This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2026-2027 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

Minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies program trailer

The Middle Eastern and Islamic studies minor consists of a minimum 18 credits. A minimum of 12 credits must be earned at the upper 300- or 400-level. 

Course Title Hours
Required courses
ARBC 202Intermediate Arabic II 13
or ARBC 205 Intermediate Conversation
INTL 201Rethinking the Middle East 3
INTL/RELS 317Islam3
Approved electives
Select nine credits from:9
Communication and Composition
Topics in Arabic: ____
Islamic Visual Culture and Late Antiquity
Islamic Visual Culture in the Early Modern Era
Modern and Contemporary Art in the Middle East
Topics in Foreign Literature in English Translation (when topic is relevant)
The Middle East, 600-1600
Modern Middle East
The Ottoman Empire I (1300-1750)
The Ottoman Empire II (1750-1923)
Religious and Ethnic Minorities in the Middle East
Revolutions and Counterrevolutions in the Middle East
Contemporary Issues in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies: ____
Topics in International Studies (when topic is relevant)
Middle Eastern Government and Politics
History of the Jewish People I
History of the Jewish People II
Women and Gender in Islam
Topics in Religious Studies (when topic is relevant)
Modern Islamic Thought and Global Trends
Islamic Mysticism: the Sufis
Topics in Religious Studies (when topic is relevant)
Topics in World Languages and Cultures (when topic is relevant)
Total Hours18