The faculty and affiliate faculty of the Center for Middle East Studies teach a variety of courses on or relating to the Middle East throughout the University of Denver. Here you will find a comprehensive list of those courses on offer for Autumn Quarter 2013, broken down by the department through which they are offered.

Please note, the courses listed below combine those at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

International Studies

INTS 4524 - Introduction to Middle East & Islamic Politics (Hashemi)
This course is designed for students without a background in the politics or history of the modern Middle East. We begin with the study of colonialism and imperialism in the region, particularly in the latter half of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. We then shift to a study of the emergence of the modern Middle East state system. It has been argued that the colonial legacy has had a lasting impact on the region, and the role that the West played, as part of its colonial ambitions, in carving out the state system of the present-day Middle East has seriously disrupted political life in the region since this time. These debates have, in turn, informed academic analysis of modernization and associated theories of development. The third theme of this course explores political ideologies, both secular and religious. The rise and fall of Arab nationalism such as Ba'thism and Nasserism characterized many populist regimes in the region in the 1950s and 1960s.  The growth, popularization and subsequent failure of secular nationalism in the Middle East are important in terms of understanding the rise of Islamist politics in the latter decades of the twentieth century. Explaining the rise and ongoing strength of the Islamist current in many Middle Eastern/Muslim societies today will undertaken in this section of the course. The final section of this course will briefly explore the theme of democratization and its discontents in the Middle East. The focus will be on recent debates about democratization that have been promoted from outside the region as a means of combating tyranny within the region, particularly the perceived anti-democratic nature of political Islam. (5 credits)

INTS 4638 - Modern Iranian Politics I (Hashemi)
The Islamic Republic of Iran remains a mystery for many in the West. The policies of the Iranian regime represent one of the greatest challenges to US foreign policy today, as reflected in the global debate about Iran's controversial nuclear program. War seems inevitable and Iran and the West are in confrontation on a number of fronts around the world. How did we get to this point in global affairs? What is the relevant historical background needed to understand Iranian culture, society, politics and foreign policy at a deeper level? What are the key moments in modern Iranian history that have shaped the contours of the current conflict between Iran and the United States? These are the overarching questions that this course seeks to examine. This course is the first of a two course sequence that seeks to demystify Iranian politics and society. Themes that will be explored include the origins of Iran's troubled relationship with the West, the emergence of the modern Iranian state, the construction of Iranian national identity, the tension between religion and politics, the struggle for democracy and the persistence of authoritarianism and the roots of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (5 credits)

History 

HIST 2310 - The Modern Middle East: 1798-1991(Sciarcon)
This course traces the history and development of the modern Middle East from Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798 through the First Gulf War in 1991. We pay special attention to the impact of colonialism and Great Power diplomacy on the region. (4 credits)

HIST 2320 - United States Involvement in the Middle East, 1945-Present: Diplomatic & Cultural Approaches (Sciarcon)
This course aims to introduce students to both Middle Eastern history and American Foreign Policy by exploring the politics and culture of U.S. involvement in the Middle East in the post-WWII period. In doing so this course pays special attention to the impact of the Cold War in the Middle East, American policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict, the role of oil in American foreign policy, American responses to the rise of Islamist movements, the impact of media and culture on the formulation of America's Middle Eastern policies, and U.S. relations with dictatorial governments in the Middle East. (4 credits)

Note: both courses listed above can be credited towards fulfillment of the Judaic Studies minor

Religious Studies

RLGS 2111 - Islam and U.S. Politics (Stanton)
This course offers students a historically grounded introduction to the relationship(s) between Islam and United States politics. Students consider the role played by Islam and Muslims in early American political thought, Americans? relationships with Muslims abroad and at home, as well as evangelization efforts. It examines the impacts of the Nation of Islam, the Cold War, Iranian Revolution and Gulf War I, as well as of the September 11 terror attacks, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the 2006 and 2008 elections, and concludes by reflecting on the 2012 election and suggesting how Islam might impact U.S. politics over the next decade. (4 credits) 

RLGS 3500 - Islam (Stanton)
Introduction to the history, faith, practice, culture(s), and politics of Islam, starting with the Judeo-Christian Near Eastern context in which it emerged and tracing its theological development and geographic spread around the world. Proceeding thematically along a broad historical frame, the course ends with an examination of the numerous, often competing, trends in contemporary Muslim communities. (4 credits)

 world Languages & Literature

ARAB 1001 - Elementary Arabic (Foster)
Basics of Modern Standard Arabic. Three quarter sequence. (4 credits)

ARAB 2001 - Intermediate Arabic (Foster)
Continued study of Arabic language with an enhanced cultural component. Two quarter sequence. Prerequisite: ARAB 1003 or equivalent. (4 credits)