World Islamic and Middle East Studies Major Concentration (B.A.) (36 credits)
Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 36
Program Description
World Islamic and Middle East Studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on Muslim cultures and societies both past and present. Recognizing the variety of approaches within Islam, its global reach, but also its regional specificities, and that of the Middle East in particular, the program aims at providing students with training in the textual traditions and social life of Muslims across different times and places.
For information about instructors and course descriptions, visit the program’s website at http://www.mcgill.ca/islamicstudies/.
Degree Requirements — B.A. students
To be eligible for a B.A. degree, a student must fulfil all Faculty and program requirements as indicated in Degree Requirements for the Faculty of Arts.
We recommend that students consult an Arts OASIS advisor for degree planning.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Complementary Courses (36 credits)
12-15 credits (2 levels) in one language: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, or Urdu. In the case of Arabic, the first two levels involve 15 credits. The extra 3 credits will be counted toward the remainder of the complementary courses requirement.
21-24 credits (21 if Introductory Arabic has been chosen), of complementary courses selected from the World Islamic and Middle East Studies course lists as follows:
3 credits of 100-/200-level non-language ISLA courses;
6 credits of 300-level non-language ISLA courses;
6 credits of 400-/500-level non-language ISLA courses;
6-9 credits at any level, including more language courses, but no more than 6 credits overall at the 100/200 level. Students might fulfill these credits by taking complementary courses from other departments listed as relevant to the program.
Languages (12-15 credits)
Arabic
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 221D1 | Introductory Arabic. | 4.5 |
Introductory Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to Modern Standard Arabic, including pronunciation and reading and writing of the Arabic script; and speaking and comprehension of basic sentences, commands, statements in the present tense. | ||
| ISLA 221D2 | Introductory Arabic. | 4.5 |
Introductory Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 221D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 322 | Lower Intermediate Arabic. | 6 |
Lower Intermediate Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Speech, comprehension, reading and writing of more complex grammatical structures, including the conditional sentence, case endings, and verbs and verbal constructions. | ||
| ISLA 322D1 | Lower Intermediate Arabic. | 3 |
Lower Intermediate Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Speech, comprehension, reading and writing of more complex grammatical structures, including the conditional sentence, case endings, and verbs and verbal constructions. | ||
| ISLA 322D2 | Lower Intermediate Arabic. | 3 |
Lower Intermediate Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 322D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 423D1 | Higher Intermediate Arabic. | 3 |
Higher Intermediate Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to advanced grammatical constructions and vocabulary through readings of longer texts in Arabic, as well as conversation, and exposure to video/audio cultural materials. Continued exposition of Arabic grammar, including active and passive participles, conjunction of irregular verbs, and active and passive voices. | ||
| ISLA 423D2 | Higher Intermediate Arabic. | 3 |
Higher Intermediate Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 423D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 524 | Advanced Arabic 1. | 3 |
Advanced Arabic 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced level of the Arabic language study. | ||
| ISLA 525 | Advanced Arabic 2. | 3 |
Advanced Arabic 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced level of the Arabic language study. | ||
Persian
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 241D1 | Introductory Persian. | 3 |
Introductory Persian. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the Persian language, beginning with pronouncing, reading and writing the Persian script, and moving to vocabulary and grammatical structures needed to communicate in simple dialogues, read simple texts, and write simple paragraphs. | ||
| ISLA 241D2 | Introductory Persian. | 3 |
Introductory Persian. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 241D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 342D1 | Lower Intermediate Persian. | 3 |
Lower Intermediate Persian. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Speech, comprehension, and reading and writing of more complex grammatical structures, embedded within a variety of short authentic Persian texts. | ||
| ISLA 342D2 | Lower Intermediate Persian. | 3 |
Lower Intermediate Persian. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 342D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 443D1 | Upper Intermediate Persian. | 3 |
Upper Intermediate Persian. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to authentic texts about Persian culture, history, geography, politics, arts, and other topics relevant to Iran, as well as canonical poems of various modern and classical poets, and selected Persian proverbs and their meanings and connotations. | ||
| ISLA 443D2 | Upper Intermediate Persian. | 3 |
Upper Intermediate Persian. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 443D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 545 | Advanced Persian 1. | 3 |
Advanced Persian 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced level of Persian language study. | ||
| ISLA 546 | Advanced Persian 2. | 3 |
Advanced Persian 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced level of Persian language study. | ||
Turkish
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 232D1 | Introductory Turkish. | 3 |
Introductory Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to speaking and comprehension of basic sentences, commands, statements in the present and future tenses. Introduction to simple daily conversations. | ||
| ISLA 232D2 | Introductory Turkish. | 3 |
Introductory Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 232D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 333D1 | Lower Intermediate Turkish. | 3 |
Lower Intermediate Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Listening comprehension, reading, and writing of more complex grammatical structures, including the subjunctive, future, and past tenses. | ||
| ISLA 333D2 | Lower Intermediate Turkish. | 3 |
Lower Intermediate Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 333D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 434D1 | Higher Intermediate Turkish. | 3 |
Higher Intermediate Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Contemporary cultural texts in Turkish, including literature and media. Reading materials supported by audio visual media featuring modern spoken Turkish. | ||
| ISLA 434D2 | Higher Intermediate Turkish. | 3 |
Higher Intermediate Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 434D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 535D1 | Advanced Turkish. | 3 |
Advanced Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Language acquisition - advanced Turkish. | ||
| ISLA 535D2 | Advanced Turkish. | 3 |
Advanced Turkish. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 535D1 for course description. | ||
Urdu
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 251D1 | Introductory Urdu-Hindi. | 3 |
Introductory Urdu-Hindi. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to Urdu-Hindi language including pronunciation and reading and writing of either Urduor Hindi script, speaking and comprehension of basic sentences, commands, statements in the present tense. | ||
| ISLA 251D2 | Introductory Urdu-Hindi. | 3 |
Introductory Urdu-Hindi. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 251D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 352D1 | Intermediate Urdu-Hindi. | 3 |
Intermediate Urdu-Hindi. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Speech, comprehension, and reading and writing of more complex grammatical structures, including the subjunctive, future, and past tenses. | ||
| ISLA 352D2 | Intermediate Urdu-Hindi. | 3 |
Intermediate Urdu-Hindi. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ISLA 352D1 for course description. | ||
| ISLA 553 | Advanced Urdu-Hindi 1. | 3 |
Advanced Urdu-Hindi 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Builds upon Intermediate Urdu-Hindi to introduce students to advanced grammatical constructions through reading of longer texts in the Urdu or Hindi script, conversation, and video/audio cultural materials. | ||
| ISLA 554 | Advanced Urdu-Hindi 2. | 3 |
Advanced Urdu-Hindi 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced study of grammatical constructions through reading long texts in the Urdu or Hindi script, conversation, and video/audio cultural materials. | ||
ISLA 100-/200-Level
3 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 199 | FYS: Narrations of the Middle East. | 3 |
FYS: Narrations of the Middle East. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to competing narratives about crucial moments in the history and culture of the Middle East. Reading and discussion of texts drawn from a variety of perspectives and genres, including historical accounts, poetry, fiction, memoir and others. | ||
| ISLA 200 | Islamic Civilization. | 3 |
Islamic Civilization. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to, and survey of, the religious, literary, artistic, legal, philosophical and scientific traditions that constituted Islamic civilization from the 7th Century until the mid-19th Century. | ||
| ISLA 210 | Muslim Societies. | 3 |
Muslim Societies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the different, often disparate, ways in which Muslims live and think in the modern world (19th-21st centuries). Muslim social contexts across the globe and cyberspace. | ||
ISLA 300-Level
6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 310 | Women in Islam. | 3 |
Women in Islam. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The socio-legal status, conditions, and experiences of various groups of women in Middle Eastern societies. These features are explored within the framework of Islamic feminism and Western feminist discourses, and the tensions and conflicts between them. The dynamics of seclusion, veiling, and polygamy are explored in connection to Medieval Arab ruling elites as a background to some of the discussions and debates over the status of women in modern postcolonial Arab society. Socio-economic divisions, state policies, patriarchy, and colonialism are investigated as key factors in understanding the modern historical transformation of gendered relations and women's roles. | ||
| ISLA 315 | Ottoman State and Society to 1839. | 3 |
Ottoman State and Society to 1839. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The emergence and development of the Ottoman Empire from its beginnings around 1300 until the Tanzimat Edict of Reform in 1839. A trajectory of Ottoman history from a small principality to a centralized empire, then to a decentralized governmental structure. In addition to chronological developments, questions of imperialideology and the management of ethnically and religiously diverse communities across a vast territory. Exploration of the place of the Ottomans in the early modern world, and their ideological and diplomatic rivalry with other major empires. | ||
| ISLA 325 | Introduction to Shi'i Islam. | 3 |
Introduction to Shi'i Islam. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Developments in doctrines, legal school, rituals and political thought of Twelver Shi'ite Muslims during early and late medieval periods (centuries VII-XIII). The emergence of the earliest Shi'ite communities in Arabia, Yemen, Iraq and Iran stressing the relationship of the Shi'ite Imams and their religious scholars to the Sunnite Caliphates. | ||
| ISLA 330 | Islamic Mysticism: Sufism. | 3 |
Islamic Mysticism: Sufism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The varieties of "mystical" thought in Islam, primarily as seen in Sufism, its historical development and its place in Islamic culture. Analytical study of major authors, their writings and their central problems. | ||
| ISLA 350 | From Tribe to Dynasty. | 3 |
From Tribe to Dynasty. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The political and intellectual developments shaping Arab and Persian societies from the rise of Islam in the 7th century until the early mid 8th century, including the major social changes, political revolts, religious schisms, and the consolidation of lasting cultural institutions. | ||
| ISLA 355 | Modern History of the Middle East. | 3 |
Modern History of the Middle East. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Assessment of the historical transformation of the modern Middle East concentrating on its internal socio-economic changes, as well as the colonial experience and encounters with the West since the early 19th century. Examination of the historical conditions that led to the rise of nationalism, the nation-state, the Arab-Israeli conflict. | ||
| ISLA 360 | Islam and Politics in Africa | 3 |
Islam and Politics in Africa Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Assessment of the relationship between Islam and politics in the contemporary Africa through various analytic themes, including political economy, social movement and gendered analysis. | ||
| ISLA 370 | The Qur’an: History and Interpretation. | 3 |
The Qur’an: History and Interpretation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. It examines the history of the codification of the text, its form, and modes of interpretation in both the modern and pre-modern periods. Presentation of different schools of Qur’anic exegesis, including traditional hermeneutical approaches, and modern approaches such as feminist interpretations of the Qur’ān. | ||
| ISLA 380 | Islamic Philosophy and Theology. | 3 |
Islamic Philosophy and Theology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the most important philosophers and theologians in Islamic intellectual history, with a focus on the theories they articulated and the movements they engendered. The impact of European thought on 19th and 20th century Islamic intellectual history is also examined. | ||
| ISLA 383 | Central Questions in Islamic Law. | 3 |
Central Questions in Islamic Law. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An integrative view of Islamic law in the past and present, including landmarks in Islamic legal history (e.g., sources of law; early formation; intellectual make-up; the workings of court; legal change; legal effects of colonialism; modernity and legal reform) and a structured definition of what it was/is. | ||
| ISLA 385 | Poetics and Politics in Arabic Literature. | 3 |
Poetics and Politics in Arabic Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Major issues in classical and modern Arabic literature; how poetics and politics interact in classical and modern, popular folktales and high literature, novels and poetry. The politics of translation from Arabic into English. | ||
| ISLA 388 | Persian Literature. | 3 |
Persian Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of literature produced in the Persian-speaking world from the mid 10th to the late 20th century C.E. A broad selection of texts (prose and poetry) will be studied in translation. | ||
| ISLA 392 | Arabic Literature as World Literature. | 3 |
Arabic Literature as World Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Consideration of Arabic literature as part of world literature, including exploration of tensions between reading Arabic literature as local, discrete and self-contained and as part of larger global phenomena. | ||
ISLA 400-/500-Level
6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 410 | History: Middle-East 1798-1918. | 3 |
History: Middle-East 1798-1918. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the Middle East from Napoleon's invasion of Egypt to the end of WWI. Emphasis will be on the emergence of nationalisms in the context of European imperialism; political, social, and economic transformation; religion and ideology; and changing patterns of alliances. | ||
| ISLA 411 | History: Middle-East 1918-1945. | 3 |
History: Middle-East 1918-1945. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The impact of WWI on Middle Eastern society and politics; the British and French mandates; the growth of nationalisms, revolutions and the formation of national states; WW II and the clash of political interests within the region. | ||
| ISLA 415 | Modern Iran: Anthropological Approach. | 3 |
Modern Iran: Anthropological Approach. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The modern history, social, and cultural anthropology of contemporary Iran. | ||
| ISLA 420 | Indo-Islamic Civilization: Medieval. | 3 |
Indo-Islamic Civilization: Medieval. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The rise of Islam in South Asia in the 8th Century and its subsequent expansion; evolution of Indo-Islamic civilization and its apogee during Mughal rule up to 1707. Themes include state and religion; ruling institutions; political theory, Sufism and the process of conversion, as well as the formation of a composite culture. | ||
| ISLA 421 | Islamic Culture - Indian Subcontinent. | 3 |
Islamic Culture - Indian Subcontinent. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Survey of Islamic culture (faith systems, literature, music, art) on the Indian subcontinent from the early modern period to the present, with a focus on conflict and relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, and between majority and minority Muslim groups. | ||
| ISLA 430 | Islamdom: Baghdad to Cordoba . | 3 |
Islamdom: Baghdad to Cordoba . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course examines the major socio-political developments in Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt, North Africa and Spain from the 9th to the 13th Century. Emphasis is laid on the Umayyad Caliphate centered in Cordoba, and the 'Abbasid Caliphate centered in Baghdad, and the rise of important local dynasties leading up to the Mongol invasion. The course underscores the formation of Islamic cultures in distinct geographical settings and the transformation of religious life under new socio-economic conditions. It also explores shifting notions of civil society and orthodoxy. | ||
| ISLA 488 | Tales of Wonder-Islamic World. | 3 |
Tales of Wonder-Islamic World. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Reading of literary masterpieces of Islamic world focused on three collections of marvelous tales in Arabic, Persian and Urdu: The Arabian Nights, the Shahnameh, and the Adventures of Amir Hamza. May include film screenings, visual art, viewing of rare materials. | ||
| ISLA 502 | Art in the Age of Empires. | 3 |
Art in the Age of Empires. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course offers a wide-ranging survey of visual culture under the three Muslim superpowers of the early modern period: the Mediterranean-based Ottomans, the Safavids of Iran, and the Mughals of India. The course will examine the nature of these states and their distinctive and vibrant artistic idiom on a comparative basis. Topics include the formation of imperial ideology and its visual articulation; palaces and court culture; artistic organization, authorship, and agency; patronage, gender, piety, as well as cross-cultural interaction. | ||
| ISLA 505 | Islam: Origin and Early Development. | 3 |
Islam: Origin and Early Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The Qur'an, Hadith, the Shari'a and their major themes. The early development of law, theology and Sufism. The development and formation of an Islamic "orthodoxy", the development and nature of competing interpretations of Islam during the Classical Period. Topics: God, revelation, prophecy, the community and the individual and the meaning of history. | ||
| ISLA 506 | Revolutions: Arab Middle East and North Africa. | 3 |
Revolutions: Arab Middle East and North Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The post-Ottoman Arab world; major socio-political transformations and revolutions in the 20th century Middle Eastern and North African Arab countries; the historical contexts that shaped them and their implications. Interdisciplinarity (anthropology, psychology, sociology, psychiatry, law), effects of revolutionson individuals and societies; the cause of these revolutions; the impact of the modernization/reforms, colonialism and the rise of nationalist movements on them; the diverse compositions and aims of these revolutions; types of social groups and political organizationsand societies that were drawn to these revolutions and why; and the role colonial and postcolonial powers played in them. | ||
| ISLA 512 | Art of the Ottoman Empire. | 3 |
Art of the Ottoman Empire. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course examines artistic production of the large and long-lived empire of the Ottomans. Focusing on key monuments of art and architecture, discussion will revolve around issues relating to imperial identity, patronage, court-culture, and cross-cultural exchange. | ||
| ISLA 515 | The Medieval School in Islam. | 3 |
The Medieval School in Islam. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Schooling in medieval Islamic society particularly in Iraq, Greater Syria, Persia, and Egypt. Sheds light on the structure of learning, aims of education, the life of students including women, and their relationship to their teachers. Illuminates forms of academic evaluation, and looks closely at the "scholarly license" as an accrediting tool delineating its function and scope. Through a set of representative studies on the medieval school, it brings attention to the heated debates surrounding the academic rigor of this form of learning, and the place of scientific learning in it, as well as the historical connection between it and the early European college. | ||
| ISLA 516 | Medieval Islam, 13th-15th Century. | 3 |
Medieval Islam, 13th-15th Century. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The historical circumstances surrounding the Crusades against Muslims in Greater Syria and Egypt. The socio-economic, political, and cultural transformation of Muslim society following the destruction of the Abbasid Caliphate, and the rise of the Ikl-Khanid Mongols in Iran and Iraq, as well as the Mamluks in Syria and Egypt. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of new Persian, Turkish, and Indian populations into Islamic imperial culture. | ||
| ISLA 526 | Colloquial Arabic. | 3 |
Colloquial Arabic. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Dialectical vocabulary and grammar structures. | ||
| ISLA 555 | Urdu Poetry. | 3 |
Urdu Poetry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Interpretation of Urdu poetry for students with intermediate to advanced-level knowledge of Urdu-Hindi language. Includes advanced grammar topics, cultural and historical background, and interpretation and analysis. | ||
| ISLA 585 | Arab Women's Literature. | 3 |
Arab Women's Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explorations of writings by Arab women. Issues include: translation/reception, gender and genre, categories of knowledge about Arab women, feminist and post-colonial theories/methodologies. | ||
6-9 credits at any level, including ISLA 499 World Islamic and Middle East Studies Internship., or more language courses (from the language lists above), but no more than 6 credits overall at the 100/200 level. Students might fulfill these credits by taking complementary courses from other departments listed as relevant to the program.
Non-ISLA Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 327 | Anthropology of South Asia. | 3 |
Anthropology of South Asia. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to anthropological research in India and greater South Asia. Topics include politics, caste, class, religion, gender and sexuality, development and globalization. | ||
| HIST 240 | Modern History of Islamic Movements. | 3 |
Modern History of Islamic Movements. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Islamic revival in the Middle East which led to the rise of different versions of Islamic traditions and beliefs. Emphasis on the nature and character of leading nationalist and Islamic movements and their ideologues since the late 19th century. | ||
| HIST 341 | Themes in South Asian History. | 3 |
Themes in South Asian History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of a theme in the history of South Asia. | ||
| HIST 435 | Topics in South Asian History. | 3 |
Topics in South Asian History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth discussion and research on a topic in the history of South Asia. | ||
| HIST 591D1 | Modern Middle East History. | 3 |
Modern Middle East History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics in the history of the modern Middle East. | ||
| HIST 591D2 | Modern Middle East History. | 3 |
Modern Middle East History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics in the history of the modern Middle East. | ||
| JWST 220D1 | Introductory Hebrew. | 3 |
Introductory Hebrew. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Language acquisition - introductory Hebrew. | ||
| JWST 220D2 | Introductory Hebrew. | 3 |
Introductory Hebrew. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See JWST 220D1 for course description. | ||
| JWST 261 | History of Jewish Philosophy and Thought. | 3 |
History of Jewish Philosophy and Thought. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to Jewish philosophy and thought from the Hellenistic period (Philo) to the beginning of the modern era (Spinoza) focusing on topics such as prophecy and philosophy, God and the world; the Law as a canon of ethical rules and as a political constitution. Survey of the treatment of such issues by Jewish thinkers from Philo to Maimonides. | ||
| JWST 320D1 | Intermediate Hebrew. | 3 |
Intermediate Hebrew. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course is designed to integrate students at various levels into one group with the aim of improving their basic language skills and preparing them for advanced Hebrew. | ||
| JWST 320D2 | Intermediate Hebrew. | 3 |
Intermediate Hebrew. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See JWST 320D1 for course description. | ||
| JWST 323 | The Israeli Novel. | 3 |
The Israeli Novel. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth examination of selected Israeli novels written during the past fifty years of national formation and consolidation. Authors may include Agnon, Yehoshua, Oz, Shabtai, Shalev and others. | ||
| JWST 338 | Jewish Philosophy and Thought 2. | 3 |
Jewish Philosophy and Thought 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on either a period, a current of thought or the work of a thinker in the history of Jewish thought from the Middle Ages to Modern Times, paying particular attention to the relationship of Jewish thinkers to intellectual trends in their respective cultural contexts. themes and concerns of Jewish theology and on Jewish responses to contemporary trends in European thought. | ||
| JWST 340D1 | Advanced Hebrew. | 3 |
Advanced Hebrew. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Language acquisition - advanced Hebrew. | ||
| JWST 340D2 | Advanced Hebrew. | 3 |
Advanced Hebrew. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See JWST 340D1 for course description. | ||
| JWST 366 | History of Zionism. | 3 |
History of Zionism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the development of the Zionist idea, the most influential expression of modern Jewish nationalism, which led to the creation of the Jewish state. The transformation of elements of traditional Jewish messianism into a modern political ideology. Hibbat Zion, Political Zionism, Cultural and Synthetic Zionism will be discussed. | ||
| JWST 367 | Hebrew through Israeli Cinema. | 3 |
Hebrew through Israeli Cinema. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An opportunity to analyze Israeli cinema from different periods, spanning 1948 to the present. While participating primarily in Hebrew with some assignments in English, students in this course will be invited to engage actively with the social, political, psychological and aesthetic dimensions of these films. | ||
| JWST 368 | A Taste of Hebrew Literature. | 3 |
A Taste of Hebrew Literature. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to short literary forms in Hebrew from the mid-20th Century to the present. Short stories and poems will be discussed in terms of their literary qualities, as well as in relation to their cultural, social, political and historical contexts with the ultimate aim of fostering an improved ability to read, write and speak in Hebrew. | ||
| JWST 369 | History of the Hebrew Language. | 3 |
History of the Hebrew Language. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An exploration of the evolution of the Hebrew language from Biblical texts to contemporary Israeli slang, including Rabbinical commentary, Medieval hymns, poetry by Jewish authors of the Islamic world, Haskalah literature in the modern Jewish Enlightenment, and contemporary texts to showcase the revival of a spoken Hebrew after 2000 years in exile. Linguistic patterns, literary structures and vocabulary. | ||
| JWST 370 | Israeli Popular Culture. | 3 |
Israeli Popular Culture. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Israel's multifaceted contemporary culture including music, theatre and the visual arts, as well as stand-up comedy, dance, film and TV series, and contemporary Israeli society. | ||
| PHIL 356 | Early Medieval Philosophy. | 3 |
Early Medieval Philosophy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of selected works in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. Topics in moral and political philosophy, logic and metaphysics, philosophical psychology and epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology may be discussed. | ||
| POLI 340 | Comparative Politics of the Middle East. | 3 |
Comparative Politics of the Middle East. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the societies, political forces and regimes of selected countries of the Eastern Arab world (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia). | ||
| POLI 341 | Foreign Policy: The Middle East. | 3 |
Foreign Policy: The Middle East. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the changing regional security environment and the evolving foreign policies and relationships of Arab states in three areas - relations with non-Arab regional powers (Israel, Iran), inter-Arab relations, Great Power relations. The course will focus particularly on Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. | ||
| POLI 347 | Arab-Israel Conflict, Crisis, Peace. | 3 |
Arab-Israel Conflict, Crisis, Peace. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Concepts - protracted conflict, crisis, war, peace; system, subsystem; Conflict-levels of analysis; historical context; images and issues; attitudes, policies, role of major powers; Crises-Wars - configuration of power; crisis models; decision-making in 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982 crisis-wars; conflict- crisis management; Peace-Making - pre-1977; Egypt-Israel peace treaty; Madrid, Oslo, Israel-Jordan peace; prospects for conflict resolution. | ||
| RELG 204 | Judaism, Christianity and Islam. | 3 |
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the beliefs, practices, and religious institutions of these three world religions. | ||
| RELG 307 | Bible, Quran and Interpretations. | 3 |
Bible, Quran and Interpretations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures as responses to earlier sacred texts and in the light of post-scriptural interpretations. The debates, polemics, interpretative strategies, and intellectual and spiritual sharing produced by these three religions in accepting, explaining, amplifying, modifying, and selectively rejecting their and other sacred scriptures. | ||
| RELG 309 | World Religions and Cultures They Create.. | 3 |
World Religions and Cultures They Create.. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The constitution and mutual entanglements of selected religions and cultures originating and thriving in varied regional contexts. Focus on highlighting the symbolic (visual, aural) expressivity of religions via ritual, myth, and rational speculation and its impact on high and popular cultures. | ||
| RELG 573 | Religions in Global Society. | 3 |
Religions in Global Society. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This seminar is devoted to the study of a plurality of often intersecting religious traditions in a globalizing world, based on interdisciplinary scholarship drawing from history, sociology, anthropology and archaeology. It starts from locating religious phenomena within intersecting social, cultural and political fabrics around the world. It articulates the relation between a multi-faith appreciation of the role of religions in a variety of societies and the emergence of diverse patterns of secularity in them. It facilitates a rich understanding of a complex past to shed light on the new challenges of globalization, including the opening of horizons of postsecular understandings and arrangements. | ||