Middle Eastern Studies

Middle Eastern studies at Hampshire allows our interdisciplinary focus to come to the fore. 

Students concentrating on the Middle East will likely take several history courses to gain a foundational understanding of the structure and cultural identities of the region.

This strong base in the social and political history of the Middle East is then built upon and directed in any number of ways. A student may choose to focus on a specific conflict, religion, or leader, or analyze the region in terms of gender, class, or ethnicity.

Interaction between the Middle East and the West is often a source of analysis, while the art, science, philosophy, and literature of the Middle East may also provide the substance of a concentration.

• The Middle Eastern Economies
• Affinities and Discontents in the Middle East: The Chemistry of Islamic Challenge
• Colonial Encounters
• Comparative Middle East Politics: Islam-State Interaction
• Islam and Democracy
• Islamic Modernities
• Israel and Palestine: The Clash of Nationalisms
• Nationalism in the Middle East
• Politics of Gender and Identities in Muslim Countries and Communities
• Societies and Cultures in the Middle East
• Sociology of Islam
• The American Encounter with Arab Nationalism
• Theories of Social Change and Middle Eastern Societies
• Unpacking the Myth of 9/11: Muslim Diaspora in the United States
• Critical Perspectives on the Modern Middle East (UMass)
• Egypt in the 19th Century (SC)
• History of the Oriental Carpet (UMass)
• Introduction to Islam (MHC)
• Just War and Jihad: Comparative Ethics of War and Peace (MHC)
• The Modern Middle East (UMass)
• Muhammad and the Qur'an (AC)
• Near Eastern Civilization I and II (UMass)
• Sources of Islamic Political Philosophy (SC)
• Women and Gender in Islam (MHC)

Requirements

• Common Application
• An academic paper in English
• Supplemental essay responses
• Current transcripts
• School report, including guidance counselor recommendation
• At least one letter of recommendation from a teacher
• Certification of Finances form
• TOEFL or IELTS score (Minimum TOEFL score of 91 or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5. Predicted grades for IB English A1 or A2, or for A-level English, will also be considered.
• Additional letters of recommendation, up to three

Scholarships

• MacArthur Foundation Grant Making Programs
• American Association of University Women
• Fulbright International Scholarship Program for non-US students