• MENA Studies capitalizes on BU’s unusually strong offerings in four Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish) and many aspects of Middle Eastern and North African culture and politics. 
  • Graduating MENA Studies majors are well prepared for graduate study and for careers in government, local and international non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Majors study one or more MENA languages for a total of at least six semesters; they also develop competence in both humanities and social sciences, and the mini-seminar helps them integrate these disciplinary approaches and understand the utility and limits of each. 
  • Every student builds a “MENA Portfolio” tracking his or her coursework, language learning milestones, study abroad experiences, and reflections. Seniors may present their research projects at an annual majors’ conference. Discussions with MENA faculty and fellow students help majors understand the disciplinary and other biases most prevalent in the region and how they are often replicated among scholars who study it. Majors thus have a continuous opportunity to explore, deepen, and perhaps revise their pre-existing beliefs and ideas about this contested region.