Middle Eastern Studies Certificate

The undergraduate certificate in Middle Eastern Studies offers students a multi-disciplinary course of study that will provide them with in-depth training in a special area that may be particularly useful as they pursue careers in such fields as Academia, Law, Public History, Education, Business, and even Medicine. The certificate complements any major in the university and is also appropriate for non-degree students who might like to return to the university for mid-career training.

Requirements

• Two years of a Middle Eastern language (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 15 credits of approved electives.
Minimum 3.0 GPA in the courses that will fulfill the certificate.
• The student must be in good standing in his/her major department, if enrolled in a degree program.

Language Core

Two years of a Middle-Eastern language offered by the University of Akron or any other accredited institution. Students may also fulfill the language requirement by demonstrating competency in the equivalent of a fourth-semester-level of his/her chosen language at the FS-1 level (U.S. Dept. of State) or equivalent level. Currently, the University of Akron offers Arabic:

• MODL 101 Beginning Arabic (4 credits)
• MODL 102 Beginning Arabic 2 (4 credits)
• MODL 201 Intermediate Arabic (3 credits)
• MODL 202 Intermediate Arabic 2 (3 credits)

Multi-Disciplinary Electives

Students must choose 15 credits of electives from more than two departments. Exceptions or substitutions are only made with the director’s approval. Credits will be provided with the director’s approval for study and certain experiences abroad in Middle-Eastern countries.

• ANTH 472 Special topics*(3 credits)
• ANTH 360 Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology**(3 credits)
• HIST 307 Ancient Near East** (3 credits)
• HIST 373 Special Topics in History*** (3 credits)
• HIST 341 Islamic Fundamentalism and Revolution (3 credits)
• HIST 342 The Crusades through Arab Eyes (3 credits)
• HIST 396 Iraq in Historical Perspective (3 credits)
• HIST 489 Ottoman State and Society (3 credits)
• HIST 496 Special Studies in History***(3 credits)
• HIST 498 Race, Nation, and Class in the Middle East (3 credits)
• HIST 499 Women and Gender in Middle Eastern Societies (3 credits)
• POLIT 392 Selected Topics in Political Science*** (3 credits)
• POLIT 405 Politics in the Middle East (3 credits)
• POLIT 445 Al Qaeda (3 credits)

*Recent 400-level special-topics courses in Classical Studies, Anthropology and Archaeology have included “Cultures of the Arab World.”

**Only one ancient-world course will count towards the certificate.

***This course must be focused on the Middle East to count for credit.

Courses with comparative content are also encouraged. Any course that has significant Middle-Eastern content (and for which the student has presented substantial written work on a Middle-Eastern topic) may count as an elective with the director's approval. Students should consult with the director for help in planning an appropriate course of study.