Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Major

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

A MIST-related CORE Communities and Identities course:

• CORE C183 - The Middle East
• CORE C170 - Islamic North Africa
• or another appropriate course, in consultation with a MIST adviser and with the MIST program director's approval.

Language

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, students 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 - Elementary Arabic I
• ARAB 122 - Elementary Arabic II
• ARAB 201 - Intermediate Arabic I
• ARAB 202 - Intermediate Arabic II
• ARAB 301 - Advanced Arabic I
• ARAB 302 - Advanced Arabic II
• ARAB 315 - Classical Arabic of the Qur'an
• ARAB 401 - Topics in Arabic Language and Culture I
• ARAB 402 - Topics in Arabic Language and Culture II
• HEBR 121 - Elementary Hebrew I
• HEBR 122 - Elementary Hebrew II
• HEBR 201 - Intermediate Hebrew I
• HEBR 202 - 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

• ARTS 244 - Housing the Sacred in Ancient India
• ARTS 245 - Palaces and Paintings of India
• FREN 453 - Contemporary Literature in French
• FREN 455 - Francophone Voices from North Africa
• MIST 214/RELG 214 - Muhammad and the Qur'an  
• MIST 262/RELG 262 - Islam in Our Post-9/11 World   
• RELG 234 - Goddesses, Women and Power
• RELG 248 - Christianity, Islam, and Political Change in Africa
• RELG 282 - Introduction to Islam
• RELG 329 - Modern Islamic Thought

Group B: Historical Perspectives

• HIST 105 - Introduction to the Modern Middle East (ME)
• HIST 232 - The Crusades (EU) (with permission of instructor)
• HIST 255 - The Ottoman Empire, 1300 - 1924 (TR)
• HIST 269 - History of Modern South Asia (AS)
• HIST 384 - Somalia: From Independence to Collapse (AF)
• HIST 385 - Darfur in Historical Perspective (AF)

Group C: Social Sciences

• ANTH 382 - Nations, Power, Islam: Muslim Identity and Community in the Global Age
• CORE C154 - Indonesia
• EDUC 246 - Forced Migration and Education
• EDUC 308 - Global Inequalities of Education
• MIST 215/POSC 215 - Comparative Politics: Middle East (CO)
• MIST 252/ANTH 252 - Muslim Societies in Motion
• MIST 351/PCON 351 - The Israel/Palestine Conflict

Affiliated Electives

Capstone Course

The capstone course, normally taken in the fall of the senior year, consists of a 400-level MIST designated seminar, UNST 410 Seminar: Area, Regional, and Global Study, or a relevant seminar in another major 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, students 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, transfer credit, awards, etc., please visit the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program catalog page.