Middle East Studies, BA

Location(s): Main Campus

A Bachelor of Arts in Middle East Studies is offered through the Department of Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (MEAMS). The program gives students the choice to pursue a major or minor in one of two distinct tracks: Middle East Studies and Arabic Studies.

Program Requirements

University General Education Requirements

All Binghamton University undergraduate students are required to fulfill this set of university-wide requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of a SUNY university undergraduate education. Please refer to the general education section in the Academic Policies and Procedures for Undergraduate Students or the General Education page for more information.

Harpur College Requirements

All students in Harpur College must fulfill additional requirements designated by Harpur College to complement and extend the general education requirements. Please refer to the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences page for more information.

Major Requirements

Middle East Studies Track Requirements (10 courses total)

Students pursuing the Middle East Studies track are required to complete the following coursework:

MES 101 : Introduction to the Middle East
Two consecutive courses in one of the following Middle East languages:
- Arabic
- Hebrew
- Persian
- Turkish
Six electives with appropriate content coverage of the Middle Eastf
- These courses may be taken from ANTH, ARAB, ARTS, COLI GEOG, HEBR, HIST, ISRL, JUST, MES, PERS, PLSC, RELG, SOC, TRIP, TURK, or others approved by the MES Undergraduate Director
Capstone course: This course may be a 400 level course, seminar, or independent study directed by a faculty member in MEAMS or a cognate department. Students will complete a capstone research project.
- The course and project must be approved by the Undergraduate Director.
At least six of the ten courses above must be taken at the 300 or 400-level

Arabic Studies Track Requirements (10 courses total)

Students pursuing the Arabic Studies track are required to complete the following coursework:

Four courses in Modern Standard Arabic, including 101-102, 203-204
Two courses ARAB courses delivered in Arabic at the 300-level such as:
- ARAB 310 Egpytian Colloquial Arabic
- ARAB 382C Contemporary Issues in Arabic
- ARAB 320 Quranic Arabic
- Others as approved by the Undergraduate Director
Four additional elective courses*, carrying the ARAB rubric, or if not, approved by the undergraduate director (may be delivered in Arabic or English)
- Two of these courses must be parented in the MEAMS Department.
At least six of ten courses must be taken at the 300 or 400-level

Notes:

*Options include, but are not limited to, Arabic Literature, Arabic Literature in Translation (such as the Postcolonial Egyptian Novel, Race and Gender in Arab-American Literature), Arabic Word Formation and Origins, Introduction to Islam: Texts and Contexts, Introduction to Quranic and Classical Arabic, or courses in other critical languages of the Middle East, such as Hebrew or Turkish.

Additional Information About the Program

Any course in which a student receives a grade of P or D shall not count for the major.
Students with high school or other preparation in Arabic are placed at the appropriate level on the basis of individual consultation with faculty members or, in some cases, by placement tests.
Not more than two introductory-level (100-level) courses may be counted toward the major.

NOTE: Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that this may impede their ability to study abroad. Students who have concerns about such matters are advised to contact the Office of International Education and Global Initiatives.

For more information on the Middle East Studies BA program, please refer to the Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies website. To apply to the Middle East Studies BA program, please visit the University Admissions website.