NES Graduate Courses

NES 500 Introduction to the Professional Study of the Near East

Abraham L. Udovitch and M. Sukru Hanioglu

A departmental colloquium, normally taken by all entering graduate students. Designed to introduce students to reference and research tools, major trends in the scholarship of the field, and the faculty of the department.

NES 501 Departmental Seminar

A seminar exploring the design and conceptualization of a dissertation topic, and examining methods and strategies for research. Normally taken by students in the term immediately preceding the general examination.

NES 502 An Introduction to the Islamic Scholarly Tradition

Michael A. Cook

A hands-on introduction to basic genres of medieval scholarship such as biography, history, tradition, and Koranic exegesis, taught through the intensive reading of texts in Arabic. The syllabus varies according to the interests of the students and the instructor.

NES 503 Themes in Islamic History and Culture

Michael A. Cook

The theme varies from year to year. The format normally includes both the analytical treatment of issues and the reading of texts in Near Eastern languages, especially Arabic.

NES 504 Introduction to Ottoman Turkish

Erika H. Gilson

An introduction to the writing system and grammar of Ottoman Turkish through a close reading of graded selections taken from newspapers, short stories, and travelogues printed in the late Ottoman and early Republican era.

NES 505 Readings in Ottoman Turkish

Reading and discussion of texts focusing on key issues in late Ottoman and early Republican Turkish history. Goals are to develop reading skills in Ottoman Turkish and to examine important texts written between 1750 and 1928.

NES 506 Ottoman Diplomatics: Paleography and Diplomatic Documents

An introduction to Ottoman paleography and diplomatics. The documents are in divani and rikca scripts.

NES 507 Readings in Talmudic Literature

A critical study of selected texts from the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds. Topics vary and may include sources of Jewish law and rabbinic authority, the development of the Talmudic sugya, halakhic differences between the Talmuds, and the project of historical reconstruction on the basis of rabbinic texts.

NES 508 Readings in Medieval Hebrew Literature

Readings of selected texts in medieval Hebrew literature. Topics include narrative works of historical interest, the poetry of the Golden Age in Spain, and Biblical commentaries and their introductions.

NES 509 Readings in Modern Hebrew Literature

Themes in modern Hebrew prose and poetry, such as pluralism in Israeli society, Israeli-Arab coexistence, and land and nature. Readings are selected from works of S. Y. Agnon, Leah Goldberg, Rachel, Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua, and others.

NES 518 Comparative Politics of the Middle East

Bernard A. Haykel

Examines contemporary social and political developments in the Middle East, including Islamist movements, ethnic conflict, oil wealth, political liberalization, and economic development. Discussion of regional specifics is linked to larger debates in political science and political sociology such as: How does culture impact political development? Does consociationalism help or hinder nation-building in ethnically divided countries? Is political reform less likely in rentier states? Does economic development lead to political development, or vice versa?

NES 519 Comparative Politics of the Middle East

Examines contemporary social and political developments in the Middle East, including Islamist movements, ethnic conflict, oil wealth, political liberalization, and economic development. Discussion of regional specifics is linked to larger debates in political science and political sociology such as: How does culture impact political development? Does consociationalism help or hinder nation-building in ethnically divided countries? Is political reform less likely in rentier states? Does economic development lead to political development, or vice versa?

NES 521, 522 Readings in Classical Arab Historians and Biographers

An examination of extracts from the major genres of medieval Arabic writing relevant to Islamic history. Special attention is given to chronicles and geographical and biographical literature.

NES 523 Readings in Judeo-Arabic

Mark R. Cohen

An introduction to the reading of Arabic texts written by medieval Jews in the Hebrew script, especially documents from the Cairo Geniza.

NES 529 Readings in Modern Arabic Literature

Staff

Selected topics in the fiction, poetry, and theater of the Arab world from the late 19th century to the present. The content varies according to the interests of the students and the instructor.

NES 531, 532 Readings in Classical Arabic Literature

Andras P. Hamori

A reading of selections of poetry and prose. Problems of narrative, poetics, and the like may be discussed according to the interests of the class.

NES 539, 540 Studies in Persian Literature

Michael Barry

A study of different genres, periods, and authors, both classical and modern, with an emphasis on various techniques of literary analysis. The syllabus varies according to the interests of the students and the instructor.

NES 545 Problems in Near Eastern Jewish History

Mark R. Cohen

A study of a number of central problems, historiographical issues, and primary sources relevant to the history of the Jewish minority under Islam in the Middle Ages. Topics vary from year to year.

NES 549 The Politics of the Contemporary Muslim World

Mirjam Kunkler

Readings of texts that are illustrative of various issues in Muslim religious thought. The texts are selected according to students’ needs.

NES 553 Studies in Islamic Religion and Thought

Hossein Modarressi

Readings of texts that are illustrative of various issues in Muslim religious thought. The texts are selected according to students’ needs.

NES 555 Themes in Islamic Law and Jurisprudence

Selected topics in Islamic law and jurisprudence. The topics vary from year to year, but the course normally includes the reading of fatwas and selected Islamic legal texts in Arabic.

NES 557, 558 Problems in Islamic History

Topics in Islamic history, with reading of relevant source material. The theme varies from year to year.

NES 561, 562 Studies in Modern Arab History

Selected topics in the history of the Arab East from the 18th century to the present.

NES 564 Islamic Africa Before 1900: Problems in Social and Cultural History (also HIS 534)

The impact of Islam upon pre-Islamic institutions and the evolution of Islamic institutions (jihad, alms-giving, prayer, and others) in the African milieu.

NES 565 The Arabic Literature of Islamic Africa (also HIS 535)

The evolution of Islamic scholarship as revealed in the Arabic writings of sub-Saharan African Muslims from the 16th to the 19th century.

NES 568 Studies in Modern Iran

Select topics in the history of Iran since the late 18th century.

NES 571 Problems in Early Ottoman History

Heath W. Lowry

A study of the origins and development of the Ottoman state. Emphasis is on the characteristic features of its cultural, economic, and social life.

NES 572 Problems in Ottoman History

Topics vary from year to year, but the course concentrates on issues in Ottoman institutional, intellectual, and political history circa 1600 to 1800.

NES 573 Problems in Late Ottoman and Modern Republican History

Select topics in the intellectual, diplomatic, and political history of the Ottoman Empire and early Republican Turkey from 1800 to the present.

NES 597 Comparative Transformation in the Eurasia

Michael A. Reynolds

Select topics in the intellectual, diplomatic, and political history of the Ottoman Empire and early Republican Turkey from 1800 to the present.

Visitors to the department offer seminars on topics not normally part of the curriculum. Recent examples include Post-1960 Turkish Politics and Radical Islam.