Middle Eastern and South Asian StudiesMajor

The Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies offers a Humanities based area studies major that provides an integrative vision of the Middle East and South Asia that sees these areas as linked through economic, social, historical, linguistic, and cultural connections that have existed since pre-modern time. Students who complete the major will have the knowledge, languages and analytic tools to pursue employment or advanced study of the region.

1. Two years study of one of the languages of the Middle East or South Asia (Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Persian, Tibetan), e.g., 101-102 and 201-202; or 201-202 and 301-302; or other sequence of language study.
2. Two area-specific core courses focused on the Middle East and South Asia. Students must take one course in the Middle East and one course in South Asia from the following core courses:
   • MESAS 100 Introduction to the Middle East
   • MESAS 102: Introduction to South Asia
   • MESAS 200W: Middle East: Empires to Nations
   • MESAS 200W: South Asia: Empires to Nations
3. MESAS 490W, common senior seminar for MESAS majors.
4. Four or five elective courses that focus primarily on the Middle East and South Asia to reach the 36-credit hour minimum (to be chosen in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies).
5. Students must meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies regularly for advising.