Islam

History of the State of Israel since 1948

The Monument and the City

Modern Jewish History to 1880

Modern Jewish History, 1880-1948

Describing Cruelty

History of Zionism

The Woman's Voice in the Muslim World

Politics and the Culture of the Contemporary Middle East

The Politics of Revolution: State Violence and Popular Insurgency in the Third World

Politics of Africa

Seminar: The Low-Income States and the Global System

Intermediate Persian

War and Possibilities of Peace

Sociology of the Israeli-Palestinian Confrontation

Women Leaders and Transformation in Developing Countries

Environmental Sociology