Interdisciplinary Programs
Middle Eastern and North African Studies
Develop an in-depth perspective on a key region of the world that affects the daily lives of Americans. You will study both language—at least two terms of Arabic—and culture by selecting from courses in history, art, conflict resolution, French, gender/women’s studies, music, political science, religious studies and sociology/anthropology. Your related activities will include opportunities to visit and work in the Chicago region and to study abroad in Morocco, Jordan and Turkey. Graduates with MENA minors will fill the growing need for employers to hire applicants with a strong knowledge of the Middle East and North Africa.
Middle Eastern and North African Studies Minor
For additional information about this program, see
21 credit hours, including:
Core Courses (12 credit hours):
-
MNA 130 - People and Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa
MNA 130 - People and Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa
3.00 credit hours
Introduction to the cultures and issues of the modern Middle East and North Africa.
Nine credit hours of Arabic Language:
-
ARB 101 - Elementary Arabic I
ARB 101 - Elementary Arabic I
3.00 credit hours
Introduction to the basic structures of the Arabic language, with emphasis on listening and speaking and cultural contexts.
-
ARB 102 - Elementary Arabic II
ARB 102 - Elementary Arabic II
3.00 credit hours
A continuation of
Prerequisite(s)
-
ARB 103 - Elementary Arabic III
ARB 103 - Elementary Arabic III
3.00 credit hours
A continuation of
Prerequisite(s)
-
ARB 201 - Intermediate Arabic I
ARB 201 - Intermediate Arabic I
3.00 credit hours
Continued development of speaking, reading and writing skills in both formal and colloquial Arabic. Students are exposed to important cultural aspects of the Arabic language, and a variety of texts from sources such as newspapers, journals, internet news articles, poetry and fiction.
Prerequisite(s)
-
ARB 202 - Intermediate Arabic II
ARB 202 - Intermediate Arabic II
3.00 credit hours
A continuation of
Prerequisite(s)
-
ARB 203 - Intermediate Arabic III
ARB 203 - Intermediate Arabic III
3.00 credit hours
Continuation of
Prerequisite(s)
Elective Courses (six credit hours):
-
ART 264 - Global Art Survey
ART 264 - Global Art Survey
3.00 credit hours
A survey of art from the cultures of Asia, the Near East, Native North America, Mesoamerica and the Andes, Oceania, Africa and the Islamic World.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s)
Humanities. -
HST 185 - Peoples and Cultures of Africa
HST 185 - Peoples and Cultures of Africa
3.00 credit hours
An introductory survey of the cultural diversity and complexity of sub-Saharan Africa. Attention is given to the long period of independent development of traditional societies, the forms and extent of European domination and the post-1945 struggles to regain independence and create new cultural identities.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s)
Humanities or Social Science.iCon(s)
S2 906N -
HST 271 - Modern Middle East
HST 271 - Modern Middle East
3.00 credit hours
Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798 to the present, with special attention to nationalistic movements, pan-Islam and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Prerequisite(s)
One humanities or social science course.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s)
Humanities or Social Science.iCon(s)
S2 919N -
MUS 156 - The World of Music
MUS 156 - The World of Music
3.00 credit hours
Introductory course with examples drawn from the musics of the five continents: Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s)
Humanities.iCon(s)
F1 900 -
PSC 221 - Comparative Politics
PSC 221 - Comparative Politics
3.00 credit hours
A comparative approach to the major political systems in the world such as parliamentary, totalitarian and democratic. Typical countries include Russia, Japan, China, Great Britain and France.
Prerequisite(s)
-
REL 222 - Violence, War and Peace in the Bible
REL 222 - Violence, War and Peace in the Bible
3.00 credit hours
The course examines traditions from both the Old and New Testaments in regard to issues of violence, war and peace in the biblical texts. Different portrayals of the character of God as warlike and vengeful, as well as beneficent and peace-loving, are examined, in places in dialogue with the religious traditions of the surrounding cultures. The different portrayals of violence and peace in the human community are discussed in light of these depictions of God.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s)
Humanities. -
REL 270 - Judaism
REL 270 - Judaism
3.00 credit hours
Beliefs, traditions, ethics and history of Judaism, with special attention to Zionism and the Holocaust.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s)
Humanities. -
REL 280 - Islam and the Middle East
REL 280 - Islam and the Middle East
3.00 credit hours
Islamic society, culture and theology, with special attention to Turkey, the Arab World, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Field trip to nearby Islamic community.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s)
Humanities.
300-level Elective (three credit hours):
-
FRN 370 - Francophone Africa
FRN 370 - Francophone Africa
3.00 credit hours
An exploration of the socio-cultural changes in Francophone Africa resulting from colonization and independence, as reflected in contemporary and traditional literature.
Prerequisite(s)
-
GWS 350 - Gender and World Religions
GWS 350 - Gender and World Religions
3.00 credit hours
An analysis of feminist thought in non-Western religious traditions. The course discusses women's redefinition of traditional concepts, rituals and practices in a number of religious traditions across the globe.
Prerequisite(s)
-
LEV 350 - Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution
LEV 350 - Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution
3.00 credit hours
Considers the ways in which conflict, both domestic and abroad, is created and/or exacerbated as well as resolved by religion and ethnicity. The course draws on the resources of many traditional disciplines in understanding the causes and solutions to ethnic and religious conflict, including political science, law, sociology and communication theory, as well as the newer field of peace studies. Students consider a range of religious and cultural contexts in which conflict exists or has existed, including, but not limited to, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the American Southwest.
Prerequisite(s)
Junior standing.
-
REL 344 - Religion and the Political Order
REL 344 - Religion and the Political Order
3.00 credit hours
A historical survey of primary texts engaging the intersection of religion and political theory, as well as the relationship between political leadership and religious/ethical values. Emphasis is placed upon Western political philosophers shaped within the traditions of Judaism, Christianity and/or Islam, as well as upon the themes of theocracy, civil religion and secularization. Thinkers studied may include Plato, early Christian authors, Eusebius, John Chrysostom, Augustine, Al-Farabi, Maimonides, Averroes, Aquinas, Marsillus of Padua, Reformation authors, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau or De Tocqueville.
Prerequisite(s)
Any two courses in philosophy, religious studies or political Science.
NOTE: The courses listed herein have been approved by the faculty as authorized by the Board of Trustees. Prerequisites (if any) and the General Education Requirement(s) which each course fulfills (if any) are noted following each course description.
Current course offerings are available in Merlin.
MENA 130 Introduction to the Middle East & North Africa (4.00)
An interdisciplinary introduction to the diverse philosophical, religious and historical concepts and values of the peoples and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place, Thinking Globally.
MENA 310 Literary Landscapes of the Middle East and North Africa (4.00)
This interdisciplinary course focuses on works of fiction by authors from the Middle East and North Africa and contextualizes them in Modern Middle Eastern history, aiming to acquire a more intimate understanding of the cultural and intellectual history of the region.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Thinking Globally.
- Choose your MENA courses to match your major and personal interests.
- Fulfill the B.A. requirement for foreign language with two terms of Arabic.
- Explore Arab-American neighborhoods in Chicagoland.
- Study abroad in North Africa or the Middle East.
- Participate in interfaith dialogue workshops among Christian, Muslim and Jewish people.