Middle East Studies Major
For students who want to explore the Middle East more deeply, this major is a multi-disciplinary program that includes three years of foreign language study.
Students build skills and knowledge through coursework in three areas: A) History, B) Language and Literature, and C) Social and Cultural Studies. They complete their degree with a capstone course that draws upon that expertise. The three-years of foreign language study is typically in Arabic, though the program can accept transfer credit in other languages with certain conditions.
The program allows for an emphasis on the transnational and diasporic experiences of people with heritage ties to the region so students can take advantage of our campus’ Center for Arab American Studies and the Armenian Research Center.
In addition to preparing students for graduate study of the modern Middle East, this BA program provides a solid foundation for a variety of careers in which language, social, and cultural expertise alongside oral and written communication skills are desirable.
For students who want to highlight their coursework in Middle East Studies in another way, consider the Middle East Studies Certificate.
What Will I Learn?
Students who complete the BA in Middle East Studies should be able to demonstrate:
- The ability to formulate viable research projects in Middle East Studies.
- The ability to contextualize that research within the scholarly literature of Middle East Studies generally and relevant subfields (e.g. History, Anthropology).
- The ability to interpret the history and culture of specific locales in the Middle East within regional, transnational and global contexts.
- The proficiency in one Middle Eastern language (typically Arabic) as demonstrated via an assessment OR the completion of three years of university level foreign language study with a B average.
Visit the University Catalog
Beginning in Fall 2023, you can visit the University Catalog to learn about degree requirements and coursework for the Middle East Studies major.
Also learn about requirements and coursework for the Middle East Studies certificate.
MEST Offerings Summer 2024
Pre-req for the MEST major
- ARBC 102-001 (CRN: 31687) ElMeligi, Asynchronous
Menu A (History)
- MEST 3900 (CRN: 32714) N/A, Asynchronous
- MEST 4900 (CRN: 32715) N/A, Asynchronous
Menu B (Language and Literature)
- MEST 3900 (CRN: 32714) N/A, Asynchronous
- MEST 4900 (CRN: 32715) N/A, Asynchronous
- ARBC 365-001 (CRN: 32656) Dika, Asynchronous
Menu C (Social and Cultural Studies)
MEST 3900 (CRN: 32714) N/A, Asynchronous
MEST 4900 (CRN: 32715) N/A, Asynchronous
MEST Offerings Fall 2024
Pre-req for the MEST major
- HIST 101-001 (CRN:15536) Shelly, T/R 2PM-3:15PM
- HIST 103-001 (CRN:13881) Sanjian, M/W 3:30PM-4:45PM
- AAST 238-001 (CRN: 15585 ), Vinson, Asynchronous
- ARBC 101-002 (CRN: 11589) Bazzi, T/R 8AM-9:15AM
- ARBC 101-003 (CRN: 11590) Bazzi, Asynchronous
- ARBC 101-004 (CRN: 11591) Bazzi, M/W 11AM-12:15PM
- ARBC 102-002 (CRN: 11593) ElMeligi, Asynchronous
- ARBC 201-001 (CRN: 11510) Dika, M/W 2PM-3:15PM
Menu A (History)
- MEST 3900-001 (CRN: 15942) N/A, Asynchronous
- MEST 4900-001 (CRN: 15943) N/A, Asynchronous
Menu B (Language and Literature)
- ARBC 301-001 (CRN: 15515) Dika, M/W 3:30PM-4:45PM
- MEST 3900-001 (CRN: 15942) N/A, Asynchronous
- MEST 4900-001 (CRN: 15943) N/A, Asynchronous
Menu C (Social and Cultural Studies)
- AAST 3150-001 (CRN: 15473) Howell, Hybrid W 2PM-3:45PM
- AAST 3673 (CRN: 15929) Bawardi Hybrid W 6:00-8:45 PM
- ANTH 373-001 (CRN: 15820) Wellman, T/TH 12:00-1:45 PM
- POL 385-001 (CRN:16023) Abou-Samra, Hybrid M 6PM-8:45PM
- MEST 3900-001 (CRN: 15942) N/A, Asynchronous
- MEST 4900-001 (CRN: 15943) N/A, Asynchronous
For complete course information, check out the Class Schedule.
General Program Information
- Bachelor of Arts - Major
- Internship opportunities available
- Scholarships available
- Program coordinator: Prof. Camron Michael Amin
Frequently asked questions about studying the Middle East at UM-Dearborn
Starting in Fall 2023, there are two ways you can focus on Middle East Studies: the MEST BA or the MEST Certificate.
(Please visit the MEST Certificate website for more information on this program.)
The MEST Certificate requires four upper division courses (12-16 credit hours), while the MEST BA requires 9 to 10 upper division courses (30-40 credit hours). The MEST Certificate does not require foreign language study, while the MEST BA requires a minimum of three years foreign language study, typically in Arabic.
Take the appropriate COMP course that you have placed into (the goal is to complete COMP 106 or the equivalent as soon as possible). Take either HIST 101 or 103. Take the level of Arabic (101, 102, 201, or 202) that you have placed into. If you have transfer or AP credit for COMP or HIST, then take any available upper-division course from Group A, B, or C menus. If you have been placed into a higher level of Arabic, contact the MEST Coordinator so we can work with your Arabic professors to map out a plan to further your foreign language proficiency in Arabic.
No. As a multidisciplinary field, any upper-division course from our three course group menus can be a useful starting point. That said, we have created MEST 3000; An Introduction to Middle East Studies which will typically be offered in the Fall Term. You can start with that course for an overview of the field or circle back to it later in your program of study.
Very similar to the MEST Major, except you do not have to worry about getting started on foreign language study. If you happen to be proficient enough in Arabic to take upper division courses, please note that upper division ARBC courses can be applied to your MEST Certificate program of study.
The good news is you can apply additional upper division courses in ARBC to your MEST BA. You should also consider adding an Arabic Minor or Major to your MEST Major. Talk to your academic advisor about course sharing opportunities.
Contact the MEST coordinator to see how the language you have demonstrated proficiency in (or transferable college credit for) can be applied to your MEST Major or MEST Certificate.
The programs share many faculty and you can apply a number of AAST courses to your MEST Major or MEST Certificate. Indeed, one of the unique features of the MEST program at UM-Dearborn is that AAST courses are part of the MEST curriculum. You can also add a minor in Arab American Studies to your MEST Major or MEST Certificate. Each term, The Center for Arab American Studies provides many extra-curricular enrichment events (e.g., exhibits and public lectures) that will complement your coursework in Middle East Studies.
The Armenian Research Center has been a unique campus asset for decades. It has a specialized collection of materials related to Armenian history and culture, but also many research materials that pertain to the Middle East more generally. Think of ARC as a supplementary resource to the robust collection of Mardigian Library. For a guide to Mardigian Library’s resources (especially digital ones), please see the librarian subject guide entitled, Essential Studies on the Modern Middle East.
Absolutely, yes. Bear in mind that all prerequisites for the MEST BA satisfy other degree requirements (DDC or the CASL foreign language requirement). With some planning, the upper-division credits required for the MEST BA will leave you ample room to add another major. The MEST Certificate is even easier to coordinate with your program of study for other majors.
Prospective Students: Please contact Admissions.
Current Students: Please contact an academic advisor.
MEST Course Groups
- Courses with an * can be applied to the capstone requirement.
- MEST 3000 can be applied to Group A, B or C.
- MEST 3900 and MEST 4000 and MEST 4900 can be applied to Group A, B, or C by petition (as they depend on the particular project students complete in those courses).
MEST 3000: An Introduction to Middle East Studies
MEST 3900: Independent Research in Middle East Studies (requires petition for Group designation)
FNDS 3401: Reporting on the Modern Middle East Revising First Drafts of History
HIST 337: Islamic Movements in the Middle East
HIST 338: Women and Islam in Middle Eastern History to 1900
HIST 339: The Ottoman Empire in the 19th Century
HIST 3130: Armenia in the Ancient World
HIST 3132: Armenians in the Modern World
HIST 3502: The Middle East from 570-1800
HIST 3511: The Modern Middle East, 1918-1945
HIST 3512: The Modern Middle East, 1945-1991
HIST 3520: Lebanon in the Modern Middle East
HIST 3632: The United States in the Middle East
HIST 4515: Culture and History in Modern Iran*
MEST 4000: Advanced Research Seminar in Middle East Studies* (requires petition for Group designation)
MEST 4900: Advanced Independent Research in Middle East Studies* (requires petition for Group designation)
AAST 473: Arab American Women Writers
ARBC 301: Higher Intermediate Arabic
ARBC 304: The Poetry of Arab Women from The Pre-Islamic Age to Andalusia
ARBC 305: Language of Business
ARBC 310: Arabic Translation Skills
ARBC 311: Simultaneous Interpreting
ARBC 312: Subtitling Arabic
ARBC 331: Survey of Arabic Literature
ARBC 332: Arabic Cinema
ARBC 335: Arabic Civilization
ARBC 350: Arabic Literature and Culture
ARBC 351: Contemporary Arabic Literature
ARBC 365: Intro to the Qur’an
ARBC 390: Topics in Arabic
COML 302: Arabic Novel and Short Story in Translation
COML 303: Arabic and Comparative Literature
ENGL 351: Arab Literature in English
MEST 3000: An Introduction to Middle East Studies
MEST 3900: Independent Research in Middle East Studies (requires petition for Group designation)
MEST 4000: Advanced Research Seminar in Middle East Studies* (requires petition for Group designation)
MEST 4900: Advanced Independent Research in Middle East Studies*(requires petition for Group designation)
MEST 3000: An Introduction to Middle East Studies
MEST 3900: Independent Research in Middle East Studies (requires petition for Group designation)
AAST 3150: Intro to Arab American Studies
AAST 3151: Public Cultural Work
AAST 3634: History of Islam in the United States
AAST 3673: Arabs and Muslims in the Media
AAST 3676: Arab Americans Since 1890
AAST 473: Arab American Women Authors *
AAST 4677*: Arab American Identity
AAST4678*: Middle Eastern Diasporas
ANTH 373: Anthropology of the Middle East
ARTH 384: Islamic Architecture
ARTH 385: Islamic Decorative Arts
ECON 444: Economies of the Middle East*
MEST 3000: An Introduction to Middle East Studies
MEST 3900: Independent Research in Middle East Studies (requires petition for Group designation)
MEST 4000: Advanced Research Seminar in Middle East Studies* (requires petition for Group designation)
MEST 4900: Advanced Independent Research in Middle East Studies*(requires petition for Group designation)
PHIL 306: Islamic Philosophy
POL 385: Israeli Palestinian Conflict
Learn About Our Faculty
Middle East Studies faculty teach and do research in diverse fields. Click the link below to read more about us and our work.
Associated MEST Faculty
Middle East Studies Faculty Publications and Appearances
Amin, Camron Michael. 2002. The Making of the Modern Iranian Woman : Gender, State Policy, and Popular Culture, 1865-1946. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
Amin, Camron Michael. "Professional Transnationalism and Iranian-American Im/mobility in Michigan." In American-Iranian Dialogues: From Constitution to White Revolution, c. 1890s–1960s, edited by Matthew K. Shannon , 183–202. New Approaches to International History. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2022.
Borquez, J., Amin, C.M. “Gender differences in the professional experiences of Iran specialists in American academia.” SN Social Sciences 2, 272 (2022).
“Satire and Bigotry in Iranian Press Culture,” for Panel: Of Satire and Bigotry: Press Culture, Women’s Rights and Liminal Modernity in West Asia. Shrem Museum of Art. UC-Davis, Feb. 25, 2022
The rubric of “inclusive history” has achieved a common currency. Today, you can find books, articles, websites, and university policies dedicated to its practice, including a large and ambitious Inclusive History Project (IHP) right here at U-M. Less clear is what this rubric has come to signify and enable over time. What values, methods, and practices bind the groundswell together? This symposium explores such questions through the lens of oral history. Panelists in different fields discuss the potential uses of oral history work for projects that are public facing, DEI-centered, and explicitly reparative. This event is presented by the Inclusive History Project and the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies.
• Camron Amin (Professor of Middle East and Iranian Diaspora Studies; Director of Research, Inclusive History Project; University of Michigan-Dearborn)
Associate Professor of History Ara Sanjian was a guest on the Scott Horton Show: Just the Interviews podcast, talking about the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Sanjian provides context for the decades-long dispute, dissects the military conflict which reignited in 2020, and offers insight about the international ramifications.
Feeding Iran: Shi'i Families and the Making of the Islamic Republic
From the publisher: Since Iran's 1979 Revolution, the imperative to create and protect the inner purity of family and nation in the face of outside spiritual corruption has been a driving force in national politics. Through extensive fieldwork, Rose Wellman examines how Basiji families, as members of Iran's voluntary paramilitary organization, are encountering, enacting, and challenging this imperative. Her ethnography reveals how families and state elites are employing blood, food, and prayer in commemorations for martyrs in Islamic national rituals to create citizens who embody familial piety, purity, and closeness to God. Feeding Iran provides a rare and humanistic account of religion and family life in the post-revolutionary Islamic Republic that examines how home life and everyday piety are linked to state power.
Middle East Studies Steering Committee
Camron Michael Amin, Ph.D.
Middle East Studies (MEST) Discipline and Certificate Coordinator, Professor of Middle East and Iranian Diaspora Studies
For more information about the program or certificate, contact [email protected]
Teaching Areas:
Arab American Studies, History, Middle East Studies, Women's & Gender Studies
Research Areas:
Iran / Iranian Studies, Women and Gender Studies
Hani Bawardi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
Teaching Areas:
Arab American Studies, History, Middle East Studies
Research Areas:
Arab American Studies, Immigrants / Immigration
Ara Sanjian, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History; Director of Armenian Research Center
Teaching Areas:
Arab American Studies, Armenian, History, Middle East Studies
Research Areas:
Historiography
Department of Social Sciences
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Dearborn, MI 48128
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