Comparative Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Track, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Global Studies (BA in International Studies)
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) is a multidisciplinary program that aims to enrich the understanding of a broadly conceived “Asia” in relation to other parts of the world. The AMES curriculum includes the study of history, politics, religion, literature, fine and media arts, performance, expressive and ritual culture, and the major languages of the region. Its curriculum consists of course offerings encompassing a diverse range of topics that involve East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific. Students select a track in Comparative Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, East Asian Studies, or Middle Eastern Studies. The AMES curriculum includes minor programs in East Asian Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and South Asian Studies. AMES concentrators and AMES minors are encouraged to combine their academic study with service learning, study away, or study abroad.
AMES concentrators are required to complete 33 credit hours, including AMES 250 Approaches to Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (core course) and AMES 493 Senior Research in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (capstone course). AMES students are encouraged to take classes in other programs in Global Studies for complementary courses and intellectual exchange. Students are encouraged to pursue advanced research through AMES 495 Senior Honors in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and AMES 496 Senior Honors in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Senior Honors). Please consult with a faculty member in AMES if you are interested in the program.
Course Requirements
Foundation
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AMES 250 | Approaches to Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 3 |
| AMES 493 | Senior Research in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 3 |
| Total Hours | 6 | |
Additional Coursework with AMES Core Faculty
Students should enroll in courses taught by AMES Core Faculty teaching in a variety of disciplines and about a diverse array of societies and cultures.
Area or Regional Frameworks
Middle East Regional Framework
These are the kinds of courses that satisfy this requirement. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to discover other courses that encompass an introduction to the Middle East region and or to notify the AMES Program Director if there are other courses offered or upcoming that might satisfy the requirement. Please note: many courses are cross listed and have a variety of attributes.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
First year seminars (150) - Middle East topics only | ||
| Topics in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle East topics only) | ||
| Topics in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle East topics only) | ||
| Culture and Society in the Middle East and North Africa | ||
| Anthropology of Islam | ||
| Topics in Modern Arabic Literature in Translation | ||
| Middle Eastern Political Systems | ||
| History of the Middle East to 1400 | ||
| Hist Middle East since 1400 | ||
| Music Cultures of the Middle East | ||
| Introduction to Islam | ||
| Islam in the Modern World | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
East Asia Regional Framework
These are the kinds of courses that satisfy this requirement. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to discover other courses that encompass an introduction to East Asia and or to notify the AMES Program Director if there are other courses offered or upcoming that might satisfy the requirement. Please note: many courses are cross listed and have a variety of attributes.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
First year seminars (150) - East Asia topics only | ||
| Topics in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (East Asia topics only) | ||
| Topics in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (East Asia topics only) | ||
| Asian Art | ||
| Chinese Popular Culture | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Cultural Studies | ||
| Governments and Politics of China and Japan | ||
| Survey of East Asian Civilization to 1600 | ||
| Survey of East Asian Civilization since 1600 | ||
| East Asian Cultures Through Film | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| History of Religion in East Asia | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
South Asia Regional Framework
South Asia Regional Framework included Southeast or Central Asia. These are the kinds of courses that satisfy this requirement. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to discover other courses that encompass an introduction to South Asia or Southeast or Central Asia and or to notify the AMES Program Director if there are other courses offered or upcoming that might satisfy the requirement. Please note: many courses are cross listed and have a variety of attributes.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
First Year Seminars (150) - South/Southeast/Central Asia topics only | ||
| Topics in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (South/Southeast/Central Asia topics only) | ||
| Topics in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (South/Southeast/Central Asia topics only) | ||
| South Asian Politics | ||
| State Building in Afghanistan | ||
| History of South Asia | ||
| Music of India | ||
| Introduction to Hinduism | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Disciplinary Frameworks
These are the kinds of courses that satisfy this requirement. Note that most courses in Disciplinary Frameworks are at the 300 or 400 level. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to discover courses taught by AMES core faculty who approach the AMES region with a particularly disciplinary focus. If there are other courses offered or upcoming that might satisfy the requirement, they may be approved for use in Disciplinary Frameworks. Please note: many courses are cross listed and have a variety of attributes associated with this discipline.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Social Science | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Palestine and Indigeneity | ||
| Political Violence in the Middle East | ||
| Culture and Society in the Middle East and North Africa | ||
| Anthropology of Islam | ||
| Special Topics in Anthropology (AMES topics only) | ||
| Senior Seminar | ||
| Middle Eastern Political Systems | ||
| South Asian Politics | ||
| Topics in Government (AMES topics only) | ||
| Topics in Government (AMES topics only) | ||
| State Building in Afghanistan (AMES topics only) | ||
| Topics in Gender and International Issues (AMES-related topics only) | ||
| Topics in Gender and Race/Ethnicity Issues (AMES-related topics only) | ||
| Asian Pacific American History | ||
| Modern Japanese History | ||
| Modern Korean History | ||
| Modern Chinese History | ||
| Nation, Gender, and Race in South Asia | ||
| Topics in History (AMES-related topics only) | ||
| Topics in History (AMES-related topics only) | ||
| Senior Colloquium (AMES-related topics only) | ||
| Senior Colloquium (AMES-related topics only) | ||
| Humanities | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Global Asian Cities: Learning from Dubai | ||
| Islamophobia | ||
| Palestine and Indigeneity | ||
| Political Violence in the Middle East | ||
| Short Course in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | ||
| Student Think Tank | ||
| Topics in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES Humanities Faculty) | ||
| Practicum in AMES | ||
| Independent Study in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | ||
| Senior Research in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | ||
| Senior Honors in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | ||
| Senior Honors in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | ||
| Culture and Society in the Middle East and North Africa | ||
| Anthropology of Islam | ||
| Special Topics in Anthropology (Middle Eastern topics only) | ||
| Approaches to Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies | ||
| Transnational Asian American Literature | ||
| Filipino American & Diaspora Studies | ||
| Arab Civilization in Transition: Self, Culture, and Society in the Modern Period | ||
| Bridging Heritage and Modernity: Modern Forms and Classical Themes in Arabic Literary Writing | ||
| Women and Love in Chinese Literature (In Translation) | ||
| Chinese Popular Culture | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Cultural Studies | ||
| East Asian Cultures Through Film | ||
| Topics in Gender and Race/Ethnicity Issues (AMES Humanities Faculty) | ||
| Samurai: History & Myth | ||
| Japan's Ghosts and Demons | ||
| East Asian Cultures Through Film | ||
| The Japanese City | ||
| Imagining Japanese Culture: Issues and Methods | ||
| Topics in Religion (AMES topics only) | ||
| Introduction to Islam | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| History of Religion in East Asia | ||
| Islam in the Modern World | ||
| Eastern Christianity | ||
| Modern Hinduism | ||
| Magic, Science, & Religion | ||
| Yoga and Tantra | ||
| Tibetan Religion | ||
| Hindu Sacred Texts | ||
| Buddhist Philosophy | ||
| Buddhism and Science | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Topics in Art History (AMES topics only) | ||
| Topics in Art History (AMES topics only) | ||
| Topics in Art History (AMES topics only) | ||
| Cities in the Modern Middle East | ||
| Seminar Topics in Art History (AMES topics only) | ||
| Seminar Topics in Built Environment Studies (AMES topics only) | ||
| Buddhist Art & Architecture: Origin, Exchange & Innovation | ||
| Seminar in Music Research (AMES topics only) | ||
| Topics in Ethnomusicology (AMES topics only) | ||
| Music of India | ||
| Music Cultures of the Middle East | ||
| World Theatre History, 500 B.C. to 1750 | ||
| World Theatre History, 1750 to the Present | ||
| South Asian Performance | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Note
AMES 1-credit Music Ensembles (Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, Music of India Ensemble and Indonesian Gamelan Ensemble) may be repeated for credit to satisfy 1 elective in this area.Certain Theater Productions may also be applied toward this area.
Additional Information
Three semesters of an AMES Ensemble may count as one course requirement, and 2-3 of these courses could overlap, satisfying criteria for the Area and Regional Frameworks and the Disciplinary Frameworks.
Individual Focus
At least 3 courses of 3-4 credits each
This is the place in the course plan where students define, in consultation with a faculty member, an individual focus to their major, depending on their interests, their experience, their language and area interests, and their opportunities for incorporating internship, service learning, study away, and study abroad into their course plan.