Certificate in Middle East Studies
Individual Major
Courses
323 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706; 608/265-6583 or 262-7141; Web: mideast.wisc.edu
Chair: Uli Schamiloglu. Middle East Studies Committee: Professors Atis, Brenner, Cowell, Elder, Fox, Hutchinson, Khazanov, Layoun, Mazzaoui, Memon, Miller, Morahg, Morgan, Powell, Schamiloglu, Wink; Associate Professor Chamberlain; Assistant Professors Alatout, al-Ghadeer, Harris, Moustafa, Shelef, Yosmaoglu
The purpose of the Middle East Studies Program is to combine training in a discipline or profession with insight and knowledge about the culture, languages, and problems of the area. The program adopts the basic philosophy that it is necessary to develop a new practical approach to the study of the Middle East by first acquiring sound training in a discipline or profession and then by applying the methods and concepts of that discipline and profession, as well as skills of inquiry and research, to specific problems in the Middle East. Economic planning, law reform and institution building, urbanization, demography, housing, nutrition, agriculture, land problems, the organization and development of educational systems, and technical and vocational training at all levels are some of the fields covered by the program. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has extensive and unique resources in these fields, and it offers a broad range of courses on the languages, history, culture, and literature of the region.
The Middle East Studies Program offers an undergraduate certificate in Middle East studies. Requirements for the certificate include the interdisciplinary core course Introduction to the Middle East, which should be taken as early as possible in the sequence of courses for the certificate.
Core course, 3 cr
Second semester of a selected Middle Eastern language, 0 cr
One course in history and social science, 3 cr
One course in religion and culture, 3 cr
Additional courses in history and social science; religion and culture; or other electives (including up to 3 credits of advanced Middle Eastern language), up to 9 cr
Total credits: 18
Students interested in declaring the undergraduate certificate should contact the Middle East Studies Program office or the undergraduate advisor, Professor Uli Schamiloglu, 262-7141; uschamil@wisc.edu
The Middle East Studies Program does not grant a major. The program recommends the acquisition of the basic skills and concepts of a specific discipline or profession which may then be applied to research problems in a Middle Eastern context. However, it may be appropriate for students to construct an individual major in Middle East studies by utilizing the Individual Major option in the College of Letters and Science. The Middle East Studies Program has preapproved a template for an individual major with the following requirements (based upon the same courses as for the undergraduate certificate).
Core course, 3 cr
Third-fourth semester of a selected Middle Eastern language, 8+ cr
Two courses in history and social science, 6 cr
Two courses in religion and culture, 6 cr
Additional courses in history and social science; religion and culture; or other electives (including up to 6 credits at the advanced level of the Middle Eastern language of the major or any level of a second Middle Eastern language), 12 cr
Total credits: 35+
The major must consist of a coherent pattern of courses in more than one department or recognized interdisciplinary program and must be approved by the Faculty Committee on Individual Majors in consultation with the Individual Majors Dean, 262-5858. Study abroad programs are available for Turkey, Israel, and Egypt through the Division of International Studies.
*For a current list of courses in Middle East studies approved for the undergraduate certificate (including the current status of the core course, taught previously as Langasia 300), see the Middle East Studies Program Web site, mideast.wisc.edu.