Middle East and North African Studies
Study of the Middle East and North Africa is vital, given the region’s centrality in history and politics and a liberal education’s focus on the diversity of the human experience. The Middle East and North African Studies Program incorporates the latest critical approaches to social, cultural, political, and economic forces in the region, which stretches roughly from Morocco to Iran and Central Asia, from the Mediterranean into Saharan Africa and the Sudan. The program trains students in histories, literatures, and sociocultural specificities while encouraging consideration of the region’s global integration. It advances fresh perspectives on Middle East studies by inquiring how the cultural, political, and economic conditions of globalization influence the region internally and externally.
Drawn from anthropology, art history, history, literature, media studies, political science, religion, and radio/television/film, among other areas, the faculty represent a variety of perspectives, with a focus on the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. It reflects Northwestern’s strengths in diaspora studies, Islam in trans-Saharan Africa, media studies, cultural production, and North African studies. The program embraces comparative approaches, both cross-regional and cross-disciplinary. Course topics include the Middle East and North Africa in international politics, mass media, migration, digital cultures, arts and literature, law, and religious movements.
The major and the minor prepare students for careers in a variety of fields, including law, government, human rights, international development, and cultural organizations.
For language courses see the MENA Languages Program.
Courses Taught in English
MENA 101-7 College Seminar (1 Unit) Small, writing and discussion-oriented course exploring a specific topic or theme, and introducing skills necessary to thriving at Northwestern. Not eligible to be applied towards a WCAS major or minor except where specifically indicated.
MENA 101-8 First-Year Writing Seminar (1 Unit) Small, writing and discussion-oriented course exploring a specific topic or theme, and focused on the fundamentals of effective, college-level written communication. Not eligible to be applied towards a WCAS major or minor except where specifically indicated.
MENA 200-0 Making the Modern Middle East: Culture, Politics, History (1 Unit) The emergence of the Middle East as a world region and its representation in art, literature, and film in relation to geopolitics from the colonial period to the present. Historical Studies Distro Area
MENA 290-3 Introductory Topics in Middle East and North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within the social and behavioral sciences. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
MENA 290-4 Introductory Topics in Middle East and North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within historical studies. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Historical Studies Distro Area
MENA 290-5 Introductory Topics in Middle East and North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within ethics and values areas of study. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Ethics Values Distro Area
MENA 290-6 Introductory Topics in Middle East and North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within literature and fine arts areas of study. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
MENA 301-1 Seminar in Middle East and North African Studies (1 Unit) Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the Middle East and North Africa. Content varies with annual theme. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic. Courses need not be taken in sequence.
MENA 301-2 Seminar in Middle East and North African Studies (1 Unit) Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the Middle East and North Africa. Content varies with annual theme. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic. Courses need not be taken in sequence.
MENA 301-3 Seminar in Middle East and North African Studies (1 Unit) Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the Middle East and North Africa. Content varies with annual theme. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic. Courses need not be taken in sequence.
MENA 390-3 Advanced Topics in Middle East & North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within the social and behavioral sciences. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
MENA 390-4 Advanced Topics in Middle East & North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within historical studies. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Historical Studies Distro Area
MENA 390-5 Advanced Topics in Middle East & North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within ethics and values areas of study. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Ethics Values Distro Area
MENA 390-6 Advanced Topics in Middle East & North African Studies (1 Unit) Content and prerequisites vary; within literature and fine arts areas of study. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area
MENA 399-0 Independent Study (1 Unit) Reading and conferences on special subjects for advanced undergraduates. Prerequisite: consent of director of undergraduate studies and instructor.