| Program name: | Certificate Program in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies |
|---|---|
| Type of program: | Certificate Program |
| The program will be offered at: | Akron Campus |
| Existing courses required for completion of program: (list each individually, one course per line, with course number, title, and credit hours) |
|---|
| N/A. The program will be composed of electives. Students will need to complete the equivalent of a fourth-semester-level language class (a South or East Asian language for the Asian Studies Certificate, or a modern Middle Eastern language for the Middle Eastern Studies Certificate. Students will then complete four courses of approved electives for each track. |
| Courses new to university offering required for completion of program: (list each individually, one course per line, with course number, title, and credit hours) |
| N/A. |
| Existing courses which can be used as electives in program: (list each individually, one course per line, with course number, title, and credit hours; if options exist, list by option) |
| Interdisciplinary graduate-level courses: Students must complete four of the following courses (3-4 credits each). At least one course must be outside the student’s department.
department course # credits course name 3370 695 3 Field Course: China Field Trip 3400 500 3 Women in Revolutionary China 3400 501 3 Japan and the Pacific War, 1895-1945 3400 516 3 Modern India 3400 593 3 Special Studies in Asian History 3400 610 3 Graduate Reading Seminar in Asian Histories and Historiographies 7100 501 3 Special Topics: The Art of India 7100 501 3 Special Topics: The Art of China 7100 501 3 Special Topics: The Art of Korea and Japan 7100 501 3 Special Topics: The Art of Buddhist Japan Courses with comparative content are encouraged. Students may also choose from among the following courses with the director’s approval: department course # credits course name 1840 585 1-3 Special topics in Women’s Studies 3230 516 3 Sex and Gender 3230 520 3 Anthropology of Food 3230 572 3 Special Topics in Anthropology 3250 561 3 Principles of International Economics 3350 597 3 Regional Field Studies 3400 593 3 Special Studies in History 5100 602 3 International Education Middle Eastern Studies Track Requirements (Graduate) Interdisciplinary graduate-level courses: Students must complete four of the following courses (3-4 credits each). At least one course must be outside the student’s major department. 3200 501 3 Egyptology I*** 3400 593 3 Ottoman State and Society, 1300-1922 3400 593 3 Women and Gender in the Middle East 3400 610 3 Orientalism and its Discontents: Critical Approaches to Middle Eastern Histories and Historiographies 3700 505 3 Politics in the Middle East Courses with comparative content are encouraged. Students may also choose from among the following courses with the director’s approval: department course # credits course name 1840 585 1-3 Special topics in Women’s Studies 3230 516 3 Sex and Gender 3230 520 3 The Anthropology of Food 3230 572 3 Special Topics in Anthropology 3250 561 3 Principles of International Economics 3350 597 3 Regional Field Studies 3400 593 3 Special Studies in History 5100 602 3 International Education |
| Courses new to university offering which can be used as electives in program: (list each individually, one course per line, with course number, title, and credit hours; if options exist, list by option) |
| N/A. |
| Implementation Plan |
|
The program can be implemented with courses that are currently on the books. The History Department is well placed to administer the program. Janet Klein, Assistant Professor of History, who is the department's historian of the Middle East, will direct the program. The program will be widely advertised across campus. Updated course lists will be posted annually. The director will provide students with a work record to track their progress toward the completion of the certificate program requirements. |
| Additional program requirements: |
| Language: Students must complete the equivalent of a fourth-semester language course in one of the track-appropriate (S/E Asian or Middle Eastern) language courses offered by the University of Akron, or its equivalent in an accredited intensive course that is approved by the director. Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic are now on the books at the University of Akron, and students may also take advantage of numerous accredited intensive (often summer) language programs, including quality programs offered by Ohio State University every summer. |
| Admission requirements: (for undergraduate programs specify for both direct admits and students using intercollege transfer) |
| N/A. Certificates in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies can complement any graduate Major in the university and are also appropriate for non-degree students who might like to return to the university for graduate-level mid-career training. |
| Other information: |
| N/A. |
| Resource statement: |
| No additional resources are required at this time. The certificate program can be implemented with courses that are currently on the books. |
| Web components statement: |
| N/A. |
| Rationale: |
| The University of Akron recognizes the importance of a truly global education. Students who complete certificates will find that their courses of study provide them with in-depth training in a special area that may be particularly useful as they pursue careers in Academia, Law, Public History, Education, Business, and even Medicine, where they will practice their profession abroad or use their international experience to expand their understandings of these regions as they work with topics on or populations from Asia and the Middle East. Certificates in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies can complement any graduate Major in the university and are also appropriate for non-degree students who might like to return to the university for graduate-level mid-career training. This certificate program will complement other globally minded programs now offered by the University of Akron as well as others that are currently being proposed as part of the Global Studies Initiative. |
| Bulletin description: |
| Certificate Program in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
(Administered by the History Department) The program in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Akron offers interdisciplinary certificates in Asian Studies (including East, South East, or South) or Middle Eastern Studies for undergraduates as well as graduate students. The structure of each certificate option provides students a good amount of flexibility and the opportunity to count certain key courses towards their General Education requirements. Strategic languages of East Asia or the Middle East are required, and a wide range of courses in fields including History, Anthropology, Political Science, Economics, Geography, Sociology, and Business are offered. The University of Akron recognizes the importance of a truly global education. Students who complete certificates will find that their courses of study provide them with in-depth training in a special area that may be particularly useful as they pursue careers in Academia, Law, Public History, Education, Business, and even Medicine, where they will practice their profession abroad or use their international experience to expand their understandings of these regions as they work with topics on or populations from Asia and the Middle East. Certificates in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies can complement any Major in the university and are also appropriate for non-degree students who might like to return to the university for mid-career training. The program strongly encourages study abroad, and will offer additional credits, to be applied toward the certificate, for certain courses that require overseas study in a country of the student’s focus (Asia, Middle East) or for other individual experiences abroad. Students will also need to take classes in more than two disciplines (i.e., History, Geography, Political Science). Special courses that are not on the permanent bulletin might be offered that may fill a requirement. Students must complete four approved courses (3-4 credits each). At least one course must be outside the student’s department. To ensure timely progress students must meet with the director to plan a course of study. |