BA in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (Columbia College) in New York United States | Columbia University

The undergraduate program in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies (MESAAS) provides students with an in-depth exploration of the cultures, ideologies, histories, and political landscapes across interconnected global regions. The curriculum focuses on deep engagement with intellectual heritage, artistic movements, and sociopolitical discussions, utilizing diverse historical and modern sources from literature, religion, political philosophy, law, visual/performing arts, and digital media. Classes also analyze the historical and cultural frameworks shaping these traditions and dialogues.

Students pursuing this major cultivate two interconnected competencies. First is language mastery - requiring at least two years of coursework in one language, with additional study (including intensive summer programs) strongly recommended. This enables students to examine cultural domains through original texts and discourses. The department offers instruction in Arabic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, Hebrew, Armenian, Sanskrit, Hindi/Urdu, Tamil, Swahili, and Wolof.

The second competency involves developing analytical and writing skills for examining intricate cultural systems using multiple methodological and interdisciplinary perspectives. Faculty bring diverse expertise, incorporating approaches from humanities and social sciences fields like literary analysis, cinema studies, cultural theory, political philosophy, and historical thought.

The MESAAS concentration differs from the major solely by not mandating language proficiency requirements.