The Department of Near Eastern Studies(link is external) offers a liberal arts major designed to give students competence in a Near Eastern language and broad knowledge of the literatures, civilizations, politics, and history of the late ancient, medieval, and modern Near East (comprising Afghanistan, the Arab countries, Central Asia, Iran, Israel, Islamic Africa, South Asia, and Turkey). Accordingly, a plan of study is built around departmental and cognate courses in history, literature, religion, law, anthropology, politics, economics, and public policy, combined with the study of one or more Near Eastern languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish), determined by the student's interest. In addition to serving as the focal point of a broad liberal arts education, the Near Eastern studies major can be the basis for graduate or professional study in a range of fields in the humanities and social sciences. The department's many small classes and seminars allow extensive student/teacher interaction and equip students to pursue careers in business, finance, economics, international affairs, government, diplomacy, journalism, and public policy.
Information and Departmental Plan of Study
Departmental majors achieve a broad understanding of the varieties of regions, cultures, and religions of the Near East in the more distant past as well as in the modern period. Students gain the tools of the multiple disciplines employed by scholars of Near Eastern studies. The department's curricular guidelines help ensure that students reach these objectives while also giving them significant flexibility to forge their own educational paths in the department.
Advanced Placement
Advanced placement is available in all of the languages offered by the department. Students seeking advanced placement in Arabic should follow the procedures for online language placement testing on Canvas(link is external). Students seeking advanced placement in Persian or Turkish should consult the director of undergraduate studies to arrange for testing with the appropriate language instructor. Students seeking advanced placement in Hebrew should follow the procedures for online language placement testing on Canvas(link is external). A student with a Hebrew subject test score of 760 or a high score on the departmental Hebrew placement examination week will be considered to have satisfied the A.B. language requirement and to be eligible for placement in a 300-level course.
Prerequisites
A student who has completed at least one course in the department is eligible to major in Near Eastern studies. This course may be a language class or a course or seminar offered in any of the disciplines covered by the department.
Early Concentration
Students who meet the prerequisite for entrance into the department may be admitted to begin in the second term of sophomore year.
Departmental Requirements
Students take eight departmental courses in Near Eastern studies. Up to three of these courses may be from cognate departments, upon approval of the director of undergraduate studies.
Language courses beyond the second year count as departmentals, courses in a second Near Eastern language at any level (including introductory) may likewise count as departmentals.
All students are required to take NES 300 (Seminar in Research Methods) in junior year unless they are studying abroad that semester, in which case they are required to take NES 300 in their senior year.
The remaining seven courses must satisfy the following chronological, regional, and disciplinary distribution requirements:
- Historical Periods: Students must take at least one course that focuses on the premodern Near East and at least one course that focuses on the modern Near East.
- Regions: Students must take two regionally specific courses, with each of the two courses focusing on a different one of the following six subregions of the Near East:
Egypt, North Africa, and Andalusia
The Levant, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula
Ottoman Empire/Turkey
Iran
Muslim South and Central Asia
Diasporic communities
3. Disciplines: Students must take at least one course in two of the following four disciplines:
history
literature
social sciences
religion
A single course may satisfy multiple distribution requirements across these domains (historical periods, regions, and disciplines). For example, a course focusing on 20th-century Turkish literature may count as modern (historical periods), Ottoman Empire/Turkey (regions), and literature (disciplines).
A single course may not, however, satisfy more than one distribution requirement within a single domain; thus a course on Arabic literature that spans the premodern and modern periods would not satisfy both the premodern and modern historical periods requirements.
Students who wish to undertake a plan of study that does not meet these guidelines must apply for a waiver from the undergraduate committee. Waivers will be granted only in exceptional cases.
Language Requirements
Students must complete four semesters (i.e., through 107 level) of Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Students are advised to begin their language training as early as possible, and are encouraged, albeit not required, to continue language study at the advanced level and to utilize their chosen Near Eastern language for senior thesis research. The necessary language training for the A.B. degree can be acquired through a combination of language study at Princeton, intensive summer language study, and study abroad programs. The department will help each undergraduate major develop a language training schedule appropriate to their planned course of study.