(850) 645-2467BA in Middle Eastern Studies
Download the Middle Eastern Studies major checklist (Microsoft Word .doc) or (Adobe .pdf) and the Academic Map (Adobe .pdf).
College: Arts and Sciences
Degree: B.A.
Limited Access: No
Contact: Dr. Peter Garretson (History)
Dr. Zeina Schlenoff (Modern Languages)
Address: 442 Bellamy, 218 Diffenbaugh
Phone: 644-9516, 644-3012
E-Mail: pgarret@mailer.fsu.edu
zschleno@mailer.fsu.edu
Description of Major
The participating departments (Anthropology, Classics, Economics, English,
History, Modern Languages, Music, Religion and Urban and Regional Planning)
offer an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in Middle Eastern Studies
designated for: (1) general liberal arts students who wish to learn more about
the Middle East; (2) students who wish to pursue graduate work in this field;
and (3) students who seek employment in or relating to the Middle East. The
major will be administered by the Middle East Center, a new venture at Florida
State University. A BA degree in Middle Eastern Studies responds directly to a
national as well as a regional demand for resources and information to educate
students, professionals, and the surrounding community about this important
region of the world.
Prerequisite Coursework:
There is no prerequisite coursework for the major, but students are encouraged
to take lower level introductory courses in some of the related disciplines.
Such courses serve as background for the major and may meet prerequisites for
more advanced courses in the major. Students are encouraged to begin study in
Arabic or Hebrew earlier, and to take any culture and history courses that
relate to the Middle East.
Requirements for graduation in the College of Arts and Sciences include: a
minimum of six hours each in written communication, humanities, and natural
science, and three hours each in history and mathematics. These should be
completed as part of the general education/Liberal Studies program. In addition,
students must complete a foreign language through the intermediate (2200 or
equivalent) level.
Admission Requirements to Major Program of Studies:
Students must complete at least 52 semester hours of credit with a minimum grade
point average of 2.0, at least half the required Liberal Studies hours including
English and mathematics, or an A.A. Degree.
Major Program of Studies at FSU
Students majoring in the program are to construct their study program around
three components, in consultation with an adviser, in addition to the University
requirement for Liberal Studies and Electives. A total of 54 hours beyond
Liberal Studies is required. A list of approved courses is available with the
advisers. The three major components for a BA degree in Middle Eastern Studies
are:
1) Major requirement. Students are to take a minimum of 36 hours from among
those area specific upper level courses listed for their major track. The credit
hours should come from at least 3 departments.
2) A Middle East Survey requirement. Students are required to take 3 credit
hours of a Middle East Survey course.
3) A language requirement. Fifteen hours of coursework is required in a relevant
area language (Arabic, Hebrew or any other Middle East language that might be
offered on campus in the future). The 15 hours must come from one language.
Students will be encouraged to bring their chosen language up to an effective
level of proficiency in both reading and speaking by either taking additional
coursework on the FSU campus or by participating in a semester or summer abroad
program in their relevant cultural area as such programs are available. To
encourage the achievement of language proficiency, language coursework hours
taken beyond the 15 hour foreign language requirement may be counted towards the
required 36 hours for the major.
Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
Liberal Studies 36
Major Coursework 39
Survey 3
Foreign Language 15*
Electives 30
*Students selecting the Middle Eastern Studies with an minor in Arabic option
should start on their language no later than their sophomore year and will be
encouraged to start the learning process as early as their freshman year.
Employment Information:
An increasing number of jobs are available throughout Florida and nationally for
those with expertise in the Middle East and its languages.
Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Foreign Service Officer,
Teacher, linguist, translator, and government employee.
Representative Employers:
U. S. Government (including the State Department, Defense Department.
Defense Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security
Agency, International Communications Agency and Homeland Security), Federal
Bureau of Investigation, State Government, Multinational Corporations.
Educational Institutions, U.S. military, Non-profit Organizations.