Middle East and North Africa Studies

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is home to a diversity of peoples and cultures, rich literary and artistic traditions, extensive trade networks, urban planning, and governance systems. Through our minor program, students can explore critical issues across the region while focusing on their areas of interest.

What You Can Do with a Minor in Middle East and North Africa Studies

Recognizing the crucial economic and political role that the MENA region plays, this minor gives students foundational qualifications to enter a global workforce. It is especially useful for careers in:

  • Academia
  • Foreign service
  • International business
  • International law

Our Degree Program

The Middle East and North Africa studies minor is an interdisciplinary program.

an Arabic classroom with students listening to someone speaking

Learn from Experts in the Field

Our minor draws on expert faculty from a dozen different departments across the College of Arts and Sciences.

students sitting in Amman, Jordan, watching the sunset

Get Real-world Experience

Strengthen your language and culture skills overseas. Explore countries in the Middle East and North Africa region through study abroad opportunities.

Scholarships and Funding

Students in the Middle East and North Africa Studies can seek funding through the College of Arts and Sciences, which awards various scholarships both to incoming students and to those already attending the UO.

CAS and UO Scholarships

Academic Support

Our academic advisors can help students understand their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.

Undergraduate Advising

Social Sciences News and CAS Events

POLITICAL SCIENCE - Years before Sravya Tadepalli started working as a senior legislative advisor at the Oregon Employment Department, she was a Clark Honors College student studying political science and journalism. As a UO student, she received some of the highest honors for an undergrad, including being a Truman Scholar and Rhodes Scholar finalist. After the UO, Tadepalli went to graduate school at Harvard University to earn a master’s degree in public policy.
ENGLISH, WOMEN'S, GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES - From noon to 1:30 pm Monday, Feb. 17, experts will discuss on the works by Octavia E. Butler's work and her legacy, as well as Afrofuturism, and how her literature can inspire us to see new futures and view the past through a new lens. “Octavia E. Butler’s work remains as urgent and essential as ever,” said Kemi Balogun, one of the organizers and an associate professor in CAS.
SOCIOLOGY - After spending decades in the professional world, this sociology major has finally found his path—and he’s helping other students find theirs.

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Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar Series – Third Year Talks
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Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar Series – Third Year Talks Feb 14 Willamette Hall
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
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POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Feb 14 Miller Theatre Complex
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Feb15
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Feb 15 Miller Theatre Complex
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
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POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Feb 16 Miller Theatre Complex
Black Studies Presents: "Black Pasts/Black Futures:  Lessons from Octavia E. Butler"
Feb17
Black Studies Presents: "Black Pasts/Black Futures:  Lessons from Octavia E. Butler" Feb 17 Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center
Physical Chemistry Seminar – Research in the Guenza Group
Feb17
Physical Chemistry Seminar – Research in the Guenza Group Feb 17 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Composition Writing Lab Drop-In Hours
Feb17
Composition Writing Lab Drop-In Hours Feb 17 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Department of History Coffee Hour
Feb18
Department of History Coffee Hour Feb 18 McKenzie Hall
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Open House
Feb18
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Open House Feb 18 Hendricks Hall
gradCONNECT: Disabled and Neurodivergent Graduate Student Time Together
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gradCONNECT: Disabled and Neurodivergent Graduate Student Time Together Feb 18

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