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, where they will practice their profession abroad or use their international experience to expand their understandings of these regions as they work with topics on or populations from diverse societies in the Middle East. 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), which serve as the program’s core requirement, plus a minimum of 15 credits of approved electives. A minimum of a 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:

3500 101 Beginning Arabic (4 credits)
3500 102 Beginning Arabic 2 (4 credits)
3500 201 Intermediate Arabic (3 credits)
3500 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.

3230 472 Special topics*(3 credits)
3240 360 Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology**(3 credits)
3400 307 Ancient Near East**(3 credits)
3400 373 Special Topics in History***(3 credits)
3400 341 Islamic Fundamentalism and Revolution (3 credits)
3400 342 The Crusades through Arab Eyes (3 credits)
3400 389 World Civilizations: Near East (2 credits)
3400 396 Iraq in Historical Perspective (3 credits)
3400 489 Ottoman State and Society (3 credits)
3400 496 Special Studies in History***(3 credits)
3400 498 Race, Nation, and Class in the Middle East (3 credits)
3400 499 Women and Gender in Middle Eastern Societies (3 credits)
3700 392 Selected Topics in Political Science***(3 credits)
3700 405 Politics in the Middle East (3 credits)
3700 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.