Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar

The Certificate in Arab and Regional Studies is designed to provide students with a broad interdisciplinary understanding of the Arab and Islamic worlds. The certificate is primarily centered on the history and current issues of the Arab world and capitalizes on the unique geographical, cultural and academic situation in Qatar.

The certificate program has four primary objectives:

• to provide students with the strong historical and civilizational background necessary to make sense of the development and current issues of the region;
• to introduce students to the main political and economic issues and challenges of the regional area;
• to foster a reflection on the manifold interactions, past and present, between the region and the West;
• to integrate the interdisciplinary academic experience of students within the context of a substantial research paper.  

Requirements for the Certificate Program in Arab and Regional Studies

1. Completion of any two gateway history courses approved for the program. HIST 160 Middle East I and HIST 161 Middle East II are offered annually. Other offerings will vary.
2. Completion of one course on contemporary politics in the Middle East. GOVT 416 Comparative Politics of the Middle East  and INAF 437 International Relations of the Middle East are offered annualy. Other offerings will vary.
3. Completion of one course on economics in the Middle East. ECON 364 Economics of the Middle East will be introduced in Spring 2009. Other offerings will vary.
4. Completion of one course in the humanities examining interactions between the Middle East and the West. Offerings will vary.
5. Completion of a significant research paper. The research paper is to be written under the direction of a faculty member either as an independent study or as part of a course on the Middle East, in any discipline. The faculty supervisor will have to attest that the paper reflects substantial research on the Middle East.
6. Four semesters of Modern Standard Arabic or another regional language. This requirement may be satisfied alternatively by passing a written and oral examination of Modern Standard Arabic. Students are urged to begin their language study at the earliest feasible time.

• Academic Calendars
• Spring 2009 Schedule of Classes
• Summer 2009 Schedule of Classes
• Fall 2009 Schedule of Classes
• Faculty Listings
• MyAccess