IAFF 6361 Middle East Studies Cornerstone

Arie Dubnov

Wed 7:10 – 9:00 PM

Multidisciplinary foundation course for the Middle East studies program. Introduction to key issues. Taught Fall 2025.

Wed 7:10 – 9:00 PM

IAFF 6379 Middle East Studies Capstone

Sina Azodi

Thu 4:00 – 5:00 PM

The capstone project marks the peak of your MA journey. Its final goal is to produce a research paper, along with a public presentation, that represents the culmination of the Middle East Studies MA curriculum. The Capstone can focus on a policy issue or any other aspect of the modern Middle East, in line with the curriculum of the program, subject to the approval of the Program Director and with the support of a capstone advisor. Each MA program at the Elliott School has its own version of the capstone project; the MESP one is distinctive in some respects, and students should not assume that all policies and procedures are identical to those in other programs. The Middle East Studies capstone is designed to showcase the substantive expertise, linguistic and analytical skills students have gained throughout the course of their degree program. The Capstone should demonstrate foreign language capability by incorporating interviews and/or primary sources in the appropriate regional language where appropriate to the research. Taught Fall 2025.

Thu 4:00 – 5:00 PM

HIST 3825 Land and Power in Israel/Palestine

Shira Robinson

Tue 1:10 – 3:00 PM

Special topics in History. Taught Fall 2025.

Tue 1:10 – 3:00 PM

HIST 3811 The Emergence of the Modern Middle East

Alyssa Bivins

Tue 6:10 – 8:00 PM

This course is meant to introduce students to the complex history of the 19th and early-20th centuries in the region frequently categorized as the "Middle East." The class will investigate the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the creation of the category of the nation-state, the relationship of the World Wars to the region, the rise of oil states, and the impact of the Cold War. The content of this course will give students the tools to unpack common myths about the Middle East, including the idea that violence is endemic to the region, the stark division of East vs West binaries, orientalist media tropes, and the notion that the region is a set geographical feature rather than a modern construction. Ultimately, this class has two goals. The first is to prepare students to understand the historical context of the structures, challenges, and movements found in the Middle East today. The second is to train students in the evaluation and understanding of historical sources and arguments. To reach these goals, this course will expose students to secondary and primary sources and teach students to assess change and continuity in the political, economic, and social circumstances of the diverse peoples living in the region. The course will also introduce students to historiography, explain the importance of historical periodization, and place the Middle East within the context of broader, global historical narratives. Taught Fall 2025.

Tue 6:10 – 8:00 PM

PSC 6478 International Relations of the Middle East

Marc Lynch

Wed 5:10 – 7:00 PM

Why has the Middle East been the site of so much armed conflict, protracted political stalemate, and transnational violence? Why have its problems consumed so much of the energy and attention of global powers? How has U.S. foreign policy shaped the region since World War II? What explains the new lines of alliance and conflict since 2011? How should we understand the rise of sectarianism and jihadist movements? What best explains the causes and effects of major wars in Middle East? What are the major drivers of alliances and rivalries among the region’s powers? Why has the region been afflicted by so many proxy wars and insurgencies? This course examines the major theoretical frameworks for understanding the international politics of the contemporary Middle East. Among the major issues covered are the formation of the Middle East state system, alliance politics, the causes and effects of wars, peace negotiations, America’s role in the region, Israel’s relations with its neighbors, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, international political economy, Iran’s role in the region, transnational jihadist movements, transnational mobilization and identity politics. The course considers historical cases such as well as contemporary issues. The goal throughout is to think through the value and significance of the major theoretical approaches to the international relations of the Middle East, and their application to policy debates. Taught Fall 2025.

Wed 5:10 – 7:00 PM

IAFF 6378 Readings in Arab Politics and Society

Dina El-Hefnawy

Thu 5:10 – 7:00 PM

This course offers individual advanced level Arabic instruction on themes related to the student's academic course of study and intellectual interests. Topics, readings, and assignments will be discussed with the instructor at the beginning of the semester, with instruction and expectations targeted at the student's current level of proficiency. Please note that this course may be taken more than once, with a new individualized syllabus each term, and can be used to satisfy Middle East Electives or Professional Field courses on the MESP course of study. Taught Fall 2025.

Thu 5:10 – 7:00 PM

IAFF 6378 Iran in the Middle East

Sina Azodi

Mon 5:10 – 7:00 PM

Iran has long played a critical role in the international relations of the Middle East –historically one of the most tumultuous regions in the world. In this graduate course, we will critically discuss Iran's foreign and security policies, against the backdrop of its controversial nuclear and missile programs, support for proxy groups, and its contentious relations with other regional players, especially Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Israel. The aim of this course is to familiarize students with goals, characteristics, and evolution of Iran’s regional policies and the daunting challenges it faces. Some of the questions that this course aims to address: How do Iranians look at the region? What are Iran’s strategic goals in the Middle East? How does the rest of the region look at Iran? What are the driving forces behind Iran’s foreign and security policies? Taught Fall 2025.

Mon 5:10 – 7:00 PM

IAFF 6378 US Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray

Tue 5:10 – 7:00 PM

This course examines U.S. engagement in the Middle East since the 1940s by studying the evolution of U.S. policy, reviewing key decisions, and assessing 21st century challenges. Students will build on this foundation to determine what U.S. national security interests are – and what U.S. priorities should be – in this region, and how the current inflection point in the global world order affects them. The course also seeks to provide an analytical framework for better understanding differing perspectives on U.S. policy. Student presentations, writing assignments, and active class discussion will help students improve the analytical, written, and oral communications skills essential for a successful career in international affairs. The instructor is a former career diplomat who served as a U.S. Ambassador and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Taught Fall 2025.

Tue 5:10 – 7:00 PM

IAFF 6378 Political Economy of the Middle East

Shana Marshall

Thu 7:10 – 9:00 PM

This course will introduce students to the political foundations of the region’s economy. We will examine how the economy of the MENA has been shaped by encounters with external actors (foreign traders, colonizing governments, transnational firms, international financial institutions, development agencies, etc.) but also how the region has impacted the global economy, with a special focus on the Gulf states and their role in shaping global financial markets. We will examine the legacy and ongoing impact of Western development and reconstruction agencies and their discourses, with special attention to the region's agrarian zones as well as zones transformed by imperial wars. Other important regional actors such as militaries, oil companies, sovereign wealth funds and labor movements will also be examined. This course will introduce students to mainstream political economy approaches concurrently with their critiques, in order to provide an understanding of the evolution of theories and practices of economic development and their political origins. Taught Fall 2025.

Thu 7:10 – 9:00 PM

IAFF 6378 Refugees & Displaced People in Middle East

Reva Dhingra

Thu 5:10 – 7:00 PM

This course offers students the opportunity to learn about the current dynamics of displacement and migration in the Middle East. The Middle East is the site of significant forced displacement—both across and within borders. Conflicts in the region over the past decade have driven millions from their homes. Yet states in the region are also the destination and origin for millions of migrants seeking economic and social opportunities. Rapidly intensifying climate change is also driving increasing movement primarily within countries. Together, these mobility dynamics have indelibly shaped the region’s politics, society, and economy. Students will engage with academic literature from across disciplines as well as policy texts reflecting important current debates. We will cover key topics including: forced migration including refugees and internal displacement, climate change and mobility, labor migration, determinants of immigration policy, and the role of non-state and humanitarian aid. We will also discuss specific cases, including Syrian and Palestinian displacement and labor migration in the Levant. Taught Fall 2025.

Thu 5:10 – 7:00 PM