Degree. B.A.
in Middle East Studies: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or
Turkish. The Middle East Center (MEC) at the University of
Utah is a recognized Center for the academic study of the
Middle East, one of seventeen National Resource Centers in
the United States funded by the US Department of Education
since 1960.
All courses counting toward the major or the minor must be
completed with a grade of C or better. If a course that is
a requirement for the major is not available, the department
reserves the right to substitute another course to fulfill
that requirement.
To declare a Middle East studies major or minor, students
must have the approval of the undergraduate advisor and must
consult with the advisor in designing their program. Check
with the department to see if a transcript is needed.
Middle East Studies Major. The
B.A. degree in Middle East Studies, granted through the
Department of Languages and Literature, is achieved through
an interdisciplinary program. Students pursuing this degree
receive training through the advanced level in the language
of emphasis, and in addition complete a program of
interdisciplinary study of the Middle East consisting of
courses offered in various participating departments for a
total of 38 credits as outlined in the major requirements
listed below. These requirements represent the minimum and
students are encouraged to take as many courses as possible
within the limits prescribed by the university and college
regulations.
Middle East Studies Minor.
The Middle East Center offers minors in Middle East Studies
in the following: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, and Area
Studies. For details, see the minor requirements listed
below. The course of study must be approved by the
undergraduate advisor.
Further information can be obtained from the Middle East
Center advising office.
Requirements for the Major
To cover the total major credit program of 38 semester
hours, students are required to complete:
I. Introductory level: six semester-credit hours of
lower-division (1000- or 2000-level) courses from an
approved list, plus the first two years of a Middle Eastern
language (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish) or the
equivalent. Note: Credit hours for this lower-division
language study do not apply toward the major, but do satisfy
the B.A. language requirement.
II. Upper-division (3000- or 4000-level) 23 credit hours:
the third year of a Middle Eastern language (Arabic, Hebrew,
Persian, or Turkish) (counting eight credit hours towards
the major requirement), plus five additional courses (15
credit hours) in at least three of the following area
studies categories:
A. Upper-level languages and linguistics
B. Middle East Literature
C. Modern Middle East (related courses in the
fields/departments of Anthropology, Economics, Modern
History, and Political Science)
D. Middle East cultures and religions (including medieval
studies)
III. Advanced work (nine credit hours): three courses at the
4000- or 5000- (depending on department) level. Fourth year
language study is encouraged, but not required.
Requirements for the Minor
The Middle East Center offers two minors in Middle East
studies. The language minors require completion of four
semesters in one of the four languages (Arabic, Hebrew,
Persian, or Turkish) and one additional advanced language or
literature course (4000-level or above). The Area Studies
minor requires completion of 2 semesters in one of the four
languages and 12 hours of approved courses, half of which
must be upper division (3000 or 4000) or above.
Graduate Program
Degree. M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. in Middle East Studies:
Arabic, Arabic and Linguistics, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish,
Anthropology, History, or Political Science.
Students may specialize in Language, Literature,
Linguistics, or any pertinent Middle East studies curriculum
in Anthropology, History, and Political Science. A
candidate’s program must be approved by a graduate advisor
and the supervisory committee.
A degree in Middle East Studies offers students a unique
opportunity to choose a study program from among the five
participating departments. Depending on the student’s
interests, a degree may be based on contemporary topics in
Political Science and Anthropology or the more traditional
fields of History, Language, Literature, and Linguistics.
Master’s Degree. Candidates for the M.A. in Middle
East Studies must complete at least 33 credit hours,
including those granted for thesis research (normally six).
Candidates specializing in Arabic, Arabic and Linguistics,
Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, History, or Political Science may
exercise a nonthesis option, replacing the thesis with six
hours of course work and a noncredit essay or paper reviewed
by the supervisory committee. Thesis research, or course
work done in lieu of a thesis, is in the chosen field of
specialization. In addition, one 3 credit hour course,
Approaches and Methodologies, is mandatory. Of the remaining
credit hours, half must be earned in the field of
specialization and half in at least two allied fields in
participating departments.
Candidates specializing in Anthropology, History, or
Political Science are required to complete specified courses
in those fields. Requirements relating to language
proficiency, comprehensive examinations, and submission and
defense of an M.A. thesis vary according to the field of
specialization. For further details, see the Middle East
Center’s Graduate Handbook, a copy of which can be found on
our website http://www.mec.utah.edu.
Ph.D. Degree. Applicants must complete an M.A. in
Middle East studies or a related field and demonstrate the
potential for high scholarly achievement and independent
research.
Requirements include up to 30 hours in approved graduate
courses and seminars in the major beyond the M.A. degree
(additional Middle East coursework may be required if MA
work was non-thesis), 14 hours of dissertation credit; up to
24 hours or more in approved allied fields; and MID E 6050,
Approaches and Methodologies is required if not fulfilled in
the M.A. Program. In most emphases, the candidate must have
knowledge of at least two European languages at the standard
proficiency level. In all cases, the specific language
requirements are determined by the candidate’s supervisory
committee.
The student must pass written and oral qualifying
examinations prior to commencing the dissertation. The
examinations concentrate on the language studies or the
interdisciplinary program. The candidate must publicly
defend the dissertation after preliminary acceptance by the
supervisory committee.
Courses in Participating Departments
The majority of the following courses are cross-listed with
courses taught by participating departments of the Middle
East Studies program. Language courses required by Middle
East Studies degrees may be found in the Department of
Languages and Literature section of the catalog under the
following headings: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish.
Ancient Near Eastern languages are offered on demand through
the Middle East Center.
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Middle East Language and Area Studies 
