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Middle East Politics & Society (MEPS)

Faculty Coordinator: Ariel Ahram

The certificate focuses on the politics, society, and history of the peoples of North Africa, Southwestern Asia, Asia Minor, the Arabian Peninsula, and related borderlands and island groups, including emigrant and immigrant groups. It addresses the causes and consequences of conflict in the region, the impact of external interventions including colonialism, and the drivers of political and social change.

 

Applications for the Graduate Certificate in Middle East Politics and Society will be considered from students enrolled in a graduate degree program at Virginia Tech and from non-degree and Commonwealth Campus students who have been permitted to take courses by the Graduate School.

Required Courses - 9 credits

Students will choose three courses:

  • GIA 5314: Middle East Geopolitics
  • GIA/PSCI 5614 (HIST 5614): Understanding the Israeli Palestinian Conflict
  • ASPT 5134: Islamic Political Thought
  • ASPT/HIST/RLCL 6124 (PSCI 6234): Pre-Modern Christian and Islamic Political Theory
  • other courses with approval of certificate director