Middle East and Islamic Studies Minor
The Middle East and Islamic Studies (MEIS) program at Gettysburg College gives students a wide breadth of opportunities to pursue his or her interests on a most critical part of the world: home to our oldest civilizations, cradle to three great monotheistic religions, and a most vital and dynamic focus of current events.
The minor reflects the need to understand more about this region, the peoples who live there, and the ways that Islam has shaped societies around the world. Students who choose to pursue a minor in MEIS will have many study abroad, internship, and career opportunities with the knowledge they learn here. Additionally, the small class sizes give students many opportunities to build relationships with their professors and others, allowing them to pursue their own MEIS interests on the side.
Student research is a focal point of the MEIS program. Past students have conducted research on Middle Eastern regime changes, Near Eastern archaeology, and Muslim youth in America.
The study of Arabic language is a centerpiece of the MEIS program and demonstrated proficiency in Arabic or another Middle Eastern/Islamic World language is a requirement. The program emphasizes the study of languages and cultures, histories, identities, and the world views of the people who live in the greater Middle East, contributing to a broader understanding of multiple expressions of Islam and how the peoples of the Middle East have shaped human experience in the past and present.
Please contact Abdulkareem Said Ramadan, MEIS Director, at aramadan@gettysburg.edu for additional information or Lin Myers, IDS Academic Administrative Assistant, at lkmyers@gettysburg.edu.
MEIS Minor Requirements
- Proficiency at the 102 level in Arabic or another approved language.
- Five elective MEIS courses, including no more than three language courses. These electives can include no more than two courses from a student’s major field of study and no more than two courses from off-campus study.
The minor requires tested language proficiency, not necessarily coursework at Gettysburg College. All students must take six courses toward the minor; however, these courses may be different for students at different language proficiency levels.
Students choose from a wide range of course offerings and several different disciplines as part of their Middle East and Islamic Studies interests:
Arabic Language
- ARB 101 & 102: Elementary Arabic (Said Ramadan)
- ARB 201 & 202: Intermediate Arabic (Said Ramadan)
- ARB 301 & 302: Advanced Arabic (Said Ramadan)
Anthropology
- ANTH 218: Islam and Women (Evrard)
- ANTH 245: Language, Culture, and Identity in the Middle East (Evrard)
- ANTH 304: Anthropology of Violence and Conflict (Evrard)
Film
- FILM 284: Arab Film (Mershani)
History
- HIST 208: Islamic History 600–1500 (Samji)
- HIST 278: History of Islamic Technology (Samji)
- HIST 279: Identity Construction in Islamic History and Culture
- HIST 330: The Ottoman Empire 1300–1923 (Samji)
- HIST 379: U.S.-Middle East Interaction 1776–1979 (Samji)
- HIST 380: Conquest Narratives in Islamic History (Samji)
Political Science
- POL 370: Contemporary Issues in Turkish Politics (Akbaba)
Philosophy
- PHIL 206: Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism
Religious Studies
- REL 206: Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism
- REL 214: Introduction to Judaism (Stern)
- REL 238: Religion and Politics in the Middle East (Stern)
- REL 270: Introduction to Islam (Sijapati)
- REL 271: Sufism: The Mystic Path in Islam (Sijapati)
- REL 272: Islam in the Modern World (Sijapati)
IDS Courses
- IDS 152: Youth and New Media in the Middle East (Mershani)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate:
- Introductory level proficiency (or higher) in Arabic or another approved language of the Middle East or Islamic world.
- Critical understanding of the diverse realities, experiences, and continuing contributions to human civilization of the peoples of the Middle East and Islamic world.
- Engagement with scholarly conventions and debates about the Middle East and Islamic world from varying disciplinary perspectives.
- IDS 278: Introduction to Arabic Culture (Mershani)
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