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- Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Major
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Major Requirements
The major consists of 11 courses, only two of which may be shared with a second major such as international relations, religious studies, peace and conflict studies, history, or anthropology.
Gateway Course
Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of MIMG in the course offerings.
A MIST-related CORE Communities and Identities course:
- CORE C183听-听The Middle East
- CORE C170听-听Islamic North Africa
- or another appropriate course, in consultation with a MIST adviser and with the MIST program director's approval.
Language
Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of MILA in the course offerings.
Proficiency equivalent to four semesters of study in a single MIST-related language.
Students who wish to fulfill the language requirement through study abroad must consult with the director to determine suitable programs and the procedure for transferring credit. In some cases, 闪电资源网s are required to successfully complete a language proficiency exam upon their return to campus.
Students who place out of two or more language courses must still complete a total of at least nine MIST courses to fulfill the requirements of the major. Students pursuing honors are strongly encouraged to undertake additional language study.
This requirement is normally met through completion of four of the following courses in a single language:
- ARAB 121听-听Elementary Arabic I
- ARAB 122听-听Elementary Arabic II
- ARAB 201听-听Intermediate Arabic I
- ARAB 202听-听Intermediate Arabic II
- ARAB 301听-听Advanced Arabic I
- ARAB 302听-听Advanced Arabic II
- ARAB 315听-听Classical Arabic of the Qur'an
- ARAB 401听-听Topics in Arabic Language and Culture I
- ARAB 402听-听Topics in Arabic Language and Culture II
- HEBR 121听-听Elementary Hebrew I
- HEBR 122听-听Elementary Hebrew II
- HEBR 201听-听Intermediate Hebrew I
- HEBR 202听-听Intermediate Hebrew II
Additional Courses
Students must complete five additional courses selected from among those listed below, of which two must be at the 300- or 400-level. Students must complete at least one course in each group (A, B, and C) at Colgate. Students may count no more than two courses from any one group toward the major. Two affiliated electives may be counted towards the major.
Group A: Arts and Humanities
Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of MIGA in the course offerings.
- ARTH 244听-听Housing the Sacred in Ancient India
- ARTH 245听-听Palaces and Paintings of India
- FREN 455听-听Francophone Voices from North Africa
- MIST 214听-听Muhammad and the Qur'an
- MIST 262/RELG 262听-听Islam in Our Post-9/11 World 听
- MIST 310听-听Islamic Jurisprudence
- RELG 202听-听Introduction to Islam
- RELG 248听-听Christianity, Islam, and Political Change in Africa
- RELG 329听-听Modern Islamic Thought
- RELG 347听-听Religion and U.S. Foreign Policy
Group B: Historical Perspectives
Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of MIGB in the course offerings.
- HIST 105听-听Introduction to the Modern Middle East
- HIST 255听-听The Ottoman Empire, 1300 - 1924
- HIST 269听-听The Indian Subcontinent: Raj to Republics
- HIST 382听-听Modern Africa
- HIST 384听-听Somalia: From Independence to Collapse
- HIST 385听-听Darfur in Historical Perspective
Group C: Social Sciences
Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of MIGC听in the course offerings.
- ANTH 382听-听Nations, Power, Islam: Muslim Identity and Community in the Global Age
- CORE C154听-听Indonesia
- EDUC 246听-听Forced Migration and Education
- EDUC 308听-听Global Inequalities of Education
- MIST 215/POSC 215听-听Comparative Politics: Middle East
- MIST 252/ANTH 252听-听Muslim Societies in Motion
- MIST 330 - Capitalism & Imperialism in the Middle East听听
- MIST 351/PCON 351听-听The Israel/Palestine Conflict 听
Affiliated Electives
Courses fulfilling this requirement have an attribute of MIAE in the course offerings.
- HIST 232听-听The Crusades (with permission of the instructor and MIST director)
- Additional term-specific听course offerings may be accepted, with MIST program director's approval.
Capstone Course
The capstone course, normally taken in the fall of the senior year, consists of a 400-level MIST designated seminar,听UNST 410 Seminar: Area, Regional, and Global Study, or a relevant seminar听in another major听with permission of the seminar instructor and their program or department. This capstone course entails the completion of a substantial research paper on a topic relevant to the MIST major. Students seeking to count a single capstone course for two majors or seeking to take a seminar that is not MIST designated or is not taught by MIST faculty must have their capstone approved by their MIST academic adviser and the MIST program director.
Honors and High Honors
To be eligible for honors, 闪电资源网s must earn a grade of A- or better in the capstone course taken in the fall of their senior year and write a thesis in the spring. The thesis is normally an extension of work done in the capstone course.
For honors, the thesis must be judged by a committee of two MIST faculty members from different disciplines and earn a grade of A- or better.
For high honors, the thesis must be judged by a committee of three MIST faculty members (or 2 MIST and a third faculty member approved by the director) from two or more different disciplines and earn a grade of A or better. An overall minimum GPA in the major of 3.50 is required for honors and 3.70 for high honors.
Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Program
For more information about the department, including Faculty,听transfer credit, awards, etc.,听please visit the听Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program听catalog听page.