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. The department 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.
Minor Declaration
To request declaration of a CAS minor, CAS students should visit the host department. To request declaration of a minor in another NYU school, CAS students should complete the online Minor Application available in their Albert Student Center. Students may also use the Minor Application in Albert to request cancellation of a minor in CAS or in another NYU unit.
Program Requirements
The Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (MEIS) offers three distinct minor tracks. Each requires four courses (16 credits) completed with a grade of C or better (courses graded Pass/Fail do not count) as outlined below.
Select four courses in Arabic, Persian, or Turkish
Arabic, Persian, or Turkish course
4
Arabic, Persian, or Turkish course
4
Arabic, Persian, or Turkish course
4
Arabic, Persian, or Turkish course
4
Total Credits
16
Combined Track
Course List
Course
Title
Credits
Combined Track Minor Requirements
Select two (2) MEIS Language Courses
MEIS Language Course
4
MEIS Language Course
4
Select two (2) Non-Language MEIS Courses
Non-Language MEIS Course
4
Non-Language MEIS Course
4
Total Credits
16
Policies
Policies Applying to the Minor
Interested students must complete the department's minor declaration form and also email the director of undergraduate studies at ifalatas@nyu.edu to make an appointment to discuss next steps. For frequently asked questions and up-to-date answers, please consult the departmental FAQs.
Students who wish to minor in Middle Eastern Studies must complete one of the following three minor tracks (all courses must be offered or cross-listed by the department and approved by the director of undergraduate studies or a departmental adviser):
four non-language courses (16 credits) with a C or better, including one of the department's designated core courses; or
four language courses (16 credits) with a C or better in Arabic, Persian, or Turkish; these courses can be in any sequence, and can also be used to satisfy the CAS foreign language requirement; or
for the combined track, two language courses (8 credits) in Arabic, Persian, or Turkish with a C or better, and also two non-language courses (8 credits) with a C or better, including one of the department's designated core courses. These language courses can be in any sequence, and can also be used to satisfy the CAS foreign language requirement if students complete the Intermediate II level.
Only the non-language minor can be used to satisfy the Expressive Culture requirement of the College Core Curriculum. Students who wish to complete the combined track with a different distribution of courses (e.g., one language course and three content courses) must consult with the director of undergraduate studies to discuss a possible petition.
Majors and minors in Middle Eastern Studies should discuss their study away plans with the director of undergraduate studies.
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.
Designated Departmental Core Courses
The non-language and combined tracks of the minor always require at least one course drawn from this list:
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, and Israel (History)
MEIS-UA 710 Masterpieces of Medieval Arabic Literature in Translation (Literature)
MEIS-UA 711 Literature and 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 and Society (Religion)
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.