Graduate Courses

Spring 2010

Fall 2009 | Spring 2010

PLEASE NOTE: This information is subject to change prior to the beginning of registration, so please verify your course selections against the University Bulletin listings.

Also, this listing does not include Arabic or Hebrew language classes, or classes that may count towards Professional Specialization Field requirements.

Contact the MES Program Assistant if you have any questions about the course offerings.

 

Required (for all outgoing M.A. students)

IAFF 359.10 - Middle East Studies Capstone

 

Core

PSC 277 - Comparative Politics of the Middle East

IAFF 347 - Religion and Society in the Modern Middle East

ANTH 277 - Anthropology of the State and Government in the Middle East

 

Elective

ARAB 703.10 - Business Arabic

ARAB 191 - Advanced Arabic Translation

IAFF 204.14 - Advanced Arabic

HIST 297.11 - Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

IAFF 288.17 - Intelligence in the Middle East

IAFF 288.23 - Security in the Middle East

IAFF358.10 - Iraq and Iran

IAFF 358.11 - Lebanon and Syria

IAFF 358.12 - Gender, Power, and Conflict in the Middle East

IAFF 358.13 - Politics and Society in Egypt

IAFF 358.14 - Politics and Society in the Contemporary Gulf

IAFF 358.15 - US Foreign Policy in the Middle East

IAFF 751. 80 - Economic Development of the Middle East

 

* Undergraduate humanities courses which do not have a graduate-level equivalent (i.e. Arabic or Hebrew literature courses), may be counted as an M.A. elective, pending prior approval of the course instructor and MES Program Director. Graduate students taking undergraduate courses for credit are usually expected to complete additional assignments in order to make the course appropriately rigorous. Please contact the MES Program Assistant at mesp@gwu.edu with any questions.

Core

PSC 277 - Comparative Politics-Middle East
Alterman
R 6:10p.m. - 8:00p.m.

This course will concentrate on two aspects of the comparative politics of the Middle East:  state formation (with a special focus on political economy) and political ideology (with a special focus on Islam and politics, in theory and practice).

IAFF 347 - Religion and Society in the Modern Middle East
King
W 5:10 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Spring 2009 Syllabus
Comparative overview, both historical and current, of religious and social trends in the Middle East.

ANTH 277 - Anthropology of the State and Government in the Middle East
Feldman
R 4:10p.m. - 6:00p.m.

This course is an anthropological exploration of formations of government, state, and society in the Middle East.  It will introduce students to debates in anthropology (and the social sciences more broadly) about how to analyze these categories and the relations between them.  Thinking about different ways of studying government, we will consider whether anthropology - and its method of ethnography - offers a particularly helpful perspective.  As we develop a shared understanding of scholarly debates, we will also turn our attention to particular examples from the Middle East.  In looking at these cases, we will explore both what Middle Eastern experiences might tell us about the state and government more generally and what the theoretical literature on the subject might help us understand about the Middle East.  We will study both colonial and post-colonial states; will consider government at the local, national, and international level; and will explore the diversity of social relations that participate in rule.

 

Electives

ARAB 191 - Advanced Arabic Translation Skills
Popp
M 5:10 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

*This one credit course is designed for graduate students, and will fulfill a professional skills course requirement.

ARAB 703.10 - Business Arabic
Esseesy
TR 9:35a.m. - 10:50 a.m.

This course is designed to help students develop generalized and specific business language skills within an appropriate cultural context. Prerequisite: Arabic 103. For undergraduates; open to graduate students

IAFF 204.14 - Advanced Arabic
TBA
R 7:10 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

*This one credit course is designed for graduate students, and will fill a professional skills course requirement.

A six week course is intended for students at the AdvancedMid/High levels of proficiency in Arabic.

Students in this class will participate in listening activities requiring note taking skills, in the speaking activities, they are expected to develop debating presentational skills, in their reading they are expected to read between the lines and make inferences. In their writing, they are expected to write coherent multiparagraph essays.

HIST 297.11 - Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Robinson
M 5:10 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

This course is a multi-faceted, in-depth examination of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It discusses key issues in the conflict, presents different historical narratives, and examines the conflict from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course looks at the sources of the conflict and its dynamics over time, applying to the analysis relevant theories about conflict and conflict resolution. While we will discuss the role of the US and its policies in the region, our primary focus will be on looking at the conflict from the vantage point of Palestinians and Israelis living it. In addition to presentations by the professor and class discussions, the course will include a number of films and presentations by guest speakers.

IAFF 288.17 - Intelligence in the Middle East
Siers
M 8:10p.m. - 10:00p.m.

IAFF 288.23 - Security in the Middle East
Beyoghlow
T 7:00p.m. - 9:00p.m.

The purpose of this timely graduate seminar is to delve with some depth into security and stability issues that influence the political, economic, military, and informational dynamics of the Middle East and N. Africa with an eye towards analyzing key determinants of insecurity and instability.  It is organized thematically and will utilize several learning and discovery methodologies (i.e. case studies, content analysis, conceptual frameworks, threat assessments, etc) to flesh out the roots of conflict inherent in each theme (see below) and to offer carefully crafted solutions leading to either conflict management or conflict resolution.  The overall objective of the seminar is to foster critical thinking--thinking about the problems from different perspectives.  If insecurity and instability are general features of the post-Cold War world, they are especially acute in the Middle East and N. Africa where the states and societies are weak, and where legitimacy and authoritarian regimes ebb and flow palpably.  Moreover, since September 11, 2001, the central theme of political stability, governance, and the rule of law have suddenly become very au courant in policy circles, particularly here in Washington.  Although the seminar is focused on the Middle East and N. Africa, it may, on occasions, analyze seminal writings from other regions with a view to testing hypotheses that have proved robust or, at least, intriguing elsewhere.

IAFF 358.10 - Iraq and Iran
Yaphe
T 5:10p.m. - 7:00p.m.

Spring 2009 Syllabus
This course is intended to give students information and insight into the history and political culture of modern Iraq and its relations with Iran, its other neighbors, and the United States.  The focus will be on the role of occupation, militarism, and nationalism on state formation; the consequences of ethnic, sectarian and ideological conflict; and the impact of these issues on the region and U.S. security from 1914 to the present. The region is important for its geo-strategic location, energy resources, and propensity for weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and autocratic governance. All of these issues are flashpoints for U.S. foreign and security policy interests.  This course is meant to enhance ones knowledge base as well as ones ability to analyze these issues; understand them in their geographic, cultural, and historical context; and examine how policy was and is made towards this complex region.

IAFF 358.11 - Lebanon and Syria
Jouejati
M 5:10 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

This course will explore the inextricable link between Syria and Lebanon from the time these territories were a common part of the Ottoman Empire until the present. In the process, the course focuses on the different political and economic trajectories they followed upon gaining independence; the domestic and external sources of their respective foreign policies; Lebanon's slide towards civil war in 1975 and Syria's intervention to end it; the politics of Syria's domination of, and ultimately, withdrawal from Lebanon.

IAFF 358.12 - Gender, Power, and Conflict in the Middle East
Friedman
T 5:10 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

This course explores notions of gender, power and conflict, and the interplay between them. It examines the way these ideas reflect and are reflected in the cultural, religious, linguistic, legal, social and political contexts of the Middle East. Among the topics we will touch upon are patriarchy, family law (and the processes surrounding its formulation and implementation), women and feminism, nationalism, and gender and conflict.

IAFF 358.13 - Politics and Society in Egypt
Cook
W 5:10p.m. - 7:00p.m.

The course will critically examine the origins and nature of modern Egypt's political system.  It will also explore how various social movements have sought to alter Egypt's political trajectory. Finally, the course will evaluate the role of external political actors in the durability of Egypt's political order.

IAFF 358.14 - Politics and Society in the Contemporary Gulf
*** MOVED TO FALL 2010
Al-Awadi
R 5:10p.m. - 7:00p.m.

Dr. Al-Awadi is a Professor of International Studies and History at the American Univeristy of Kuwait, and will be an IMES Visiting Scholar during the Spring 2010 semester.

IAFF 358.15 - US Foreign Policy in the Middle East
Malley
M 7:10p.m. - 9:00p.m.

This seminar will deal with US policy toward the Middle East.  It will seek to accomplish several goals: to help students achieve a better understanding of the contemporary Middle East; assess the performance of recent administrations in promoting America’s self-proclaimed interests; and look at the challenges and options facing the administration.  We will try to balance the perspective of the region with that of the US as well as broad historical currents with practical, day-to-day issues facing policymakers.

IAFF 751. 80 - Economic Development of the Middle East
Askari
F 12:45p.m. - 3:15p.m.

Spring 2009 Syllabus
Despite oil wealth, the Middle East has not achieved expected levels of economic and human development.  In this course we look at development issues in the oil-exporting countries of the Persian Gulf, considering: religion, oil, institutional structures, internal stability, regional conflict, economic and social policies and intervention by external powers. The course is limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students with prior approval from the instructor. Please email Professor Askari with any questions: askari@gwu.edu.