Middle Eastern and North African Studies Program Information
The Certificate Program in Middle Eastern and North African Studies (MENA) is open to all students seeking a bachelor's degree from UWM, to students who previously received a bachelor's degree from UWM or any other accredited university, and to those who do not plan to pursue a college or university degree (non-degree students) but who have a strong interest in this subject.
The certificate program offers students a background in Middle Eastern and North African languages, cultures, history, and civilization. The program requires one year of either Arabic or Hebrew language courses and a historical survey course. Upper-level courses offer students the opportunity to explore Middle Eastern literature, history, politics, religion, and art in greater depth.
Courses totaling 23 credits must be completed with a GPA of 2.75 or better. At least one half of the work for the certificate must be completed at UWM.
The Faculty Committee for the Middle Eastern and North African Studies Certificate Program administers the program, and the Center for International Education provides the advising for the program.
In addition to taking courses related to the Middle East and North Africa, students have the opportunity to meet and study with Middle Eastern scholars who regularly visit UWM through a number of institutional partnerships with Middle Eastern universities. Students may also take advantage of study abroad programs that offer credit for academic work in the Middle East and North Africa.
The following are the detailed requirements of the certificate:
- 8 credits (or equivalent) in a single language sequence from either Arabic or Hebrew
- Arabic
- 101 First-Semester Arabic
- 102 Second-Semester Arabic
- Hebrew Studies
- 101 First-Semester Hebrew
- 102 Second-Semester Hebrew
- 105 Intro to Biblical Hebrew I
- 106 Intro to Biblical Hebrew II
- At least one course from the following survey history courses:
- History
- 280 Islamic Civilization: The Formative Period, ca 550-1258
- 281 Islamic Civilzation: The Middle Period, ca 1200-1805
- 282 The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentienth Centuries
- At least 12 additional credits selected from the approved electives lists, of which at least 9 credits must be at 300 level or above, and one must be from the Hebrew Studies Department:
- Arabic
- 111 Cultures and Civilizations of the Muslim Middle East
- 164 Arabs and Islam in America
- 199 Independent Study
- 201 Third-Semester Arabic
- 202 Fourth-Semester Arabic
- 297 Study Abroad: (all subtitles)
- 299 Ad Hoc: (all subtitles)
- 301 Fifth Semester Arabic
- 302 Sixth Semester Arabic
- 497 Study Abroad: (all subtitles)
- 699 Advanced Independent Study (all topics)
- Architecture
- 533 Signature Buildings in Geopolitical Context
- Art History
- 315 Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
- 324 Art and Architecture of Byzantium
- 326 Heretics & Iconoclasts: The Art and Arch of the Christian East
- 327 Islamic Art in Medieval Spain
- 435 Art and Architectrue Along the Western Silk Road
- Classics
- 299 Ad Hoc: “Egyptian Hieroglyphics”
- 390 Egyptian Mythology
- 499 Ad Hoc: “Egyptian Hieroglyphics”
- Comparative Literature
- 135 Experiencing Literature in the 21st Century: “Middle East through Fiction and Film”
- 231 Literature and Religion: “The Quran as Literature”
- 350 Topics in Comparative Literature: “Arabic Women’s Writing”
- 360 Seminar in Literature and Cultural Experience: “Arabic Women Writers in Translation”
- 533 Seminar in Trends in Modern Literature: “Development of the Arabic Novel”
- English
- 247 Literature and the Human Experience: “The Bible as Literature – The Old Testament”, “The Bible as Literature – The New Testament”
- Film Studies
- 350 Global Jewish Film and Television: (Subtitled)
- Geography
- 231 Geography of Islam
- 410 Gendered Geographies
- Hebrew Studies
- 201 Third-Semester Hebrew
- 202 Fourth-Semester Hebrew
- 205 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I
- 206 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II
- 231 Intro to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
- 232 Survey of the Literature of the Post-Biblical Period
- 235 The Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible
- 236 The Biblical World
- 238 Topics in Hebrew/Jewish Literature, Art, and Culture: “Judaism, Christianity, and Islam”
- 249 History of Jewish Civilization: Biblical Period
- 254 Studies in Hebrew Culture: “Contemporary Israeli Film”, “Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed”
- 261 Representing the Holocaust in Words and Images
- 268 Jewish and Christian Responses to the Holocaust
- 274** Ancient Egyptian Civilization
- 299 Ad Hoc: “Jews, Christians, and Muslims – Three Religions, One God”, “The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”
- 301 Modern Hebrew Lit I, in Hebrew
- 302 Modern Hebrew Lit II, in Hebrew
- 303 Modern Hebrew Lit I, in English
- 304 Modern Hebrew Lit II, in English
- 321 The Holocaust & the Politics of Memory
- 332 Women in the Bible
- 381 Honors Seminar (w/subtitle)
- 418 Modern Hebrew Drama in Translation
- 419 Contemporary Israeli Poetry in Translation
- 474 Introduction to the Mishna
- 476 Introduction to the Targum
- History
- 274** Ancient Egyptian Civilization
- 280*** Intro to Middle Eastern & Western Culture
- 281*** Islamic Civilzation: The Middle Period, ca 1200-1805
- 282*** The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentienth Centuries
- 283 Arab-Israeli Relations: The Search for Peace
- 319 The Era of the Crusades
- 383 North Africa from the Arab Conquest to the Present
- 385 Political Islam to Zionism: Middle Eastern Intellectual History, 1789-1990
- 386 Africa: The Age of Empire, to 1880
- 387 Africa: Imperialism and Independence Since 1880
- 401 Topics in Middle Eastern History: (all subtitles)
- Jewish Studies
- 261 Representing the Holocaust in Words and Images
- 268 Jewish and Christian Responses to the Holocaust
- Philosophy
- 461 Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism
- 552(442) Special Topics in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy: “Maimonides”
- Political Science
- 327 Politics of the Middle East and North Africa
- 328 The Arab-Israeli Conflict
- 329 African Politics (660)
- 371 Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict
- Public Health
- 385** Summer Study Abroad: "Maternal and Infant Health in Morocc: Women's Rights and Family in Islam"
- Womens Studies
- 300 Gender and Spirituality: “Women and Gender in Islam”
** Jointly offered; may be taken under only one area.
*** If not taken under Section II.