Middle Eastern Studies Minor

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The minor in Middle Eastern Studies at UHCL is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on coursework from the social sciences and the humanities, focusing on the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. It is designed to give students an introduction to these regions in global and comparative perspectives. The minor provides opportunities for studying topics such as regional geographies, history, politics, languages, religion, art and architecture, and ethnic and socio-cultural diversity, by emphasizing such topics as religious traditions and communities, interfaith studies, Islamic studies, the pre-Islamic period, the Byzantine period, the emergence of Abrahamic traditions and Islam, as well as the contemporary relationship between the Middle East and the west. The minor focuses also on diasporic flows of peoples and ideas, social movements, migrations, and peace and conflict studies.

Students must complete 15 hours from courses listed below. All courses for minor credit must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. Students may also take independent studies in self-directed areas of specialization with prior approval from their major advisers and the Middle Eastern minor adviser.

Required courses in minor (15 hours)

Students must take coursework in at least two different disciplines. Please see additional notes regarding required course topics.

ANTH 3357 - Topics in African Studies Credit Hours: 3
ANTH 3358 - Topics in Middle Eastern Societies Credit Hours: 3
ANTH 4303 - Islam in America Credit Hours: 3
ANTH 4330 - Cultural Study Abroad Credit Hours: 3
ANTH 4343 - Anthropological Perspectives on World Religion Credit Hours: 3
ARTS 4312 - Art of Ancient Iraq and the Near East Credit Hours: 3
HIST 2321 - World Civilization I Credit Hours: 3
HIST 3349 - Modern Middle East Credit Hours: 3
HIST 4313 - Studies in U.S. History Credit Hours: 3
HIST 4325 - Studies in Middle Eastern History Credit Hours: 3
HIST 4328 - Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Credit Hours: 3
HUMN 4326 - Studies in Film Credit Hours: 3
SOCI 4329 - Egypt in Transition Credit Hours: 3
SOCI 4363 - American Immigration and the Immigrant Experience Credit Hours: 3
WGST 4312 - Women of Color Credit Hours: 3

Additional Information

ANTH 3358 when the topic is Islam in Africa, Gender, Media, and Diplomacy in the Arab World, or Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East
ARTS 4312 may be substituted with HUMN 4312
HIST 4313 when the topic is Islam, The Middle East and the USA, or The Iraq War in Film
HIST 4325 when the topic is The Middle East from Colonialism to Post-Colonialism, or The Reel Middle East
HUMN 4326 when the topic is the Iraq War in Film
WGST 4312 when the topic is Gender, Media, and Diplomacy in the Arab World, Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, Islam in Africa, or Islam in America

General Minor Requirements

Students must complete at least a minimum of 15 hours in the minor field.
- At least 9 must be at the upper-level (3000-and 4000-level classes)
- At least 6 of the upper-level credits must be taken at UHCL
Students must earn a 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average on courses at the University of Houston-Clear Lake

Some minors are associated with disciplinary programs, and some are interdisciplinary. Although the minor will not appear on your diploma, it will be noted on your transcript, which would be seen by future employers and others who review your academic record. Keep in mind that because minors will require no fewer than 15 semester hours of course work, excluding prerequisite courses, you must have 15 hours of electives available in your major degree plan.

Course substitutions to the minor degree plan may be made with the approval of both the major and minor advisers. Also, adding a minor to your program of study may not result in graduation requirements that exceed the approval length of your original degree plan and that the minor must be completed prior to graduation, not afterward.

For more information, see the general and program requirements in the undergraduate catalog. For questions and academic advice, please contact Dr. Maria Curtis, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Cross-Cultural and Global Studies, at curtis@uhcl.edu,or Dr. Cengiz Sisman, Associate Professor of History, at sisman@uhcl.edu.