Near Eastern Studies

You need to go there. With the Near Eastern Studies minor you can complement you major with a concentration of courses that explore the Near East and North Africa region in its historical, political, social, and cultural complexity.

The minor in Near Eastern Studies requires students to study in the Middle East and North Africa at one of our partner institutions as a way to complement their course work at Washington College, deepen their facility in language, and immerse themselves in the cultures of the region. Current Washington College study abroad programs are offered in Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel.

Students will achieve the goals of the minor by completing six courses focusing on the Near East and North Africa in at least three different departments across two divisions. Since language is essential to understanding any culture, students are also required to take French at Washington College or Arabic, Turkish, or Hebrew at a partner institution. Finally, minors must submit a research paper on the region (ordinarily as part of the required coursework for the minor). 

Of the six courses required for the minor, two must be introductory courses (listed below; preferably taken during the freshman and sophomore years), and four must be upper level courses, taken both at Washington College and in the region itself.  Two of the upper level courses must be taken at Washington College, and two must be taken abroad.  Alternatively, participation in a Washington College summer program plus one additional course at Washington College may substitute for two courses abroad.