BA in Middle East and Islamic Studies in Riverside United States | University of California, Riverside

The Middle East and Islamic Studies program provides both major and minor options for students seeking an interdisciplinary, theory-based education. This curriculum aims to cultivate comprehensive knowledge about Middle Eastern and Muslim societies, covering their historical development, political systems, and cultural expressions. Through diverse coursework, students explore the rich complexity of Middle Eastern and Islamic regions, with particular emphasis on historical narratives, religious traditions, gender dynamics, artistic expressions, literary works, popular culture, and political structures.
MEIS instructors currently represent multiple academic departments including Anthropology, Comparative Literature and Languages, Hispanic Studies, History, Media and Cultural Studies, Religious Studies, Theatre, Film, and Digital Production, Art History, and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Their scholarly work spans an extensive geographical range from Muslim Spain and Ottoman Greece to North Africa, Central Asia, Indonesia, and South Asia. Thematically, MEIS faculty investigate diverse subjects including socioeconomic history, urban development, gender studies, legal systems, Arabic linguistics and literature, identity formation, Indian media studies, performance arts, literary analysis, state-religion relations, Islamic art history, modernity studies, colonial impacts, Islamic activism, human rights issues, transnational connections, and cultural diversity.