Arab and Muslim American Studies, Minor

Program DIrector: Louise Cainkar, Ph.D.

The Arab and Muslim American Studies minor is an important component of race and ethnic studies at Marquette University. Arab and Muslim American Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary and well-rounded understanding of historic and contemporary Arab and Muslim American experiences, set in the context of the experiences of other American racial and ethnic groups and global hierarchies of power.

Core courses explore themes such as immigration history; racism, racialization, discrimination and hate crimes; gender and sexuality; media representations; national security policies; intergroup relations; local and global impacts of war and violence; comparative Arab and Muslim diasporas; Islam as a faith; and intellectual, literary, artistic and cultural contributions. These courses are augmented by a selection of electives to complete the minor. Elective choices include analyzing Arab and Muslim American experiences in a comparative race perspective; deepening knowledge of the places from which Arab and Muslim immigrants come and the policies that guide their migrations; and Arabic language study. A J-session course featuring online course work and an intensive immersion experience in the Detroit area, home to the largest concentration of mosques and Muslims in the United States, offers a powerful, high-impact elective. Together, these courses provide a range of knowledge vital for a critical understanding of contemporary Arab and Muslim American experiences situated in their domestic and global contexts.

The minor aims to fulfill Marquette aspirations for “educating global citizens” to be agents of change. Its interdisciplinary character aspires to evoke a “spirit of curiosity” and a quest for knowledge characterized by both breadth and depth. The Arab and Muslim American Studies minor equips students for excellence in service and leadership in a nation that is increasingly complex and diverse, including a diversity of faith traditions.

Arab and Muslim American Studies Minor

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required courses:
ENGL 4810	Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies	3
SOWJ 3450	Arabs and Muslims in Global Context	3
THEO 4530	Islam: Faith and Practice	3
Electives - Choose three courses from either or both of the following lists:		9
US-Focused Race and Ethnicity:
ARBC 3220	Arab and Muslim Women in the United States
ENGL 4820	Studies in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies ¹
INPS 3960	Research in Peace Studies ¹
SOWJ 2150	Immigrants and their Communities
Area Studies and Heritage Language:
ARBC 1001 & ARBC 1002	Elementary Arabic 1 and Elementary Arabic 2
HIST 3455	Middle East
HIST 4450	North Africa
POSC 4631	World Conflict and Security
Total Credit Hours:		18

¹

Topic or content must be approved by the program director.

NOTE:

No more than three courses (required and electives) from the same department can be counted towards the minor to preserve interdisciplinary content.

Bulletin

Arab and Muslim American Studies, Minor

Arab and Muslim American Studies Minor

University Policies

College of Arts and Sciences Policies

Print Options