Middle East Studies

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Learn more about the department

For more information and to register visit the Office of Micro-Credentials

Admission Criteria

Open to all majors and UB students with a minimum 2.0 GPA.

Current UB students seeking admission to the Middle East Studies micro-credential should submit this form.

Course Requirements

History of the Middle East (3 credits)

HIS 205LEC - History of the Middle East Credits: 3

Two Electives from the following (6 credits)

AHI 309LEC - Arts of the Islamic World Credits: 3
AS 338LEC - Islam and Literature Credits: 3
GGS 334LEC - Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa Credits: 3
HIS 312LEC - Politics of Film and Literature in Contemporary Iran Credits: 3
HIS 375LEC - The U.S. and Asia Credits: 3
HIS 425SEM - Early Modern Empires of the Near East Credits: 3
PSC 333LEC - International Relations Theory Credits: 3
PSC 371LEC - Middle Eastern Politics Credits: 3

Research Guide

Students will compose a “Research Guide” focused on an aspect of Middle Eastern intellectual tradition, such as arts, literature, history, politics, environment, and peoples, including the diasporas.

The Research Guide is a minimum of three pages of annotated bibliography of the major academic research articles and books pertaining to the student’s chosen research subject (e.g., the Economic History of the Suez Canal; Nationalism in 19th century Ottoman Empire; Women and Labor in post WW2 Iraq).

Students enrolled in the Middle East Studies MC will be given a detailed guideline for developing their Research Guide by the MC Program Coordinator.

The Research Guide will receive a letter grade in accordance with the university’s grading scheme (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F), as well as written feedback.

A minimum of a ‘B’ letter grade is required for the Research Guide’s acceptance.

Total Credits Required for Micro-Credential: 9

Academic Requirements

Students must complete all requirements with a grade of B or higher.

Learning Outcomes

The learning objectives of this course are designed to help students develop critical skills and enable them to:

A. Engage critically with major debates and intellectual trends in Middle East scholarship, gaining familiarity with key thinkers and significant historical events.

B. Analyze the role of the United States in shaping the Middle East, and vice versa, with a focus on politics, global economics, and culture, approached in a scholarly and critical manner.

C. Acquire research methodologies and tools to conduct independent studies on the Middle East, synthesize and contextualize findings, and effectively write research papers.

D. Communicate complex ideas and research findings clearly, both within academic contexts and to broader audiences.

E. Apply their acquired skills in real-world settings, working with local organizations to prepare for careers in both academic and non-academic fields.