Minor in Middle East and Islamic Studies
College of Liberal & Creative Arts
Dean: Dr. Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo
Coordinator: Lucia Volk
Humanities Building, Room 576
Phone: (415) 405-2468
Email: lvolk@sfsu.edu
Program Scope
The Minor in Middle East and Islamic Studies is a multidisciplinary minor designed to provide undergraduate students with a broad understanding of the history, politics, and culture of the Middle East and Islamic world. Students are required to fulfill both core and elective requirements designed to give a background of the complexity and diversity of the region as well as offer more specific, in-depth studies of select issues of the region. This program covers regions and peoples from or in the Middle East from the founding of Islam in the seventh century to the present. In concert with the “Islamic Studies” aspect of this program, this minor also extends beyond the Middle East to those cultures, societies, and areas that are associated with the historical and current spread of Islam. Students can select from a variety of courses across multiple disciplines, including history, religion, politics, culture, art, music, language, and literature.
The minor is useful to students planning careers in politics and government, business, education, international organizations, journalism, and art, as well as for those who simply desire a better understanding of the Middle East and Islam. The multidisciplinary nature of the program also prepares students for further study in a number of academic fields at the graduate level.
The Middle East and Islamic Studies Minor consists of a core curriculum of three courses that deal with the region as a whole from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, plus three upper-division courses taken upon advisement.
Professor
Fred Astren (1996), Professor in Jewish Studies. Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley.
Mohammad Azadpur (2003), Professor in Philosophy. Ph.D. University of Virginia.
Sanjoy Banerjee (1990), Professor in International Relations. Ph.D. Yale University.
Burcu Akan Ellis (2004), Professor in International Relations. Ph.D. American University.
Dina A. Ibrahim (2003), Professor in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts. Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin.
Eran Kaplan (2011), Professor in Jewish Studies. Ph.D. Brandeis University.
Santhi Kavuri-Bauer (2003), Professor in Art. Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles.
Shirin A. Khanmohamadi (2005), Professor in Comparative and World Literature. Ph.D. Columbia University.
Hafez Modirzadeh (1998), Professor in Music. Ph.D. Wesleyan University.
Mahmood Monshipouri (2007), Professor in International Relations. Ph.D. University of Georgia.
Mohammad Ramadan Salama (2005), Professor in Modern Languages and Literatures. Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Lucia Volk (2003), Professor in International Relations. Ph.D. Harvard University.
Nicole Watts (2003), Professor in Political Science. Ph.D. University of Washington.
Associate Professor
Mitra Ara (2011), Associate Professor in Modern Languages and Literatures. Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley.
Maziar Behrooz (2002), Associate Professor in History. C.Phil., Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles.
Christopher Chekuri (2004), Associate Professor in History. Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Middle East and Islamic Studies Minor - 18-21 units
A minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.
All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
Core (9-10 units)
Complete at least nine units in the core by taking one course from Section A, one course from Section B, and a third course from either section. MEIS 300 and MEIS 301 may satisfy either Core Section A or B. Any core class taken beyond the required units can be counted towards the required elective units.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Section A: History and Politics | 3-4 | |
| Islamic World I: 500-1500 | ||
| Islamic World II: 1500 - Present | ||
| Middle East and North Africa in International Relations | ||
| Muslim Societies in Transnational Perspective | ||
| Section B: Arts and Culture | 3 | |
| Cultural Expression in Islam | ||
| Art, Architecture, and Space in the Islamic World | ||
| Islamic Philosophy | ||
| Section A or B: | 3 | |
| Foundations in Middle East and Islamic Studies | ||
| Islam: Interpretation and Practice | ||
Electives (9-11 units)
In addition to the three core courses above, take a minimum of three additional courses as electives. Courses that are used to satisfy core requirements may not also be used as electives.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select at least one course from Part I and at least one course from Part II. The third elective may be taken from either part I or II: | ||
| Part I: History and Politics | ||
| HIST 372 | India and the British Empire | 3 |
| HIST 380 | Islamic World I: 500-1500 | 3 |
| HIST 381 | Islamic World II: 1500 - Present | 3 |
| HIST 382 | History of Iran and Afghanistan 1500 - Present | 3 |
| I R 323 | The Persian Gulf in International Relations | 4 |
| I R 324 | Middle East and North Africa in International Relations | 4 |
| I R 335 | Muslim Societies in Transnational Perspective | 4 |
| JS/I R/PLSI 430 | Israeli Democracy: Politics, Institutions, and Society | 3 |
| PHIL 436 | Islamic Political Philosophy | 3 |
| Part II: Arts and Culture | ||
| ARAB 102 | Second Semester Arabic | 4 |
| ARAB 300 | Reading Qur'anic Arabic | 3 |
| CWL/HUM 424 | Multicultural Middle Ages | 3 |
| HEBR 102 | Second Semester Modern Hebrew | 3 |
| HEBR 201 | Third Semester Modern Hebrew | 3 |
| HEBR 202 | Fourth Semester Modern Hebrew | 3 |
| HUM 361/I R 363 | Cultural Expression in Islam | 3 |
| HUM 375 | Biography of a City: United States Cities | 3 |
| HUM/JS 379 | Jerusalem | 3 |
| HUM/ARTH 496 | Art, Architecture, and Space in the Islamic World | 3 |
| JS 408/CINE 314 | Israeli Cinema | 3 |
| JS/HUM/PHIL 501 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| PHIL 516 | Islamic Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 517 | 3 | |
| PRSN 102 | Second Semester Persian | 4 |
| PRSN 206 | Basic Persian Conversation | 3 |
| PRSN/I R 260 | History and Cultures of Iran | 3 |
| RRS/ARAB 450 | Contemporary Arabic and Arab American Literature | 3 |
| WGS 565 | Muslim Feminisms | 3 |
Foreign Language Requirement
Students are strongly encouraged to develop proficiency in a Middle Eastern language or a language pertaining to the Islamic world and to commit to more than one semester of language studies. Therefore, second-semester language courses and higher will count towards elective units. Each student will discuss how to incorporate language into their minor during advising sessions.
Study-Abroad Courses
Students completing the Middle East and Islamic Studies minor are strongly encouraged to participate in study-abroad programs, whether through the CSU system or another approved study abroad program. SF State’s bilateral exchange with Koç University in Istanbul is particularly suited for MEIS minors. Please attend OIP’s informational sessions and then see a MEIS advisor.