Middle East and North Africa Studies

Middle East and North Africa studies at Oberlin draws upon faculty and courses across the humanities and social sciences. We construe the region broadly, including Africa north of the Sahara, the Arabian Peninsula, Eastern Mediterranean, Iran, Turkey, and the Red Sea and Gulf littoral states. Students can add a MENA minor to any other course of study. Completion of a MENA minor demonstrates a basic level of familiarity with this region; the range of courses permits students to develop their curriculum and to pursue deeper and broader studies beyond the minor requirements. Because of the wide range of subject matters relevant to understanding the region, many courses from differing disciplinary orientations can count toward the minor with the only subject requirement being a beginning knowledge of at least one of the languages used in the region.

Middle East and North Africa Courses

Middle East and North Africa Courses Offered in Other Programs or Departments

Requirements for the Minor

Acquire a MENA Studies minor advisor;

Demonstrate knowledge of first year Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi or Turkish by:
•   Completing two semesters of college-level study at Oberlin or elsewhere; or
•   Attaining first-year or better proficiency as certified by an instructor of the relevant language at Oberlin; or
•   First-year or better proficiency as certified on a case-by-case basis for languages not taught at Oberlin.

Complete at least five additional full academic courses from the MENA class list or their equivalent (for instance at other institutions) from at least two departments or programs and including at least two above the introductory level, not including those applied to the language requirement.

Courses in which a student has earned a letter grade lower than a C- or P cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the minor.