NU-Q students may earn a certificate in Middle East studies. In choosing to construct a meaningful course of study, students should consult with a member of the certificate committee. In addition, they should consult with their adviser in order to insure that the certificate articulates well with their major, concentration or internship plans.
Requirements
- Four graded courses for a total of four academic credits from the approved list of courses offered in Education City
- Grades must be C- or better; no courses taken P/NC may be applied
- Three of these courses must be taken at NU-Q
- A minimum of two courses must have been at 300-level
- No course can count towards both the major and the certificate; they may count towards both a distribution requirement and the certificate
Eligible Courses
Courses at NU-Q
- ANTH 242: Introduction to Middle East Anthropology
- ARABIC 142: Arabic for Media (1/2 Unit)
- ARABIC 316-1 (Evanston campus): Reading Arabic Poetry (in Arabic)
- ENG 242/379: Modern Middle Eastern Literature
- ENG 379, Moroccan Women Writers
- HIST 242: History of Medieval Muslim Empires
- HIST 242: History of the Modern Middle East
- HIST 242: The History of Modern Africa
- HIST 242/387: Islam in the Shaping of African History
- HIST 387: Britain and the Middle East
- HIST 387: Colonialism and Decolonization in the Muslim World
- HIST 387: Muslim Empires of the Medieval Period
- INTERDIS 202-0: Topics in Interdisciplinary: Museums and Society
- INTERDIS 301: The Doha Seminar
- MIT 351‐0: National Cinema: Cinemas of the Middle East
- MIT 351-0: National Cinema: Iran
- MIT 351: NATIONAL CINEMA: cinemas of the ‘Middle East’ and North Africa
- MIT 398: Alternative Media in the Middle East
- MIT 398: Arab Television Industries
- MIT 398: Arab TV Role Models
- MIT 399: Independent Study: Arab TV Role Models
- JOUR 390/MIT 398: Special Topics, Islam, America, and the Media
- JOUR 390/MIT 398: The Media and Journalism in Today’s Middle East
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 242: Arab Women in Civil Society
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 242: Gulf Society and Politics
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 242: Introduction to Middle East Politics
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 309/387: Contemporary Arab Thought
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 309/387: Islamism and Politics in the Middle East
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 387: The Arab Spring
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 387: Politics of Legitimacy in the Arabian Gulf Region
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 387: Public Opinion in the Middle East
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 390: Media Politics in the Arab World
- RELIGION 242: Sufism
- RELIGION 242/387: Islam in America
- RELIGION 242/387: Modern Islamic Reform Movements
- RELIGION 242/387: Overview of Islamic Intellectual History
Additional Courses
- ANTH 242: Introduction to Middle East Anthropology (Pahwa – Fall 2010)
- ANTH 242: Middle East: Arab Modernities (Spring 2013: Pahwa)
- ENG 242: Gender in Arab Popular fiction (Fall 2014: Rajakumar)
- ENG 379: Advanced Topics on Gender in Arab Popular fiction (Fall 2014: Rajakumar)
- HIST 387: Muslim Empires of the Medieval Period (Spring 2012: Wright)
- MIT 351: History of Egyptian Cinema (Wilkerson – Fall 2012, Summer 2012)
- MIT 379: Topics in F/V/A - Cityscapes on Film: Doha-Paris (Fall 2013: Sobel)
- MIT 398: Undergraduate Seminar - Arab Television Industries (Spring 2014: Khalil)
- MIT 398/JOUR: Installing a Multimedia Majlis (Spring 2015: Kane, Mitchell, Paschyn, Pike and Mir)
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 387: Advanced Topics - The Arab Spring (2012 Fall: Burns)
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 387: Qatari Female Civil Society (2014 Spring: Mitchell)
- POLITICAL SCIENCE 399: Qatar and the World Values Survey (Mitchell – Fall 2012)
- SOC 387: Youth Cultures in The Middle East (Fall 2012: Harkness & Khalil)
- SOC 387/MIT 398: Globalization of Youth Cultures in the Middle East (Khalil/Harkness Fall 2012)
Courses at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar
- 79-2: Arab Spring
- 79-2: Political History of the Modern Middle East
- 48-577: Middle Eastern Cities
- 70-513: TBH: Arabian Gulf Society
- 79-284: Islam, Africa, and the Arab World
- 79-285: Islam in the United States
- 79-378: Islam and Integration with Society: Case Studies
Courses at Georgetown University in Qatar
- ARAB 331: The Arabian Nights in Western Literature
- ECON 364: Economics of the Middle East
- HIST 160: Middle East I
- HIST 161: Middle East II
- HIST 260: Problem of Identity in the Middle East
- HIST 467: Islamic Law and Gender
- INAF 258: Lebanon’s History, Society and Politics
- INAF 324: Secularism in the Middle East
- GOVT 416: Comparative Politics of the Middle East
- THEO 144: Islamic Mystical Tradition
Courses at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
- ARTH 260, 261: Islamic Art Survey
- ARTH 311: Islamic Art and the West Before 1200
- ARTH 312: Islamic Art and the West Before 1200 to 1600
- ARTH 321: Islamic Art and the West Before 1600 to 1800
- ARTH 465: Islamic Art and the West from 1800 to 1900
- ARTH 466: Modern Contemporary Art in the Middle East
Application
Download the application: PDF | DOC
Certificate Committee
Faculty members on the certificate committee are appointed by the associate dean for academic affairs. The current members are:
FAQ
Will this certificate appear on my transcript?
Yes, pending details worked out with the Registrar's Office in Evanston.
May I count Arabic-language courses?
No. Though we recognize that proficiency in Arabic is important for serious study of the Middle East, courses in which students either learn the language or improve their reading, writing and speaking skills will not be counted for this program.
I took a course in which we spent a lot of time on issues related to the Middle East. Does that count?
No, not at this time, though an exception may be sought by filing an appeal with the ME certificate committee. NU-Q faculty will indicate which of their courses have at least 50% ME-related content. View the list of courses that may be counted towards the certificate.
I took an independent study on a topic related to the Middle East. Does that count?
Yes. Only 1 independent study may count towards the certificate. Those who have already taken an independent study course on an ME-related topic may have that work counted towards the certificate by doing the following:
- Write a statement detailing when the study occurred, who served as the faculty supervisor, what was the topic studied, what were some of the books or other sources used, what was the nature of the final assessment paper, documentary, portfolio, etc.
- Submit this statement to the director of the liberal arts program who will confer with the supervising faculty and make a determination.
Those wishing to take an ME-related independent study should fill out the independent study application and indicate on the application that they want this counted towards the certificate.
Do cross-registration courses count?
Yes. If a course appears on the list of courses taught at other EC schools, it can count. In planning your courses, remember to consult with a member of the ME certificate committee AND your student advisor in order to identify those courses that are most appropriate for you.
May I count study-abroad courses?
Yes. Study-abroad courses will be treated in a manner similar to independent studies. A student should present the same documentation—name of faculty and institution, syllabus of readings and assignments, final product. The ME certificate committee will review the materials and make a determination.
I'm a transfer student. Will the ME courses I took at my former college count?
Possibly. Again, three of the four courses required for the certificate must be taken at NU-Q. You may ask the ME certificate committee to review the materials for one course for which you want credit. See the study-abroad answer above for a list of the documentation that should be provided.
What happens if I take a ME course at Northwestern in Evanston, since they're on a quarter system?
Though the course can certainly be counted, students must still meet the 4 academic credits stipulation.
I have AP credit for an ME course. Does that count towards the certificate?
No. Pre-matriculation test credits, such as AP, IB, and A-levels, do not count.
I'm a student at another EC university, and I've met all these requirements. Can I get an ME certificate from NU-Q?
Yes, pending development of mechanism to document this course of study.