Middle East Studies
The Middle East Studies Program offers students an interdisciplinary minor aimed at a comparative study of the Middle East (including North Africa). The minor curriculum's allows for the study of the Middle East since the emergence of Islam, the study of the ancient, medieval, or modern Middle East, or a three-quarter sequence of a Middle Eastern language.
Middle East Studies students are encouraged to Study Abroad. Approved courses taken at other universities or through participation in the Education Abroad Program can be included as part of the minor by petition.
UC San Diego undergraduate students: Please use the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for all advising questions. Use the "Meet with Advisor" page to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.
For all others, or undergraduate students who need to submit petitions: caesar@ucsd.edu
People
Program Director
Babak Rahimi
Associate Professor, Literature
Academic Advising
UC San Diego undergraduate students: Please use the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for all advising questions. Use the "Meet with Advisor" page to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.
Faculty
Guillermo Algaze
Anthropology
Amanda Batarseh
Literature
Eli Berman
Economics
Suzanne Brenner
Anthropology
Zachary Dunseth
Anthropology
Gary Fields
Communication
Thomas Gallant
History
Michael Provence
History
Babak Rahimi
Literature
Gershon Shafir
Sociology
Nir Shafir
History
Oumelbanine Zhiri
Literature
Minor
Middle East Studies Minor
Requirements effective February 3, 2025:
- The minor consists of 7 courses (minimum 28 units).
- At least 5 courses (20 units) must be upper division.
- There is no language requirement. Students may choose to take a three-quarter (minimum 12 units) sequence of a Middle Eastern language (in which case only 4 of the 7 courses need to be upper division).
- All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
Requirements before February 3, 2025:
The minor consists of 5-7 upper division courses, or 4 upper division courses and a 3 course sequence of a Middle Eastern language. 3 of the upper division courses have to deal with the Middle East since the emergence of Islam and are considered "core courses" while other courses are considered "supporting courses." All courses used to meet requirements for a minor in Middle East Studies must be taken for a letter grade and be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Students who declared the minor prior to February 3, 2025 may contact Middle East Studies via VAC to request a switch to the current requirements; however, students may also elect to complete the requirements at the time of their minor declaration.
Resources:
Resources
UC San Diego Undergraduate Student Resources
Course Offerings
Course Offerings
Refer to the official UC San Diego General Catalog for a complete list of approved courses that will count toward a minor in Middle East Studies.
Course offerings are constantly changing. Please refer to the Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date listing.
(*) Indicates course may be petitioned for credit. Instructions on How to Petition Courses.
Fall 2025
- HINE 144. Topics in Middle Eastern History
- HINE 186. Special Topics in Middle Eastern History
- JWSP 1. Beginning Hebrew
- JWSP 104. Practicum in Advanced Hebrew
- LIAB 1A/1AX. Arabic Conversation/Analysis of Arabic
- LIAB 1D/1DX. Arabic Conversation/Analysis of Arabic
- LIHL 117F. Persian for Persian Speakers
- LTWL 101. Death and Life in Ancient Egypt
Winter 2026
- ANAR 143. Biblical Archaeology—Fact or Fiction
- ETHN 167. Muslim Identity in America
- GSS 25. Middle East: History, Culture, and Politics
- HINE 100: The Hebrew Bible and History
- HINE 116. The Middle East in the Age of European Empires
- HINE 119. United States Mid-East Policy Post-WWII
- HINE 186. Special Topics in Middle Eastern History
- JWSP 2. Intermediate Hebrew
- LIAB 1B/1BX. Arabic Conversation/Analysis of Arabic
- LIAB 1E. Arabic Conversation/Analysis of Arabic
- LIHL 117W. Persian for Persian Speakers
- LTWL 102. Life and Death in Ancient Mesopotamia
- MUS 111. Topics in World Music Traditions: Music of Iran/Persian Music
- POLI 121B. Politics in Israel
- POLI 124. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- SOCI 188I. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Winter 2026 Intersession
- ANAR 135. Ancient Mediterranean Civilization (8) - Study abroad course
Spring 2026
- ANAR 138. Mesopotamia: The Emergence of Civilization
- HINE 115. Death and Dying in Antiquity
- HINE 116. The Middle East in the Age of European Empires
- HINE 120. The Middle East in the New Century
- HINE 186. Special Topics in Middle Eastern History
- JWSP 3. Intermediate Hebrew Continued
- LIAB 1C/1CX. Arabic Conversation/Analysis of Arabic
- *RELI 146. Topics in the Religions of Antiquity
- *RELI 150. Cinema and Religion
- SOCI 158. Islam in the Modern World
Events
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Please see below for responses to commonly asked questions. If you have further questions, please contact the Middle East Studies program through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC).
What are core courses?
Core courses deal with the Middle East since the emergence of Islam. Please refer to UC San Diego's General Course Catalog for a complete list of Middle East Studies core courses.
Can I take courses P/NP for the Middle East Studies minor?
No, courses must be taken for a letter grade.
I've taken lower division courses at my community college. Can they count toward my minor?
You will need to petition the course to see if it will apply toward the minor.
Instructions on How to Petition Courses
I found a UC San Diego course I want to use for the Middle East Studies minor. Can I take it?
You will need to petition the course to see if it will apply toward the minor.