Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth!
As a '25 (sophomore) at Dartmouth, I've had enough time to explore many different classes and programs. If you've read my blog in the past, you know I'm a Middle Eastern Studies (MES) major. In this post, I'll give an overview of what classes, professors, and activities within the branch of MES are like at Dartmouth.
Being as enthusiastic as I was about MES coming into Dartmouth, I am in a unique position. During my 5th term, I have completed all but one requirement for the MES major at Dartmouth – this is because I have literally taken only two classes (first-year writing sequences) that do not fall under the MES umbrella. While this means I have some distributives to cover in terms of graduation requirements, the wide scope of MES classes means that I really only need the STEMmy distributive credits. Distributive credits are sort of like gen-eds, except you have much more freedom to decide specifically what classes you want to take that will fulfill different distributive requirements.
The MES major first requires two language courses (either Arabic or Hebrew) up to the intermediate level. For people coming in without prior knowledge of those languages, that means at least 5 terms of language instruction – in my case, since I went on the Morocco language study abroad program, I finished the Arabic requirement in 4. However, I am continuing to take Arabic because of my interest in the language!
The major also requires that students take MES 1, or Introduction to Middle Eastern Studies. Most, if not all majors have an introductory course that gives a survey of what is covered under that specific academic umbrella. I took the course during my freshman winter, and it was a really helpful overview! In terms of other courses, students must take 2 'core' classes relating to topics ranging from Islam, to history, to politics, and 4 elective classes which delve into more specific topics in the region. For example, I've taken electives on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Arab Feminisms, History of Arabic Language, Arab Political Thought, Moroccan History and Culture, and a creative writing class taught by visiting Egyptian author Alaa al-Aswany.
Aside from academics, the department offers a variety of ways to get involved on campus. Arabic Club allows students from different Arabic classes to come together and learn about language and culture. A few weeks ago, Egyptian film director Hala Galal came to campus to screen her documentary on female artists in Cairo. And just last week, Professor Eman Morsi invited NYU's Zachary Lockman to give a talk on the origins of area studies in the United States! This array of interesting speakers and events speaks to the involvement that the faculty takes in providing enrichment opportunities for MES majors.
While this post covered the bases for what an MES major will consist of at Dartmouth, it largely also applies to most humanities majors! Dartmouth offers tons of resources and structures to help students explore their majors both inside and outside of the classroom.