Middle East studies

Overview

A major in Middle East Studies will give students a comprehensive understanding of the events and issues shaping the region. There will be emphasis on both historical and contemporary issues relevant to the analysis of the Middle East as a regional system, as well as its place in the international system. A particular stress will be placed on the changing role of the United States in the Middle East since the end of the Cold War and its push to reshape the region’s political landscape according to American national interests. Several of the endemic conflict situations that exist in the Middle East will be examined throughout the sequence, including the War on Terror; the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the conflict in Syria, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and Iran’s regional profile.

Key information

Unit set code

MJ-A310034 (major)

MN-A310034 (minor)

Campuses

Burwood (Melbourne), Online

Career outcomes

On successful completion of the Middle East Studies sequence, students should have the skills and capacities to:

• Comprehend and critically analyse debates in relation to the Middle East

• Understand the organisation of government in the Middle East and North Africa

• Communicate clearly, in written and oral form, about the politics of the Middle East

• Understand and explain the principles that inform political action at local, national and global levels in relation to the region

• Analyse specific problems and issues in the Middle East

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