The Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (MEIS) focuses on the past and present of a vast and culturally diverse region of the world that extends from North Africa to Central Asia and from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. It adopts interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to Middle Eastern societies from antiquity to the present, with particular focus on the period after the emergence of Islam.
A Middle Eastern Studies major offers students the opportunity to master one of the regional languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu. Students also acquire an interdisciplinary understanding of this pivotal area of the world by studying with the department’s specialists in history, anthropology, political science, literature, law, religious studies, and language.
With permission of the department, students are encouraged to select cross-listed courses in other departments and programs that complement the department’s offerings, such as Anthropology, Art History, Comparative Literature, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, History, Politics, Religious Studies, and Sociology.
Honors Program
Eligibility
Any student majoring in the department who has spent at least two full years in residence at the College of Arts and Science and who has completed at least 64 points of graded work in the College. The student must maintain a general grade point average of 3.65 and a major average of 3.65. Students must complete the following requirements to be awarded Honors:
Completion of the usual major requirements.
Completion of at least two graduate-level courses with a grade point average of 3.0. These courses may be used to complete part of the major requirement.
Have no grade lower than a B in a Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies course.
Write an honors paper of 50-60 double-spaced, typed pages under the supervision of an MEIS faculty member, for which up to four points of Independent Study credit may be awarded(MEIS-UA 997 Independent Study, MEIS-UA 998 Independent Study). The subject of the honors paper and the faculty supervisor must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
The Middle Eastern Studies major requires ten 4-credit courses (40 credits) completed with a grade of C or better. (Courses graded Pass/Pail cannot count toward the requirements of the major.) Please see the policies tab for the distribution requirements applying to the six non-language courses in the major.
Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:
Proficiency at the intermediate level or above in Arabic, Hindi, Persian, Turkish, or Urdu.
A critical understanding of the history, literature, culture, politics, and social dynamics within and in relation to the Middle East writ large, from North Africa to Central Asia and from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean.
A critical toolkit to apply in the examination of different developments, publications, policies, cultural frameworks, movements, paradigms, and other dynamics in and about the Middle East.
An interdisciplinary understanding of the religion(s) of the region, with a particular focus on Islam.
A comparative knowledge of the literary and cultural works, as well as the cultural politics, of and in relation to the countries of the region.
Skills in understanding and applying the key concepts of analysis used in studying the Middle East and using them in critical writing, presentation, and research in a manner that helps them reconsider the implications of studying the Global South.
Policies
Policies Applying to the Major
Students must complete and submit the department's major declaration form and then email the director of undergraduate studies (ifalatas@nyu.edu) and make an appointment to discuss next steps. For frequently asked questions and up-to-date answers, please consult the departmental FAQs.
Required language study: to earn the BA degree with a major in Middle Eastern Studies, students must meet the College of Arts and Science (CAS) language requirement in Arabic, Hindi, Persian, Turkish, or Urdu. This entails studying one of these languages through at least the intermediate two level (four semesters, 16 credits) at NYU. All majors must take these four language courses in a single language (i.e. Elementary I through Intermediate II). The program requirements table on the curriculum tab assumes that students majoring in Middle Eastern Studies will double-count language courses to both their major and their general education requirements. The 16 credits are therefore not repeated under major requirements in that table.
Required non-language (content) courses: majors must successfully complete at least six departmental non-language courses distributed across distinct fields. Note that students who take fewer than four language courses for the major (e.g. because they placed ahead in the usual four-course sequence) must take more than the minimum of six non-language courses to complete a full ten courses in Middle Eastern Studies.
Majors and minors in Middle Eastern Studies should discuss their study away plans with the director of undergraduate studies.
Middle Eastern Studies majors may, with permission of the director of undergraduate studies, pursue an internship for 2 or 4 credits (MEIS-UA 980, 981). The application form is available in the department's office.
Students who complete two advanced language courses in the department may be eligible to apply for an advanced language title. This does not appear on the NYU transcript but can be added to a resume or elsewhere. In each MEIS language program the advanced language courses required for this title may differ. Interested students should contact the language program coordinator of the specific language they wish to obtain the title in and confirm which courses they need to complete.
Core Courses and Distribution Requirements for the Major
To ensure broad knowledge of issues in the discipline, all majors must take two departmental core courses among their six non-language courses. (It is recommended that students take these courses before they take seminars and topics courses.) The major's core courses must be taken at Washington Square and cannot be taken while studying away. The MEIS departmental core courses are as follows:
MEIS-UA 640 The Making of the Muslim Middle East, 600 - 1400 (History)
MEIS-UA 660 Mediterranean Worlds (History)
MEIS-UA 690 The Emergence of the Modern Middle East (History)
MEIS-UA 697 Palestine, Zionism, & Israel (History)
MEIS-UA 710 Masterpieces of Medieval Arabic Literature in Translation (Literature)
MEIS-UA 711 Literature & Society in the Middle East (Literature)
MEIS-UA 728 Women and Gender in Islam (Religion)
MEIS-UA 750 Politics of the Middle East (Elective)
MEIS-UA 780 Islamic Law & Society (Religion)
Among the six non-language courses, all majors must also take at least one advanced undergraduate seminar. The department often offers these under the “topics” rubric (e.g., MEIS-UA 688 Topics in Middle East History). With permission, this requirement may be fulfilled with a graduate seminar.
The six non-language courses (including the two core and one topics courses) must be distributed as follows:
Two courses from the MEIS history list
One course from the MEIS literature list
One course from the MEIS religion list
Two elective courses from the MEIS course list (of the student's choosing)
Policies on Transfer and NYU Study Away (Global) Credits for Both the Major and Minor
After consultation with the director of undergraduate studies, transfer students may be allowed to apply up to five transfer courses (20 points) toward the major or up to two transfer courses (8 points) toward the minor. At least half of the major and minor courses must always be completed in CAS. Note that although CAS policy allows transfer students to satisfy up to one-half of the requirements of a major or minor with transfer credit, this is always subject to departmental review and approval of prior coursework and therefore is not guaranteed.
NYU study away/Global courses (e.g., NYU Abu Dhabi or NYU Shanghai) may be considered and treated as transfer credit, even for students matriculated in CAS. Majors and minors in Middle Eastern Studies should discuss their study away plans with the director of undergraduate studies. See NYU Global programs here.
For non-NYU study abroad programs, majors must contact the director of undergraduate studies for approval before making any plans. No non-NYU study abroad courses and credits will be accepted without prior approval from the department.