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Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

Language Track (Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures)

Students on Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 requirements MLCLNGTRK

Requirements

The major requires at least 32 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Introduction to the Middle East. One (1) course:
    • MELC-M 208 Meet the Middle East
  2. Language Requirement. One (1) of the following options:
    1. Language for Non-Native Arabic Speakers Option. One (1) of the following options:
      1. Proficiency Through Advanced Arabic II.
        • Elementary Arabic I. One (1) course:
          • MELC-A 100 Elementary Arabic I
        • Elementary Arabic II. One (1) course:
          • MELC-A 150 Elementary Arabic II
        • Intermediate Arabic I. One (1) course:
          • MELC-A 200 Intermediate Arabic I
        • Intermediate Arabic II. One (1) course:
          • MELC-A 250 Intermediate Arabic II
        • Advanced Arabic I. One (1) course:
          • MELC-A 300 Advanced Arabic I
        • Advanced Arabic II. One (1) course:
          • MELC-A 350 Advanced Arabic II
      2. Proficiency Through Demotic Egyptian II.
        • Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian I. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 100 Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian I
        • Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian II. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 150 Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian II
        • Intermediate Middle Egyptian. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 200 Intermediate Middle Egyptian
        • Late Egyptian: Grammar and Texts. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 250 Late Egyptian: Grammar and Texts
        • Demotic Egyptian I: Grammar and Script. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 300 Demotic Egyptian I: Grammar and Script
        • Demotic Egyptian II: Persian and Ptolemaic Texts. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 350 Demotic Egyptian II: Persian and Ptolemaic Texts
    2. Language for Native Arabic Speakers Option. One (1) of the following options:
      1. Proficiency Through Demotic Egyptian II.
        • Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian I. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 100 Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian I
        • Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian II. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 150 Elementary Hieroglyphic Egyptian II
        • Intermediate Middle Egyptian. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 200 Intermediate Middle Egyptian
        • Late Egyptian: Grammar and Texts. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 250 Late Egyptian: Grammar and Texts
        • Demotic Egyptian I: Grammar and Script. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 300 Demotic Egyptian I: Grammar and Script
        • Demotic Egyptian II: Persian and Ptolemaic Texts. One (1) course:
          • MELC-E 350 Demotic Egyptian II: Persian and Ptolemaic Texts
      2. Proficiency Through Intermediate Turkish II.
        • Introductory Turkish I. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 181 Introductory Turkish I
        • Introductory Turkish II. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 182 Introductory Turkish II
        • Intermediate Turkish I. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 281 Intermediate Turkish I
        • Intermediate Turkish II. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 282 Intermediate Turkish II
      3. Proficiency Through Intermediate Persian II.
        • Introductory Persian I. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 151 Introductory Persian I
        • Introductory Persian II. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 152 Introductory Persian II
        • Intermediate Persian I. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 251 Intermediate Persian I
        • Intermediate Persian II. One (1) course:
          • CEUS-T 252 Intermediate Persian II
      4. Proficiency Through Intermediate Modern Hebrew II.
        • Elementary Modern Hebrew I. One (1) course:
          • JSTU-H 100 Elementary Modern Hebrew I
        • Elementary Modern Hebrew II. One (1) course:
          • JSTU-H 150 Elementary Modern Hebrew II
        • Intermediate Modern Hebrew I. One (1) course:
          • JSTU-H 200 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
        • Intermediate Modern Hebrew II. One (1) course:
          • JSTU-H 250 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
  3. Courses in the Pre-Islamic Middle East. One (1) course:
    • If not taken to fulfil the Language Requirement:
      • Any MELC-E 100–499
    • MELC-M 213 World of Late Antiquity
    • MELC-M 215 Middle East Before Islam
    • MELC-M 302 The Greek and Roman Near East
    • MELC-M 315 Ancient Greek and Near Eastern Religions
    • MELC-M 347 Rise of Eastern Rome
    • MELC-M 348 Byzantium
  4. Courses in the Medieval/Pre-Modern Middle East. One (1) course:
    • MELC-M 233 The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization
    • MELC-M 265 Introduction to Islamic Civilization
    • MELC-M 307 Issues in Islamic Studies
    • MELC-M 365 Islamic Philosophy
    • MELC-M 370 Koranic Studies
    • MELC-M 391 War and Peace in the Islamic Tradition
  5. Courses in the Modern Middle East. One (1) course:
    • If not taken to fulfill the Language Requirement:
      • Any MELC-A 100–499
    • MELC-M 206 Modern Arab Culture
    • MELC-M 214 Multiple Voices of Israeli Society
    • MELC-M 216 Israeli Inequality in Context
    • MELC-M 239 US Foreign Policy and the Muslim World
    • MELC-M 251 Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror
    • MELC-M 268 Military History of the Middle East
    • MELC-M 308 The Arabic Novel
    • MELC-M 320 Islam in the Eyes of the West
    • MELC-M 334 What is Middle Eastern? Perspectives Gained through Comparison with Israel
    • MELC-M 339 Middle Eastern Politics
    • MELC-M 350 Modern Iran
    • MELC-M 361 Islamic Feminisms
    • MELC-M 391 War and Peace in the Islamic Tradition
    • MELC-M 392 Islam and Modernity
    • MELC-M 397 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East
  6. Electives. Additional courses, as needed, to fulfill remaining requirements:
    • Additional courses from the Language Requirement list
    • Additional courses from the Courses in the Pre-Islamic Middle East list
    • Additional courses from the Courses in the Medieval/Pre-Modern Middle East list
    • Additional courses from the Courses in the Modern Middle East list
    • ANTH-E 386 Performance, Culture, and Power in the Middle East and North Africa
    • ANTH-P 341 Archaeology of the Middle East
    • CEUS-R 181 Language, Society and Culture in Turkey
    • CEUS-R 191 Introduction to Central Eurasia
    • CEUS-R 192 Oil Islam and Geopolitics
    • CEUS-R 213 Islam in Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 250 Introduction to the Ancient Near East
    • CEUS-R 251 Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror
    • CEUS-R 252 Society and Politics in Contemporary Iran
    • CEUS-R 281 Turkish Literature in Translation
    • CEUS-R 292 Introduction to Turkic and Iranian Civilization
    • CEUS-R 293 Religion and Revolutions
    • CEUS-R 310 Introduction to Central Asian History
    • CEUS-R 311 Travelers and Explorers in Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 312 Shrine and Pilgrimage in Central Asian Islam
    • CEUS-R 313 Islam in Soviet Union and Successor States
    • CEUS-R 314 Islamization in Inner Asia
    • CEUS-R 315 Politics and Society in Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 316 Peoples and Cultures of Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 318 Labor and Migration in Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 320 Central Asia in Soviet Times
    • CEUS-R 321 Gender and Women in Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 322 Jews of the Muslim East
    • CEUS-R 351 Prophets, Poets, and Kings: Iranian Civilization
    • CEUS-R 352 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East
    • CEUS-R 354 Persian Literature in Translation
    • CEUS-R 356 State and Faith in Iranian Societies: Sources, Scholarships, Research
    • CEUS-R 359 Topics in Iranian Studies
    • CEUS-R 380 Literature of the Ottoman Court in Translation
    • CEUS-R 382 Cultural History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey
    • CEUS-R 383 Ten Sultans, One Empire: Ottoman Classical Age, 1300-1600
    • CEUS-R 385 Structure of Turkish
    • CEUS-R 386 Islam, Islamism, and Modernity in Turkey
    • CEUS-R 387 Contemporary Turkey
    • CEUS-R 389 Topics in Turkish Studies
    • CEUS-R 392 Uralic Peoples and Cultures
    • CEUS-R 397 Empires of the Silk Road: History of Central Eurasia
    • CEUS-R 411 Ethnic History of Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 412 Central Asia under Russian Rule
    • CEUS-R 413 Islamic Central Asia, Sixteenth-Nineteenth Centuries
    • CEUS-R 414 The Yasavi Sufis and Central Asian Islam
    • CEUS-R 415 The Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition in Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 416 Religion and Power in Islamic Central Asia
    • CEUS-R 417 Oral History in Eurasia: Research Methods and International Experience
    • CEUS-R 492 Language and Society in Central Eurasia
    • CEUS-R 493 Theorizing Central Eurasia: The Problems of Nationalism
    • CEUS-R 494 Uralic Linguistics
    • CEUS-T 111 Introductory Uzbek I
    • CEUS-T 112 Introductory Uzbek II
    • CEUS-T 113 Introductory Kazakh I
    • CEUS-T 114 Introductory Kazakh II
    • CEUS-T 115 Introductory Tajik I
    • CEUS-T 116 Introductory Tajik II
    • CEUS-T 117 Introductory Turkmen I
    • CEUS-T 118 Introductory Turkmen II
    • CEUS-T 131 Introductory Uyghur I
    • CEUS-T 132 Introductory Uyghur II
    • CEUS-T 151 Introductory Persian I
    • CEUS-T 152 Introductory Persian II
    • CEUS-T 153 Introductory Pashto I
    • CEUS-T 154 Introductory Pashto II
    • CEUS-T 155 Introductory Sorani Kurdish I
    • CEUS-T 157 Introductory Sorani Kurdish II
    • CEUS-T 183 Introductory Azerbaijani I
    • CEUS-T 184 Introductory Azerbaijani II
    • CEUS-T 211 Intermediate Uzbek I
    • CEUS-T 212 Intermediate Uzbek II
    • CEUS-T 213 Intermediate Kazakh I
    • CEUS-T 214 Intermediate Kazakh II
    • CEUS-T 215 Intermediate Tajik I
    • CEUS-T 216 Intermediate Tajik II
    • CEUS-T 217 Intermediate Turkmen I
    • CEUS-T 218 Intermediate Turkmen II
    • CEUS-T 231 Intermediate Uyghur I
    • CEUS-T 232 Intermediate Uyghur II
    • CEUS-T 251 Intermediate Persian I
    • CEUS-T 252 Intermediate Persian II
    • CEUS-T 253 Intermediate Pashto I
    • CEUS-T 254 Intermediate Pashto II
    • CEUS-T 255 Intermediate Sorani Kurdish I
    • CEUS-T 257 Intermediate Sorani Kurdish II
    • CEUS-T 281 Intermediate Turkish I
    • CEUS-T 282 Intermediate Turkish II
    • CEUS-T 283 Intermediate Azerbaijani I
    • CEUS-T 284 Intermediate Azerbaijani II
    • CEUS-T 298 Intermediate Central Eurasian Languages I
    • CEUS-T 311 Advanced Uzbek I
    • CEUS-T 312 Advanced Uzbek II
    • CEUS-T 313 Advanced Kazakh I
    • CEUS-T 314 Advanced Kazakh II
    • CEUS-T 331 Advanced Uyghur I
    • CEUS-T 332 Advanced Uyghur II
    • CEUS-T 351 Advanced Persian I
    • CEUS-T 352 Advanced Persian II
    • CEUS-T 353 Advanced Pashto I
    • CEUS-T 355 Advanced Sorani Kurdish I
    • CEUS-T 356 Middle Iranian Languages
    • CEUS-T 357 Advanced Sorani Kurdish II
    • CEUS-T 358 Old Iranian Languages
    • CEUS-T 359 Research in Classical Persian Texts
    • CEUS-T 381 Advanced Turkish I
    • CEUS-T 382 Advanced Turkish II
    • CEUS-T 391 Introduction to Tokharian (Tocharian) Language
    • CEUS-T 395 Introduction to Aramaic
    • CEUS-T 485 Media Turkish I
    • CEUS-T 486 Media Turkish II
    • CEUS-T 487 Classical Turkish: Ottoman
    • CEUS-T 489 Advanced Readings and Communication in Turkish
    • CMLT-C 370 Comparative Studies in Western and Middle Eastern Literatures
    • COAS-X 275 History and Culture of Jewish Communities in the Middle East
    • FOLK-F 307
    • FOLK-F 308 Middle Eastern and Arab Mythology
    • FOLK-F 323 Middle Eastern Folklore
    • FOLK-F 377 Popular Culture and Politics in the Middle East
    • HIST-C 210 History of the Modern Middle East
    • JSTU-B 100 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I
    • JSTU-B 150 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew II
    • JSTU-B 200 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I
    • JSTU-B 250 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II
    • JSTU-C 214 Multiple Voices of Israeli Society
    • JSTU-C 216 Israeli Inequality in Context
    • JSTU-C 221 Israel on Social Media: Conceptions, Misconceptions, and Controversies
    • JSTU-C 240 Contemporary Israeli Culture
    • JSTU-C 260 Israeli Film and Fiction
    • JSTU-C 334 What is Middle Eastern? Perspectives Gained through Comparison with Israel
    • JSTU-C 340 The Kibbutz in Fact and Fiction
    • JSTU-H 100 Elementary Modern Hebrew I
    • JSTU-H 150 Elementary Modern Hebrew II
    • JSTU-H 196 Foreign Study in Hebrew
    • JSTU-H 200 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
    • JSTU-H 250 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
    • JSTU-H 296 Foreign Study in Hebrew
    • JSTU-H 300 Advanced Modern Hebrew I
    • JSTU-H 350 Advanced Modern Hebrew II
    • JSTU-H 365 Advanced Hebrew Conversation and Composition
    • JSTU-H 375 Introductory Readings in Hebrew Literature (in Hebrew)
    • JSTU-H 460 Israeli Film and Fiction in Hebrew
    • JSTU-H 477 Victims and Avengers: Readings in the Holocaust Literature of Israel in Hebrew
    • JSTU-H 480 Modern Hebrew Literature in Hebrew
    • JSTU-H 485 Recent Hebrew Literature in Hebrew
    • JSTU-H 496 Foreign Study in Hebrew
    • JSTU-H 501 Elementary Modern Hebrew I
    • JSTU-H 502 Elementary Modern Hebrew II
    • JSTU-H 503 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
    • JSTU-H 504 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
    • JSTU-H 505 Advanced Modern Hebrew I
    • JSTU-H 506 Advanced Modern Hebrew II
    • JSTU-J 220 Sacred Books of the Jews
    • JSTU-J 230 Introduction to Judaism
    • JSTU-J 251 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to Spanish Expulsion
    • JSTU-J 252 Introduction to Jewish History: From Spanish Expulsion to the Present
    • JSTU-J 254 Israel: History, Society, Culture
    • JSTU-J 260 Literary Masterpieces of Muslim Spain
    • JSTU-J 262 Muslim-Jewish Relations in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries
    • JSTU-J 306 Israel: History, Society, Politics, Culture
    • JSTU-J 316 Jews, Christians, and Others in Late Antiquity
    • JSTU-J 317 Judaism in the Making
    • JSTU-J 319 Magic and Witchcraft in the Ancient World
    • JSTU-J 320 Rabbinic Judaism: Literature and Beliefs
    • JSTU-J 324 Zionism and the State of Israel
    • JSTU-J 325 Jerusalem: The Holy City
    • JSTU-J 360 Muslim Spain and Portugal: History and Memory
    • JSTU-J 375 Women in the Bible
    • POLS-Y 339 Middle Eastern Politics
    • SPH-I 134 Middle Eastern Dance
  7. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    5. College Breadth. At least 58 credit hours must be completed in courses from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines outside of the major area.

Major Area Courses
  • Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

    • Any course at the 100–499 level with the MELC subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
    • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
    • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Culture Track (Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures) (MLCCLTTRK)
  • Minor in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELCMIN)
  • [Name unavailable] (NELCBA1)
  • [Name unavailable] (NLCLNGTRK1)
  • [Name unavailable] (NLCCLTTRK1)
  • [Name unavailable] (NELCMIN)

Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.