Courses
Below are the courses offered by CAMES. These courses are not offered every semester, so please contact CAMES for an accurate course schedule for each semester.

MEST 301 - Introduction to the Middle East (3 cr.)
A general seminar in Middle Eastern Studies designed to introduce students to the interdisciplinary study of the Middle East. Faculty from the various departments associated with CAMES such as History and Archaeology, Philosophy, Arabic, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Economics and Political Science are asked to present one or two seminars that illustrate the approaches and methodologies used in their respective fields to study the region. Only CAMES MA students may register in this course.

MEST 310- Seminar in Early Islamic History (3 cr.)
A seminar that provides a social and intellectual introduction to approximately the first five hundred years of Arabic Islamic history, using a thematic rather than chronological approach.

MEST 311- Special Topics in Medieval Islamic Cultural History (3 cr.)
A seminar that investigates topics within the cultural history of Islam during the medieval period using a historiographical rather than a historical approach.

MEST 315- Special Topics in Modern Middle Eastern Social and Political History (3 cr.)
The purpose of this seminar is to investigate topics within society and politics in the modern Arab Middle East.

MEST 316- Special Topics in Modern Arabic Cultural and Intellectual History (3 cr.)
The purpose of this seminar is to investigate intellectual life in the Arab Middle East from the Nahda (Literary Renaissance) of the mid-Nineteenth century until the present day.

MEST 317- Special Topics in Contemporary Middle Eastern Politics
The purpose of this seminar is to investigate topics in politics in the contemporary Arab Middle East.

MEST 318- Special Topics in Contemporary Middle Eastern Society
The purpose of this seminar is to investigate topics in society in the contemporary Arab Middle East.

MEST 302 / MEST 303 / MEST 305 - Graduate Tutorial (3 cr. each)
With permission from CAMES, students may take a graduate tutorial on a topic to be agreed upon with the professor.

MEST 321/322 - Arabic as a Foreign Language I and II (3 cr. each)
A thorough course in Modern Standard Arabic, with emphasis on the vocabulary of modern literature, the press and current affairs. Grammar and structure taught enable the students to read, understand and translate, from and into Arabic, within a tightly controlled syntactical milieu. A placement exam and consent of the instructor are required for registration in these courses. 

MEST 323/324 - Arabic as a Foreign Language III and IV (3 cr. each)
A continuation of the approach begun in MEST 321 and 322. A placement exam and consent of the instructor are required for registration in these courses.

MEST 325/326 - Arabic as a Foreign Language V and VI (3 cr. each)
The main goal for this level is to reach a superior level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Reading texts contain options, hypotheses and intellectual discussions, in addition to selections from classical Arabic literature. Grammar consists of largely details, such as full conjugation of "irregular" verb classes and fine points of complex sentence structure. Instruction is totally in Arabic. A placement exam and consent of the instructor are required for registration in these courses. 

MEST 340/240- Introduction to Lebanese Arabic (3 cr.)
This course is for non-native speakers of Arabic only. The course builds proficiency in Lebanese Arabic through the introduction of the grammatical features of the Lebanese dialect and the practice of interactive functional skills, including listening comprehension, conversation tasks, and vocabulary building. A placement interview and consent of the instructor are required for registration in this course.

MEST 341/241 Intermediate Lebanese Arabic (3 cr.)
This course is for foreign speakers of Arabic only. Intermediate Lebanese Arabic is a continuation of Introduction to Lebanese Arabic. The course emphasizes the further development of conversational skills in Lebanese Arabic, and will therefore target primarily speaking and listening skills. This course concentrates on increasing students' vocabulary and command of syntax enabling students to reach a higher level of fluency. Knowledge of the Arabic alphabet is required for registration in this course. A placement interview and consent of the instructor are required for registration in this course.

MEST 342/242 Advanced Lebanese Arabic
This course is designed to meet the needs and expectations of non-native young adults and adults who are seeking to develop a comfortable level of proficiency in a variety of complicated communicative tasks and social situations. It focuses on spoken rather than written Arabic, and will therefore target primarily the oral/aural skills; speaking and listening. Knowledge of the Arabic alphabet is required for registration in this course. A placement interview and consent of the instructor are required for registration in this course.

MEST 389 - M.A. Project

MEST 399 - M.A. Thesis

Other courses
In addition to the CAMES courses above, students choose the remainder of their courses from any of the following departments: History and Archaeology, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arabic and Near Eastern Languages, Political Studies and Public Administration, and Economics. You may check the online catalogue for courses in these departments.