African and Middle-Eastern Studies Website

AFRICAN AND MIDDLE-EASTERN STUDIES
(Div. II)

Chair, Associate Professor KENDA B. MUTONGI

Advisory Committee: Professors: DARROW, D. EDWARDS, C. HILL, MACDONALD. Associate Professors: E. D. BROWN, GOLLIN***, KRAUS***, MUTONGI, ROUHI. Assistant Professors: BERNHARDSSON, BURTON, GOLDBERG*, M. LYNCH, PIEPRZAK.

African and Middle-Eastern Studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on the politics, societies, cultures, and historical development of the peoples of Africa and the Middle East. The program offers a wide range of courses in the area, as well as opportunities to study abroad and possibilities for graduate fellowships and careers.

Students considering completing the concentration are urged to register with the chair of the program during their sophomore year. Normally, students will be expected to take six courses from at least three different departments. One of these courses should be African and Middle-Eastern Studies 201; at least one should be from the "Concepts Courses" listed below; at least two should be from the "Core Courses." The sixth course will be African and Middle-Eastern Studies 401 or 402. In special cases the chair may permit substitution of an approved winter study project, or work completed elsewhere, for one or more of the electives. Proposals for honors work in African and Middle-Eastern Studies, normally involving at least a one semester thesis and an oral examination, must be submitted in writing by the beginning of the senior year and approved by the African and Middle-Eastern Studies Committee.

Fulfillment of the requirements of the concentration will be recorded on the student's official transcript.

Introductory Course:

All students concentrating in AMES are required to take this course.

  1. AMES 201/INTR 295/Political Science 241 Order, Disorder and Political Culture in the Islamic World

Concepts Courses

All students are required to take at least one of the following courses:

  1. ANSO 205 Ways of knowing
  2. Anthropology 101 The Scope of Anthropology
  3. Economics 204/Environmental Studies 234 Economic Development in Poor Countries
  4. Economics 215 The World Economy
  5. French 111 Introduction to Francophone Literature: Roots, Families, Nations
  6. Political Science 202 World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations
  7. Political Science 225 International Security
  8. Religion 302 Religion and Society

Core Courses

All students are required to take at least three of the following courses:

  1. French 226 Contemporary Short Stories from North Africa: Fast Cars, Movies, Money, Love and War
  2. History 203 Sub-Saharan Africa Since 1800
  3. History 207 The Modern Middle East
  4. History 208 Encountering the Other? The Middle East and the West
  5. History/Women's and Gender Studies 308 Gender and Society in Modern Africa
  6. History 310 Iraq and Iran in the Twentieth Century
  7. History/Environmental Studies 474 History of Oil
  8. History 476/Religion 217 Apocalypse Now and Then: A Comparative History of Millenarian Movements
  9. Religion 205 Zion: Perspectives, Narratives, Desires
  10. Religion 233 Islamic Mysticism: The Sufis
  11. Religion 236/History 211 The Greater Game? Central Asia and its Neighbors Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
  12. Religion 270T Father Abraham: The First Patriarch

Capstone Course:

  1. All students are required to take this course. Topics vary each year.
  2. AMES 402T African Political Thought (same as History 402T)