BA in Near Eastern Studies in Princeton United States | Princeton University

The Near East, often called the birthplace of civilization, remains a multifaceted and highly significant area that profoundly influences our modern era. Princeton's Department of Near Eastern Studies, among the most prestigious and long-standing in the nation, delivers outstanding educational experiences to explore this region's legacy through its diverse cultures, historical narratives, linguistic traditions, and belief systems. The department provides a liberal arts-focused program aimed at developing proficiency in a Near Eastern language while offering comprehensive insights into the civilizations spanning ancient, medieval, and contemporary periods across the region—encompassing Arab nations, Iran, Israel, Turkey, and extending to Afghanistan and Central Asia. This interdisciplinary major integrates departmental and related coursework in fields like history, literary arts, religious studies, legal systems, cultural anthropology, artistic heritage, and political science, alongside instruction in one or more regional languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish). Faculty members employ diverse scholarly perspectives to examine this territory, covering its evolution from antiquity to current times.