Muslim Studies Minors

Ongoing world events have sparked an acute interest in the study of Muslim societies. The Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies & Civilizations within the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies desires to foster a better understanding of those societies and to preserve their diverse heritage through an interdisciplinary approach that exposes students to Muslim societies’ historical, religious, anthropological, political, linguistic, and cultural characteristics.

Members of the College of Arts & Sciences humanities and social science faculty offer a broad range of courses focusing on the Muslim societies and civilizations of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In addition, they offer two undergraduate minors under Pardee School auspices: Muslim Cultures (HU) and Muslim Societies (SS). Available to students in any of BU’s four-year undergraduate schools and colleges, both minors can prepare post-baccalaureate students for careers in anthropology, archaeology, history, art and literature, health, and diplomacy. For complete descriptions of the courses listed below, refer to the Courses portion of this Bulletin or visit the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies & Civilizations.

Minor in Muslim Cultures

Requirements

Students must earn grades of C or better in six 4-credit courses chosen from a combination of required and elective coursework.

Required are:

  • One course in religion (CAS RN 214, 338/638, 340, 341, 344, 345, 346 E, or 347)
  • One course in the humanities (CAS AH 220, 313, 314, LY 284, 350, 441, 470, LT 218, LZ 281, XL 223, WS 305 B1)
  • One language course numbered 212 or higher in Arabic (LY), Persian (LZ), or Turkish (LT)

Additionally, students choose three elective courses that reflect their interests and course of study. These three elective courses must include:

  • Two courses must be taken from an approved list of humanities (HU) electives
  • One course must be taken from an approved list of social science (SS) electives

For a current list of approved courses, consult the institute’s website, or its director, Professor Betty Anderson.

Minor in Muslim Societies

Requirements

Students must earn grades of C or better in six 4-credit courses chosen from a combination of required and elective coursework.

Required are:

  • One course in religion (CAS RN 214, 338/638, 340, 341, 344, 345, 346 E [also offered as CAS HI 354 E], or 347)
  • One social science course (CAS AN 317, 319, 320, 360, HI 387, 389, or IR 328, 382, 383, 503, 507, or 587)

Additionally, students choose four elective courses that reflect their interests and course of study. These four elective courses must include:

  • Three courses must be taken from an approved list of social sciences (SS) electives
  • One course must be taken from an approved list of humanities (HU) electives

For a current list of approved courses, consult the institute’s website, or its director, Professor Betty Anderson. Students pursuing the minor in Muslim Societies are strongly encouraged to begin or continue the study of Arabic, Persian, or Turkish. A course in one of these languages numbered 212 or higher can be used as the humanities elective for this minor.

Courses

All courses are 4-credit hours.

Anthropology

  • CAS AH 220 Islamic Art and Architecture
  • CAS AH 313 Imperial Reflections: Early Modern Islamic Art and Architecture
  • CAS AH 314 After Genghis Khan: Art and Architecture in Central Asia and Iran
  • CAS AH 540 Europe and the Islamic World: Medieval and Early-Modern Cultural Exchange
  • CAS AN 307 Turkey and Middle East in Comparative Perspective
  • CAS AN 317 Power and Society in the Middle East
  • CAS AN 319 Anthropology of Muslim Cultures and Politics
  • CAS AN 320 Women in the Muslim World
  • CAS AN 347 Afghanistan
  • CAS AN 355 Religious Fundamentalism in Anthropological Perspective
  • CAS AN 360 The Nomadic Alternative
  • CAS AN 375 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia
  • CAS AN 384 Anthropological Study of Religion
  • CAS AN 532 Literacy and Islam in Africa
  • CAS AN 547, 548 Topics in Muslim Societies and Islamic Civilizations

Archaeology

  • CAS AR 221 Archaeology of the Islamic World

History

  • CAS HI 354 History of Religion: North Africa Studies
  • CAS HI 387 Introduction to the Middle East
  • CAS HI 389 Americans and the Middle East
  • CAS HI 392 The History of Israel: An Introduction
  • CAS HI 484 Revolutionary Change in North Africa and the Middle East
  • CAS HI 485 Selected Problems in the Modern Middle East
  • CAS HI 486 Islamic History
  • CAS HI 592 The Birth of a State: Israel 1945–1955
  • CAS HI 594 The American Genocide

History of Art & Architecture

  • CAS AH 220 Islamic Art and Architecture
  • CAS AH 313 Imperial Reflections: Early Modern Islamic Art and Architecture
  • CAS AH 314 After Genghis Khan: Art and Architecture in Central Asia and Iran
  • CAS AH 540 Europe and the Islamic World: Medieval and Early-Modern Cultural Exchange

International Relations

  • CAS IR 325 Great Powers of the Eastern Mediterranean
  • CAS IR 328 Turko-Persia in the Twentieth Century (meets with CAS HI 382)
  • CAS IR 382 Understanding the Middle East (meets with CAS GE 382)
  • CAS IR 383 Understanding Modern North Africa (meets with CAS PO 376)
  • CAS IR 397 History of Modern Iran 1900–Present (meets with CAS HI 381)
  • CAS IR 503 The US in the Middle East (meets with CAS PO 503)
  • CAS IR 504 Seminar: The Persian Gulf/Arabian Peninsula (meets with CAS PO 577)
  • CAS IR 507 The Muslim and Western Worlds—Prospects for a Clash of Civilizations
  • CAS IR 508 Islamic Political Movements and US Policy
  • CAS IR 509 Islam in Middle East Politics (meets with CAS PO 556)
  • CAS IR 511 The Middle East Today
  • CAS IR 514 Major Themes in the Middle East Peace Process
  • CAS IR 586 Islam in South Asian Politics
  • CAS IR 587 Political Economy of the Middle East
  • CAS IR 591 The Making of the Modern Middle East (meets with CAS HI 591)

Religion

  • CAS RN 214 Islam
  • CAS RN 322 History of Judaism
  • CAS RN 338 Mysticism and Philosophy: Medieval Jewish Perspectives
  • CAS RN 340 The Quran
  • CAS RN 341 Sufism
  • CAS RN 343 Islam in Global Perspective
  • CAS RN 344 Islam and the West
  • CAS RN 345 Islamic Law
  • CAS RN 347 Islamic Philosophy and Theology
  • CAS RN 375 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia (meets with CAS AN 375)
  • CAS RN 425 Topics in South Asian Religions
  • CAS RN 435 Women, Gender, and Islam
  • CAS RN 475 Directed Study in Islamic Studies
  • CAS RN 493 Directed Study in Classic Arabic

Sociology

  • CAS SO 328 Contemporary South Asian Societies
  • CAS SO 438 Seminar on International Migration

Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies

  • CAS WS 305 Critical Issues in Women’s Studies
  • CAS WS 351 E Constructing Gender in North Africa

World Languages & Literatures

  • CAS LT 281 Istanbul at Crossroads
  • CAS LY 281 Contemporary Arabic Literature (in English)
  • CAS LY 282 Qu’ranic Negotiations: Contemporary Muslim Writers and the Holy Book
  • CAS LY 283 Arab Women Writers
  • CAS LY 284 Arabs Write War (in English translation)
  • CAS LY 341 E The North African Culture
  • CAS LY 350 Introduction to Modern Arabic Literature
  • CAS LY 441 1001 Nights in the World Literary Imagination
  • CAS LY 470, 471 Topics in Arab Culture and Arabic Literature (meets with CAS XL 470, 471)
  • CAS LY 491 Directed Study in Arabic and Islamic Studies
  • CAS LZ 211, 212 Second-Year Modern Persian
  • CAS LZ 280 Persian Epic and Romance (in English translation)
  • CAS LZ 381 Rumi and Persian Sufi Poetry
  • CAS LZ 492 Directed Study in Persian
  • CAS XL 315 The Islamic World: Film and Cultural Identity
  • CAS XL 223 Introduction to Comparative Literature: Middle Eastern Literature
  • CAS XL 315 Film and Identity in the Islamic World
  • CAS XL 381 Middle Eastern Women Write (meets with CAS WS 305)
  • CAS XL 382 Gender and Sexuality in Middle Eastern Film