Undergraduate

Middle Eastern Studies (major)

Preparation for the Major (Required):

• Two courses selected from Ancient Near East 10W (Jerusalem: Holy City), 12W (Jerusalem: Holy City), 14W (Medicine, Magic, and Science in Ancient Times), 15/15W (Women and Power in Ancient World), M60 (Achaemenid Civilization and Empire of Alexander), History 9D (Introduction to Asian Civilizations: History of Middle East), Iranian 55 (Gender and Sexuality in Arts and Literatures of Iran and Middle East), M60 (Achaemenid Civilization and Empire of Alexander), Islamic Studies M20 (Introduction to Islam), Jewish Studies M10 (Introduction to Judaism), Middle Eastern Studies M50A (First Civilizations), M50B (Origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), 50C (Making and Studying Modern Middle East), Near Eastern Languages M20 (Visible Language: Study of Writing), 65 (Global Time Travel)
  AND
• One year of modern Middle Eastern language in Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish
  OR
• Through a Departmental Language Placement Examination

Students selecting ancient languages (including Akkadian, Aramaic, Coptic, Egyptian Old or Middle Iranian, Sumerian, Syriac) are NOT required to take a modern elementary Middle Eastern language.

Transfer Students
Transfer applicants to the Middle Eastern Studies major with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one year of Arabic. Refer to the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide at UCLA Transfer Admission Guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

Major Requirements (11 Courses):

• Required Core (6 courses at least two from three of the following four areas):
  • History: Ancient Near East M103A (History of Ancient Egypt), M103B (History of Ancient Egypt), M104A (History of Ancient Mesopotamia and Syria), M110A (Iranian Civilization: History of Achaemenid Empire), M110B (Iranian Civilization: History of Arsacid (Parthian) Empire), M110C (Iranian Civilization: History of Early Sasanian Empire — From Ardashir I to Rise of Peroz (circa 224-459 C.E.)); Anthropology 166P (Sub-Saharan Africa); Arabic M171 (Variable Topics in Arabic); Armenian 130 (Armenian Civilization under Bagratid Dynasty, 884 to 1064), 131 (Armenian Civilization in Cilician Period, 1080 to 1375); History 105A (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 500 to 1300), 105B (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1300 to 1700), 105C (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1700 to Present), M108C (Culture Area of Maghrib (North Africa)); Iranian M110A (Iranian Civilization: History of Achaemenid Empire), M110B (Iranian Civilization: History of Arsacid (Parthian) Empire), M110C (Iranian Civilization: History of Early Sasanian Empire–From Ardashir I to Rise of Peroz (circa 224-459 CE)), CM163 (Archaeology of Iran), 164 (Ancient Cities of Iran: Archaeological Survey of Historic Cities and Sites of Iran from 4000 BC to 1900 AD), M178 (Introduction to History and Culture of Iranian Jews); Jewish Studies M178 (Introduction to History and Culture of Iranian Jews), M182A (Ancient Jewish History), M182B (Medieval Jewish History), M182C (Modern Jewish History), M184A (Jewish Civilization: Encounter with Great World Cultures), M184B (History of Anti-Semitism), M184C (American Jewish Experience), M184D (History of Zionism and State of Israel)
  • Language: Ancient Near East 120A/B/C (Elementary Ancient Egyptian), Ancient Near East C123A, C123B (Coptic), Ancient Near East 140A/B/C (Sumerian), Ancient Near East M168 (Hittite); Arabic 102A/B/C (Intermediate Standard Arabic), 103A/B/C (Advanced Arabic), 112A/B/C (Advanced Spoken Egyptian Arabic); Armenian 102A/B/C (Intermediate Modern Western Armenian), 103A/B/C (Advanced Modern Western Armenian), 105A/B/C (Intermediate Modern Eastern Armenian), 106A/B/C (Armenian Society and Culture); Hebrew 102A/B/C (Intermediate Hebrew), 103A/B/C (Advanced Hebrew), 110A (Introduction to Biblical Hebrew: Phonology, Morphology, and Structure of Biblical Hebrew), 110B (Introduction to Biblical Hebrew: Readings of Biblical Prose Texts), 110C (Readings in Biblical Hebrew); Iranian 102A/B/C (Intermediate Persian), 103A (Advanced Persian: Introduction to Classical Persian Poetry), 103B (Advanced Persian: Introduction to Classical Persian Prose), 103C (Advanced Persian: Introduction to Contemporary Persian Poetry and Prose), 161A/B/C (Elementary Middle Iranian); Semitics 110 (Neo-Aramaic), 130 (Biblical Aramaic), 115 (Syriac), 140A/B (Elementary Akkadian), 141 (Advanced Akkadian); Turkish 102A/B/C (Advanced Turkish), 112A/B/C (Advanced Uzbek), 116A/B/C (Advanced Azeri)
  • Literature: Ancient Near East 150A (Survey of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures in English: Mesopotamia), 150B (Survey of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures in English: Egypt); Arabic M110 (Thousand and One Nights/Alf Layla Wa-Layla), C141 (Modern Arabic Literature), M148 (Contemporary Arab Film and Song), Hebrew 120 (Biblical Texts), 125 (Hebrew Bible with Medieval Commentaries), 130 (Rabbinic Texts), 135 (Medieval Hebrew Texts), C140 (Modern Hebrew Poetry and Prose), 170 (Dead Sea Scrolls), Jewish Studies M113 (Contemporary Israeli Short Stories/Novellas and Films in English), 143 (Introduction to Jewish Folklore), 150A (Hebrew Literature in English: Literary Traditions of Ancient Israel–Bible and Apocrypha), 150B (Hebrew Literature in English: Rabbinic Judaism), M151A (Modern Jewish Literature in English: Diaspora Literature), 151B (Modern Jewish Literature in English: Israeli Literature), M162 (Israel Seen through its Literature), 170 (Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Judaism), 175 (Modern Israeli Literature Made into Films), M187 (Holocaust in Literature), Iranian 120 (Comparative Study of Six Major Persian Poets), 130 (Intellectual History of Jews of Persia), 131 (Introduction of Judeo-Persian: Literature and Culture), 132 (Intermediate Judeo-Persian Literature and Culture), 140 (Persian Belles Lettres (Adabiyyat)), 141 (Persian Analytical Pose), 150A (Survey of Persian Literature in English), 150B (Survey of Persian Literature in English).
  • Religion: Ancient Near East M130 (Ancient Egyptian Religion), M135 (Religion in Ancient Israel), M170 (Introduction to Biblical Studies), M185D (Religions of Ancient Near East); History M106 (Premodern Islam); Iranian 170 (Religion in Ancient Iran); Islamic M115 (Islam and Other Religions), 130 (Shi’a in Islamic History), 151 (Contemporary Islamic Thought); Jewish Studies M155 (Jewish Mysticism, Magic, and Kabbalah), 170 (Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Judaism); Study of Religion 120 (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Comparative Approach)

• Require Electives (5 courses):
  • Anthropology M166Q (Culture Area of Maghrib (North Africa)), 167 (Culture Area of Middle East)
  • Art History C116A (Middle Byzantine Art and Architecture) 119A (Western Islamic Art), 119B (Eastern Islamic Art), C120 (Selected Topics in Islamic Art)
  • Economics 111 (Theories of Economic Growth and Development), 112 (Policies for Economic Development)
  • Ethnomusicology 161L (Advanced World Music Performance Organizations: Music of Persia), 161N (Advanced World Music Performance Organizations: Music of Near East)
  • French 121 (Studies in Francophone Cultures and Literatures), 160 (Francophone Cultures in English)
  • History 105A (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 500 to 1300), 105B (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1300 to 1700), 105C (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1700 to Present), M106 (Premodern Islam), 107A (Armenian History: Armenia in Ancient and Medieval Times, 2nd Millennium B.C. to A.D. 11th Century), 107B (Armenian History: Armenia from Cilician Kingdom through Periods of Foreign Domination and National Stirrings, 11th to 19th Centuries), 107C (Armenian History: Armenia in Modern and Contemporary Times, 19th and 20th Centuries), 107D (Introduction to Armenian Oral History), 108A (History of North Africa from Islamic Conquest), 108B (History of Islamic Iberia), 109B (History of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 1881 to Present), M110B (Iranian Civilization: History of Arsacid (Parthian) Empire), 111A (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Premodern), 111B (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Early Modern), 111C (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Modern), 116A (Byzantine History), 116B (Byzantine History), 164B (Topics in African History: Africa and Slave Trade), 167A (History of Northeast Africa), M184D (History of Zionism and State of Israel), M185F (History of Early Christians), M185G (Religious Environment of Early Christians), M185I (Jesus of Nazareth in Historical Research)
  • Philosophy 104 (Topics in Islamic Philosophy)
  • Political Science 132A (International Relations of Middle East), M132B (International Relations of Middle East), 157 (Government and Politics in the Middle East), 165 (Islam and Politics)
  • Study of Religion 120 (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Comparative Approach)

Students may petition to substitute core or elective course with a departmental independent study/directed research course (197, 198, 199) as long as it covers a topic relevant to Middle Eastern Studies. No more than two 197, 198 or 199 courses (8-10 units) may be applied toward the major.

Middle Eastern Studies (minor)

To enter any of the minors listed above, students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better and have completed the required lower division courses.

Lower Division Courses (2 courses)

• Ancient Near East 10W (Jerusalem: Holy City), 12W (Jerusalem: Holy City), 14W (Medicine, Magic, and Science in Ancient Times), 15/15W (Women and Power in Ancient World), M60 (Achaemenid Civilization and Empire of Alexander), History 9D (Introduction to Asian Civilizations: History of Middle East), Iranian 55 (Gender and Sexuality in Arts and Literatures of Iran and Middle East), M60 (Achaemenid Civilization and Empire of Alexander), Islamic Studies M20 (Introduction to Islam), Jewish Studies M10 (Introduction to Judaism), Middle Eastern Studies M50A (First Civilizations), M50B (Origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), 50C (Making and Studying Modern Middle East), Near Eastern Languages M20 (Visible Language: Study of Writing), 65 (Global Time Travel)

Upper Division Courses (5 courses)

• Required Core (3 courses from the following four areas):
  • History: Ancient Near East M103A (History of Ancient Egypt), M103B (History of Ancient Egypt), M104A (History of Ancient Mesopotamia and Syria), M110A (Iranian Civilization: History of Achaemenid Empire), M110B (Iranian Civilization: History of Arsacid (Parthian) Empire), M110C (Iranian Civilization: History of Early Sasanian Empire — From Ardashir I to Rise of Peroz (circa 224-459 C.E.)); Anthropology 166P (Sub-Saharan Africa); Arabic M171 (Variable Topics in Arabic), Armenian 130 (Armenian Civilization under Bagratid Dynasty, 884 to 1064), 131 (Armenian Civilization in Cilician Period, 1080 to 1375); History 105A (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 500 to 1300), 105B (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1300 to 1700), 105C (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1700 to Present), M108C (Culture Area of Maghrib (North Africa)); Iranian M110A (Iranian Civilization: History of Achaemenid Empire), M110B (Iranian Civilization: History of Arsacid (Parthian) Empire), M110C (Iranian Civilization: History of Early Sasanian Empire — From Ardashir I to Rise of Peroz (circa 224-459 C.E.)), CM163 (Archaeology of Iran), 164 (Ancient Cities of Iran: Archaeological Survey of Historic Cities and Sites of Iran from 4000 BC to 1900 AD), M178 (Introduction to History and Culture of Iranian Jews); Jewish Studies M178 (Introduction to History and Culture of Iranian Jews), M182A (Ancient Jewish History), M182B (Medieval Jewish History), M182C (Modern Jewish History), M184A (Jewish Civilization: Encounter with Great World Cultures), M184B (History of Anti-Semitism), M184C (American Jewish Experience), M184D (History of Zionism and State of Israel)
  • Language: Ancient Near East 120A/B/C (Elementary Ancient Egyptian), Ancient Near East C123A, C123B (Coptic), Ancient Near East 140A/B/C (Sumerian), Ancient Near East M168 (Hittite); Arabic 102A/B/C (Intermediate Standard Arabic), 103A/B/C (Advanced Arabic), 112A/B/C (Advanced Spoken Egyptian Arabic); Armenian 102A/B/C (Intermediate Modern Western Armenian), 103A/B/C (Advanced Modern Western Armenian), 105A/B/C (Intermediate Modern Eastern Armenian); Hebrew 102A/B/C (Intermediate Hebrew), 103A/B/C (Advanced Hebrew), 110A (Introduction to Biblical Hebrew: Phonology, Morphology, and Structure of Biblical Hebrew), 110B (Introduction to Biblical Hebrew: Readings of Biblical Prose Texts), 110C (Readings in Biblical Hebrew); Iranian 102A/B/C (Intermediate Persian), 103A (Advanced Persian: Introduction to Classical Persian Poetry), 103B (Advanced Persian: Introduction to Classical Persian Prose), 103C (Advanced Persian: Introduction to Contemporary Persian Poetry and Prose), 161A/B/C (Elementary Middle Iranian); Semitics 110 (Neo-Aramaic), 115 (Syriac), 130 (Biblical Aramaic), 140A/B (Elementary Akkadian), 141 (Advanced Akkadian); Turkish 102A/B/C (Advanced Turkish), 112A/B/C (Advanced Uzbek), 116A/B/C (Advanced Azeri)
  • Literature: Ancient Near East 150A (Survey of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures in English: Mesopotamia), 150B (Survey of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures in English: Egypt); Arabic M110 (Thousand and One Nights/Alf Layla Wa-Layla), C141 (Modern Arabic Literature), M148 (Contemporary Arab Film and Song); Hebrew 120 (Biblical Texts), 125 (Hebrew Bible with Medieval Commentaries), 130 (Rabbinic Texts), 135 (Medieval Hebrew Texts), C140 (Modern Hebrew Poetry and Prose), 170 (Dead Sea Scrolls), Jewish Studies M113 (Contemporary Israeli Short Stories/Novellas and Films in English), 143 (Introduction to Jewish Folklore), 150A (Hebrew Literature in English: Literary Traditions of Ancient Israel–Bible and Apocrypha), 150B (Hebrew Literature in English: Rabbinic Judaism), M151A (Modern Jewish Literature in English: Diaspora Literature), 151B (Modern Jewish Literature in English: Israeli Literature), M162 (Israel Seen through its Literature), 170 (Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Judaism), 175 (Modern Israeli Literature Made into Films), M187 (Holocaust in Literature), Iranian 120 (Comparative Study of Six Major Persian Poets), 130 (Intellectual History of Jews of Persia), 131 (Introduction of Judeo-Persian: Literature and Culture), 132 (Intermediate Judeo-Persian Literature and Culture), 140 (Persian Belles Lettres (Adabiyyat)), 141 (Persian Analytical Pose), 150A (Survey of Persian Literature in English), 150B (Survey of Persian Literature in English).
  • Religion: Ancient Near East M130 (Ancient Egyptian Religion), M135 (Religion in Ancient Israel), M170 (Introduction to Biblical Studies), M185D (Religions of Ancient Near East); History M106 (Premodern Islam); Iranian 170 (Religion in Ancient Iran); Islamic M115 (Islam and Other Religions)130 (Shi’a in Islamic History), 151 (Contemporary Islamic Thought); Jewish Studies M155 (Jewish Mysticism, Magic, and Kabbalah), 170 (Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Judaism); Study of Religion 120 (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Comparative Approach)

• Required Electives (2 courses):
  • Anthropology M166Q (Culture Area of Maghrib (North Africa)), 167 (Culture Area of Middle East)
  • Art History C116A (Middle Byzantine Art and Architecture) 119A (Western Islamic Art), 119B (Eastern Islamic Art), C120 (Selected Topics in Islamic Art)
  • Economics 111 (Theories of Economic Growth and Development), 112 (Policies for Economic Development)
  • Ethnomusicology 161L (Advanced World Music Performance Organizations: Music of Persia), 161N (Advanced World Music Performance Organizations: Music of Near East)
  • French 121 (Studies in Francophone Cultures and Literatures), 160 (Francophone Cultures in English)
  • History 105A (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 500 to 1300), 105B (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1300 to 1700), 105C (Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1700 to Present), M106 (Premodern Islam), 107A (Armenian History: Armenia in Ancient and Medieval Times, 2nd Millennium B.C. to A.D. 11th Century), 107B (Armenian History: Armenia from Cilician Kingdom through Periods of Foreign Domination and National Stirrings, 11th to 19th Centuries), 107C (Armenian History: Armenia in Modern and Contemporary Times, 19th and 20th Centuries), 107D (Introduction to Armenian Oral History), 108A (History of North Africa from Islamic Conquest), 108B (History of Islamic Iberia), 109B (History of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 1881 to Present), M110B (Iranian Civilization: History of Arsacid (Parthian) Empire), 111A (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Premodern), 111B (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Early Modern), 111C (Topics in Middle Eastern History: Modern), 116A (Byzantine History), 116B (Byzantine History), 164B (Topics in African History: Africa and Slave Trade), 167A (History of Northeast Africa), M184D (History of Zionism and State of Israel), M185F (History of Early Christians), M185G (Religious Environment of Early Christians), M185I (Jesus of Nazareth in Historical Research)
  • Philosophy 104 (Topics in Islamic Philosophy)
  • Political Science 132A (International Relations of Middle East), M132B (International Relations of Middle East), 157 (Government and Politics in the Middle East), 165 (Islam and Politics)
  • Study of Religion 120 (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Comparative Approach)