Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Middle East Studies
Program Overview
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Middle East Studies program at George Washington University helps students understand the forces that shape the dynamic Middle East region. This is achieved by exploring the religion, politics, economics, culture, history, and geography of the region. Students are encouraged to study in the Middle East through formal partnerships with regional universities and gain proficiency in a modern regional language. The program benefits from a faculty of leading scholars and senior international affairs practitioners, access to Washington, DC's unmatched career opportunities, diverse study-abroad options, and over 250 on-campus events each year. Graduates go on to serve as senior policymakers, diplomats, international business executives, or global nonprofit leaders.
Admissions
For information about the admission process, including deadlines, students should refer to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application. Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at The George Washington University.
General Requirements
Elliott School bachelor's degrees engage students with global issues through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Students begin their studies with foundational courses in political science, economics, history, and anthropology or geography. They supplement these courses with others in the traditional liberal arts categories of writing, oral communication, natural or physical science, mathematics or statistics, and the humanities/creative arts, plus two writing in the disciplines courses. Language study is also emphasized early to enable students to satisfy the third-year language proficiency requirement of the bachelor's degree in a timely manner.
- University General Education Requirement
- Elliott School introductory requirements
- Major requirements
University General Education Requirement
Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:
- One course in critical thinking in the humanities.
- Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.
- One course that has an approved oral communication component.
- One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
- One course in scientific reasoning, with lab (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
- UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
- After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters.
Elliott School Introductory Requirements
The following courses are required:
- IAFF 1001: First-Year Experience
- IAFF 1005: Introduction to International Affairs
- ECON 1011: Principles of Economics I
- ECON 1012: Principles of Economics II
- HIST 1011: World History from 1500 to Present
- PSC 1001: Introduction to Comparative Politics
- One of the following introductory anthropology or geography courses:
- ANTH 1002: Sociocultural Anthropology
- ANTH 1004: Language in Culture and Society
- GEOG 1001: Introduction to Human Geography
- GEOG 1003: Society and Environment
- One additional course from the University General Education critical thinking in the humanities course list or from the GPAC creative or critical thinking in the arts course list.
Major Requirements
Students pursuing the BA in Middle East Studies must complete all of the major requirements listed below, including any prerequisites for these courses. These requirements are taken in addition to the requirements for the student's primary major, which typically includes completion of the University General Education requirement and other requirements specific to the primary major.
- Foundation (3 credits)
- Language (credits vary)
- Regional Foundations (3 credits)
- Research Methods (3 credits)
- Multi-disciplinary Core (24 credits)
Foundation
- IAFF 2095: The Middle East in International Affairs
Language
Students must demonstrate third-year proficiency in a modern language (Arabic, Hebrew, or Persian) by examination or coursework. If taking coursework, students can satisfy the language requirement by taking a course that is equivalent to third-year proficiency, or by taking a course beyond the third year which has a listed prerequisite of the second semester of the third year.
- Arabic:
- Option one:
- ARAB 1001: Beginning Arabic I
- ARAB 1002: Beginning Arabic II
- ARAB 2001: Intermediate Arabic I
- ARAB 2002: Intermediate Arabic II
- ARAB 3001: Advanced Arabic
- And one of the following courses:
- ARAB 3301: Modern Arabic Literature
- ARAB 3302: Media Arabic
- ARAB 3311: Business Arabic
- Option two:
- ARAB 1201: Intensive Elementary Arabic I
- ARAB 1202: Intensive Elementary Arabic II
- ARAB 2201: Intensive Intermediate Arabic
- ARAB 3201: Intensive Advanced Arabic: Mass Media
- Option one:
- Hebrew:
- HEBR 1001: Beginning Hebrew I
- HEBR 1002: Beginning Hebrew II
- HEBR 2001: Intermediate Hebrew I
- HEBR 2002: Intermediate Hebrew II
- HEBR 3001: Hebrew Conversation and Writing
- And one of the following courses:
- HEBR 3301: Modern Hebrew Fiction
- HEBR 3302: The Israeli Media
- Persian:
- PERS 1001: Beginning Persian I
- PERS 1002: Beginning Persian II
- PERS 2001: Intermediate Persian I
- PERS 2002: Intermediate Persian II
- PERS 3001: Advanced Persian
- PERS 3002: Media Persian
Regional Foundations
One course from the following in any region except the Middle East:
- Africa:
- ANTH 3708: Anthropology of Africa
- GEOG 3164: The Geography of Africa
- HIST 2001: Special Topics (Pan-Africanism in Africa)
- HIST 3530: Women in Africa
- IAFF 2093: Africa: Problems and Prospects
- IAFF 3189: Special Topics in African Studies
- PSC 2381: Comparative Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa
- PSC 2482: African International Politics
- Asia:
- ECON 2169: Introduction to the Economy of China
- GEOG 3165: Geography of South Asia
- HIST 3611: History of Modern China
- HIST 3615: History of Chinese Communism
- HIST 3621: History of Modern Japan
- HIST 3631: History of Modern Korea
- HIST 3640: History of Southeast Asia
- IAFF 2091: East Asia-Past and Present
- IAFF 3186: Special Topics in Asian Studies
- IAFF 3752W: Equitable Development in Southeast Asia
- IAFF 3753: International Relations of South Asia
- IAFF 3756: Christianity and Islam in East Asia
- IAFF 3757: North Korean Society and Culture
- IAFF 3758: China and the World
- PSC 2368: Politics in the Two Koreas
- PSC 2371: Politics and Foreign Policy of China
- PSC 2374: Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan
- PSC 2373: Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia
- PSC 2475: International Relations of East Asia
- PSC 2993: Special Topics in Comparative Politics
- Europe and Eurasia:
- GEOG 3197: Special Topics in Regional Geography
- HIST 2125: Twentieth-Century Europe
- HIST 3168: Divided and United Germany Since 1945
- IAFF 2092: Russia and Eastern Europe: An Introduction
- IAFF 2094: Europe in Transition
- IAFF 3185: Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies
- PSC 2330: Comparative Politics of Western Europe
- PSC 2331: Comparative Politics of Central and Eastern Europe
- PSC 2332: European Integration
- PSC 2366: Russian Politics
- PSC 2993: Special Topics in Comparative Politics
- PSC 2994: Special Topics in International Relations
- PSC 3192W: Proseminar: Political Science
- Latin America:
- ANTH 3702: Anthropology of Latin America
- ANTH 3791: Topics in Regional Anthropology
- HIST 3701: Topics in Latin American History
- HIST 3710: History of Latin America I
- HIST 3711: History of Latin America II
- IAFF 2090: Latin America: Problems and Promise
- IAFF 3187: Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies
- IAFF 3853: Latin American Geopolitics and Geoeconomics
- IAFF 3855: Argentina in Global Context
- PSC 2383: Comparative Politics of Latin America
- PSC 2994: Special Topics in International Relations
- Middle East:
- Note: Students in the BA in Middle East Studies program must fulfill the regional foundations requirement using a course focused in a world region other than the Middle East.
Research Methods
One course pertaining to qualitative or quantitative social science research methods, computer programming, or other analytical competencies:
- ANTH 3531: Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology
- APSC 3115: Engineering Analysis III
- CSCI 1012: Introduction to Programming with Python
- DATS 1001: Data Science for All
- DNSC 1001: Business Analytics I: Statistics for Descriptive and Predictive Analytics
- DNSC 2001: Business Analytics II: Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics
- ECON 2123: Introduction to Econometrics
- ECON 3105: Economic Forecasting
- GEOG 2104: Introduction to Cartography and GIS
- GEOG 3198: Special Topics
- IAFF 2101: Qualitative Methods in International Affairs
- IAFF 2102: Quantitative Methods in International Affairs
- IAFF 3190: Special Topics in International Affairs
- IAFF 4191W: Research and Writing Seminar
- IAFF 4192: Team-Based Applied Learning Seminar
- ISTM 3119: Introduction to Programming
- PSC 2101: Scope and Methods of Political Science
- PSC 2990: Selected Topics
- PSYC 2101: Research Methods in Psychology
- PUBH 2140: Foundations of Research Methods
- PUBH 2142: Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health
- PUBH 3131: Epidemiology
- PUBH 4201: Practical Computing
- SMPA 2151: Research Methods
- SOC 2101: Social Research Methods
- SOC 2102: Techniques of Data Analysis
- STAT 1051: Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics
- STAT 1053: Introduction to Statistics in Social Science
- STAT 1111: Business and Economic Statistics I
- STAT 1127: Statistics for the Biological Sciences
- STAT 1129: Introduction to Computing
- STAT 2112: Business and Economic Statistics II
- STAT 2118: Regression Analysis
- STAT 2123: Introduction to Econometrics
- STAT 2183W: Intermediate Statistical Laboratory: Statistical Computing Packages
- STAT 4157: Introduction to Mathematical Statistics I
- SUST 3097: Culminating Experience in Sustainability
Multi-disciplinary Core
The following lists are not exhaustive and new courses may be added at any time. Contact the Director of the Middle East Studies program for approval to count a course not listed toward one of these requirements.
- History (6 credits):
- Two courses from the following:
- HIST 2803: The Ancient Near East and Egypt to 322 B.C.
- HIST 2804: History of Ancient Israel
- HIST 2805W: Majors’ Introductory Seminar: Middle East
- HIST 3801: Topics in Middle Eastern History
- HIST 3810: History of the Middle East to 1800
- HIST 3811: The Emergence of the Modern Middle East
- HIST 3820: History of Israel
- HIST 3825: Land and Power in Israel/Palestine
- HIST 3830: History of Iraq
- HIST 3850: Modern Iran
- Two courses from the following:
- Economics (3 credits):
- One course from the following:
- ECON 2136: Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
- ECON 2151: Economic Development
- ECON 2180: Survey of International Economics
- ECON 2181: International Trade Theory and Policy
- ECON 2182: International Macroeconomic Theory and Policy
- One course from the following:
- Middle East Arts and Literature (3 credits):
- One course from the following:
- ARAB 3301: Modern Arabic Literature
- ARAB 3501: Arabic and Arab Identity
- ARAB 3502: Arab Film and Culture
- ARAB 4001: Genres in Modern Arabic Literature
- ARAB 4002: Arabic Narratives Through the Ages
- CAH 3113: Islamic Art and Architecture
- HEBR 3101: Modern Hebrew Literary Classics in Translation
- HEBR 3102: Israeli Society and Culture: Literary Perspectives
- HEBR 3103: Israeli Cinema
- HEBR 3104W: Gender and Sexuality in Israel
- HEBR 3301: Modern Hebrew Fiction
- HEBR 4001: Advanced Hebrew Literature I
- HEBR 4002: Advanced Hebrew Literature II
- REL 3432: Persian Sufi Literature East and West
- One course from the following:
- Political Science (6 credits):
- Two courses from the following:
- PSC 2377: Comparative Politics of the Middle East
- PSC 2379: Politics and Foreign Policy of Israel
- PSC 2476: The Arab-Israeli Conflict
- PSC 2478: International Relations of the Middle East
- Two courses from the following:
- Religion (6 credits):
- Two courses from the following:
- REL 2401: Islam
- REL 3405: Shi'ite Islam
- REL 3414: Islamic Philosophy and Theology
- REL 3425: Islamic Political Thought
- REL 3431: Sufism/Islamic Mysticism
- REL 3432: Persian Sufi Literature East and West
- REL 3475: Islamic Religion and Art
- REL 3481: Women in Islam
- REL 3482: Gender and Piety in Islam
- REL 3990: Selected Topics in Religion
- Two courses from the following:
- Related Coursework (6 credits):
- Two courses related to the Middle East from any discipline, including International Affairs (IAFF). Courses that are approved for other Middle East studies requirements automatically satisfy this requirement, but cannot be double counted. Courses taken for this requirement must be taken for a letter grade and must be completed with a grade of C- or above. Courses that focus on language instruction cannot count toward this requirement. Course selection can be discussed with the program director or the academic advisor and additional course options can be considered via the course substitution request process.
Study Abroad
Students are encouraged to study in the Middle East through one of GW's formal partnerships with a regional university or an approved self-designed study abroad program.