Undergraduate Catalog | Minors

There are certain academic disciplines in which knowledge of a specific geographic area would provide a competitive edge. This Area Studies minor allows the student to concentrate in the politics, culture, and economic structure of a specific geographic region. This minor will enable students to apply their academic experience in their major discipline to a geographic region. This allows the student to present a broader academic portfolio to potential employers or graduate schools.  While eighteen credit hours are the traditional requirement for a minor in the American Public University System, the area studies minor requires 24 credit hours. The credit hours will increase to 30 credit hours with the introduction of foreign language courses.

Students may apply transfer credit towards courses that count towards the minor. Many students will be able to fulfill the majority of the course requirements for a minor by carefully selecting and aligning the electives within their degree program.

General Knowledge of Comparative Politics

• Investigate the concepts and theories of comparative analysis of different political regimes and economic markets.
• Explain the role of international and transnational organizations in both a global and regional setting.
• Compare and contrast the political, economic, social and military components of national and regional power.
• Evaluate the role of civilization in relationships among nations.

Politics and Security

• Determine the significant political, economic, security, diplomatic, and social challenges facing a selected region -- individually as separate nations and collectively as a region.
• Articulate the importance of key nations to the strategic interests of the United States.

Cultures

• Examine the origins, course, and character of the civilization of a selected area from prehistory until the present.
• Relate the history of a selected region to future prospects for the region in the 21st century.

Philosophies, Religions, and Popular Culture

• Evaluate the importance of philosophical, cultural, and religious schools of thought underlying development in the selected area of study.
• Analyze the rise and spread of the major philosophies and religions in the selected area of study.
• Describe the impact of the predominant religions in the selected region.
• Value the literature of the selected region through a reading of the national literature.

Middle Eastern Studies Specific Courses (15 Semester hours)

The student who graduates with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies will be able to:

• Compare and contrast the history, essential tenets, and central practices of different cultures within the Middle East
• Explain the historical, sociological, economic, geographic, political, and defense factors as they relate to current events in the Middle East.
• Discuss the key issues that lie ahead for Middle Eastern security relations relating to the U.S. in the coming century.
• Assess Western response to the worldwide expansion of Islam