The Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (NESA) coordinates an interdisciplinary major in Islamic Studies. The Islamic Studies program allows students to combine relevant courses from a number of fields history, history of art, philosophy, and others with work in Islamic languages and literatures. In choosing elective courses, majors are not limited to the area commonly known as the Middle East, but rather are urged to explore dimensions of Islamic civilization across spatial and chronological boundaries. They may, for example, study the Hellenic and Iranian past, which serves as a background to the rise of Islamic civilization, or the Muslim societies that have emerged in Central Asia, South Asia, Africa, and Europe over the 14 centuries of Islamic history.
Changes to the requirements for fulfilling the Islamic Studies Major will go into effect at the start of the 2019/2020 Academic Year. Additionally, a new Islamic Studies Minor will be available at the start of the 2019/2020 Academic Year. Students who entered OSU prior to the Autumn 2019 semester can choose to fulfill either the old or the new major program requirements, in consultation with the NESA Academic Advisor. Students who enroll during or after the Autumn 2019 semester will be required to fulfill the new major program requirements.
The revised major and new minor program requirements.
A. Prerequisites (15 credits)
1. Language Coursework - 3 courses/12 units - complete one of the following 3 series of course
- Arabic 1101-1102-1103 (12)
- Persian 1101-1102-1103 (12)
- Turkish 1101-1102-1103 (12)
2. GE Culture & Ideas - 1 course/3 units - complete 1 of following 5
- Arabic 2241 Culture of the Contemporary Arab World (3)
- NELC 2241 The Middle East Close Up (3)
- NELC 2244 Films of the Middle East (3)
- Persian 2241 Persian Culture (3)
- Turkish 2241 Turkish Culture (3)
B. Language (8 Credits)
At least eight hours of instruction in Arabic, Persian, or Turkish beyond 1103
C. History (3 Credits)
complete 1 of following 3 courses
NELC 3502 Islamic Civilization Through the Ages
History 2350 Islam, Politics, and Society in History
CMRS 2514 Golden Age of Islamic Civilization
D. Contemporary Cultures (3 Credits)
Complete 1 of following 5 courses
NELC 3201 Islam in the United States
NELC 3204 The Middle East in the Media
NELC 3205 Women in the Muslim Middle East
NELC 3702 Literatures and Cultures of the Islamic World
NELC 4597 Islamic Revival and Social Justice
E. Religion (6 Credits)
1. complete 1 of following 3 courses
- NELC 3501 Introduction to Islam
- Arabic 3601 Introduction to Arabic Philosophy
- NELC 3230 Introduction to Shi’i Beliefs and History
2. complete 1 of following 2
Arabic 4626 Introduction to the Arabic Qur'an
Arabic 5701 The Qur'an in Translation
F. Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (3 Credits):
Religious Studies 3972 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion
G. Electives (9 Credits)
complete 3 of following 58 courses
Arabic
2701 Classical and Medieval Arabic Literature in Translation
2702 Modern Arabic Literature in Translation
3301 Contemporary Folklore in the Arab World
3601 Introduction to Arabic Philosophy
4120 Arabic Media
4626 Introduction to the Arabic Quran
5627 Classical Arabic Poetry
5628 Classical Arabic Prose
5651 Contemporary Arabic Prose Fiction
5652 Contemporary Arabic Poetry and Drama
5701 The Qur'an in Translation
Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies
2514 Golden Age of Islamic Civilization
French
5206 North Africa: Texts and Contexts [prerequisite French 3101]
History
2350 Islam, Politics, and Society in History
2351 Early Islamic Society, 610-1258
2352 The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1800
2353 The Middle East since 1914
2375 Islamic Central Asia
3304 History of Islam in Africa
3351 Intellectual and Social Movements in the Muslim World
3357 Middle East in the 19th Century
3365 History of Afghanistan
Near Eastern Langauges & Cultures
3201 Islam in the United States
3204 The Middle East in the Media
3205 Women in the Muslim Middle East
3230 Introduction to Shi’i Beliefs and History
3502 Islamic Civilization Through the Ages
3508 Sufism
3702 Literatures and Cultures of the Islamic World
3704 The Novel in the Middle East
4597 Islamic Revival and Social Justice
5204 Culture and Politics in Central Asia
5568 Studies in Orality and Literacy
5575 Intellectuals in the Middle East
5578 Islamic Law and Society
5645 Contemporary Issues in the Middle East
Persian
2301 Persian Mythology and Folklore
2701 Persian Literature in Translation
2704 Introduction to Persian Epic
5601 Persian Prose
5602 Persian Poetry
Turkish
2241 Turkish Culture
2701 Turkish Literature in Translation