Academic Programs Catalog

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.