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.

A huge thank you to Portland real estate developer, philanthropist and UO alumnus Jordan Schnitzer and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, for a landmark $25 million gift to CAS that will empower future global leaders and problem solvers! The School of Global Studies and Languages is now named the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages, and we are truly excited to be a part of it!

Learn More about Schnitzer School

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

SOCIOLOGY - As part of the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History summer field school, the students are spending a month immersed in Indigenous cultural landscapes while studying archaeology, history and ecology and, at the same time, helping restore oyster beds. They’re learning vital career skills while helping usher in a new era of archaeology with Gabe Sanchez, a CAS assistant professor of sociology.
ASIAN STUDIES - What are Labubus? Why are they popular and did you know the Oregon Duck once dressed up as one? Alisa Freedman, a professor of Asian studies at the University of Oregon who specializes in pop culture, shares insight about the Asian pop trend that's taken over the US.
SOCIOLOGY - Professor Jessica Vasquez-Tokos' new book "Burdens of Belonging: Race in an Unequal Nation" explores how race shapes the everyday experiences of individuals and what it means to be a “so-called problem” in the predominantly white state of Oregon in the 21st century. "How does racial status inflect one’s sense of belonging in the nation?” Vasquez-Tokos said.

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Writing Lab Writing and Research Support Drop-In Event
Nov17
Writing Lab Writing and Research Support Drop-In Event Nov 17 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Physical Chemistry Seminar: “Trapped Ion Mobility-Assisted Sequencing and Analysis of Protein Ions”
Nov17
Physical Chemistry Seminar: “Trapped Ion Mobility-Assisted Sequencing and Analysis of Protein Ions” Nov 17 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Department of History Coffee Hour
Nov18
Department of History Coffee Hour Nov 18 McKenzie Hall
Environmental Justice and Indigeneity in Sāmoa Info Session
Nov18
Environmental Justice and Indigeneity in Sāmoa Info Session Nov 18 Straub Hall
Living a Language: Finding Balance and Productivity in Language Reclamation Work
Nov18
Living a Language: Finding Balance and Productivity in Language Reclamation Work Nov 18 Kalapuya Ilihi
Film Screening of "Vietnamerica," a National Simulcast
Nov18
Film Screening of "Vietnamerica," a National Simulcast Nov 18 Justice Bean Hall
Current Free Speech Controversies: a Discussion with Former ACLU President, Nadine Strossen
Nov18
Current Free Speech Controversies: a Discussion with Former ACLU President, Nadine Strossen Nov 18 Gerlinger Hall
GIS Day Open House
Nov19
GIS Day Open House Nov 19 Knight Library
Community Project Planning and Development Workshop: Introduction to Community-Based Planning and Design
Nov19
Community Project Planning and Development Workshop: Introduction to Community-Based Planning and Design Nov 19
The Academic Adjacent Job Search
Nov19
The Academic Adjacent Job Search Nov 19

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