Academic Programs Catalog

James Madison College

Minor in Muslim Studies

The Minor in Muslim Studies, administered by James Madison College, is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. The minor provides students with the opportunity for sustained study of Muslim societies and Islam in a range of disciplines and topics.

With the approval of the department that administers the student’s degree program, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements of the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

The student’s program of study must be approved by the Muslim Studies coordinator prior to enrollment in any course.

Requirements for the Minor in Muslim Studies

Students must complete the requirements specified below (16 to 32 credits): 

  1. Completion of second-year college-level competency in Arabic or another language appropriate for Muslim Studies such as Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Bahasa Indonesia, Malay, or Swahili.

    Students may petition the Muslim Studies Minor coordinator for  approval of an additional foreign language when it relates to a student’s  program of study. Students may also petition for a substitution for part  or all of the language requirement, replacing the language credits with  non-language courses from the course list below. An exception to the  language requirement may be granted to students completing a relevant study abroad experience from an approved list of programs available from  the Muslim Studies Minor coordinator.

    Students with majors in the College of Social Science should consult with their academic advisor to discuss alternatives to fulfillment of the language requirement in this minor.
  2. Five courses with Muslim studies or Islamic content selected from the two categories, with at least one from each category. Not more than one IAH or ISS course may count toward the five required  courses. Students must contact the Muslim Studies Minor coordinator for  an updated list of approved courses prior to enrollment.
    ARTS AND HUMANITIES
    Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities
    IAH 211B Area Studies and Multicultural Civilizations: Asia (I) 4
    IAH 211C Area Studies and Multicultural Civilizations: The Americas (D) 4
    IAH 211D Area Studies and Multicultural Civilizations: The Middle East (I) 4
    French
    FRN 415 Introduction to French Studies I: Metropolitan France 3
    FRN 416 Introduction to French Studies II: Francophone Cultures 3
    FRN 447 Genre-Based Seminar 3
    History
    HST 201 Historical Methods and Skills 3
    HST 372 The Middle East: Islam and Empires 3
    HST 373 The Modern Middle East: From Empires to Nation States 3
    HST 450 Special Topics in African History 3
    HST 451 Special Topics in Asian History 3
    HST 487 Seminar in Comparative History (W) 3
    Religious Studies
    REL 205 Myth, Self and Religion 3
    REL 232 Islam in America 3
    REL 330 Islam 3
    REL 430 The Qur'an and Its Interpreters (W) 3
    REL 432 Modern Muslim Thought (W)   3
    SOCIAL SCIENCES
    Anthropology
    ANP 417 Introduction to Islam in Africa 3
    ANP 419 Anthropology of the Middle East 3
    ANP 422 Religion and Culture 3
    ANP 426 Urban Anthropology 3
    ANP 491 Topics in Anthropology 2
    Geography
    GEO 339 Geography of the Middle East and North Africa 3
    GEO 340 Geography of Eurasia 3
    Integrative Studies in Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
    ISS 315 Global Diversity and Interdependence (I) 4
    ISS 330B Asia: Social Science Perspectives (I) 4
    James Madison College
    MC 320 Politics, Society and Economy in the Third World 4
    MC 324A Regional Politics, Cooperation, and Conflict in the Middle East 4
    MC 325 State and Society in Comparative Perspective 4
    MC 376 Modern Political Thought in the Muslim World 4
    MC 390 Advanced Topics in Public Affairs 4
    MC 391 Selected Topics in Public Affairs 4
    MC 441 Islam and World Politics 4
    MC 492 Senior Seminar in International Relations (W) 5
    MC 497 Senior Seminar in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy (W) 5
    Political Science
    PLS 344 Politics in the Third World of Developing Areas 3
    PLS 345 Religion and World Politics 3
    PLS 346 Middle East Politics 3
    PLS 351 African Politics 3
    PLS 358 Politics of the U.S.S.R. and Its Successor States 3
    PLS 441 Islam and World Politics 4
    The following courses do not always contain content relevant to the Minor in Muslim Studies. Before enrolling in any of these, please consult the Muslim Studies Minor coordinator to see if, in the semester in which a student wishes to enroll, the course counts toward the minor: Anthropology 491; French 415, 416, and 447; History 201, 450, 451, and 487; Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities 211B, 211C, and 211D; Integrative Studies in Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences 315 and 330B; Geography 340; James Madison College 320, 325, 390, 391, 492, and 497; Political Science 344, 345, 346, 351, and 358; Religious Studies 205 and 232.