Minor Requirements

Students in the College with an interest in the languages, cultures and archaeology of the Middle East may pursue a minor in MES. Completion of this minor certifies that your undergraduate course work at the University of Chicago has prepared you with language skills, field-specific knowledge and methods, and cultural competency that can give you an advantage on the job market for a wide variety of careers—in business, in medicine or law, in the public sector, or in museums and cultural heritage.

The requirements for the MES minor are described below. The Director of Undergraduate Studies and the MES department staff are available to answer questions, discuss programs of study, and support students as they make their way through the minor in MES.

Students who wish to take a minor in MES must meet with the DUS before the end of Spring Quarter of their third year to declare their intention to complete the minor. Students must submit the Consent to Complete a Minor form to their College adviser by the deadline above.

Students are encouraged to track their progress through requirements by using our minor worksheet.

Six courses are required for a MES minor. Students may choose one of three tracks; Language, Culture, or Archaeology. The first two tracks require a two- or three-quarter MES civilization sequence (see Major Requirements for more detail on civilization sequences). However, students using a MES sequence to satisfy the general education requirement in civilization studies may, with DUS approval, substitute additional MES languages or MES electives in place of a second civilization sequence.

The six courses in the minor may not be double counted with a student's major(s) or with other minors, and they may not be counted toward general education requirements. Courses in the minor must be taken for quality grades.

MES students can receive credit towards major and minor requirements for language courses taken while studying abroad. Credit has to be approved by relevant MES language faculty. Students should retain all syllabi, coursework, exams, etc. from study abroad language courses. Upon return to Chicago, students should complete this form, attaching all supporting materials, and submit to the MES department administrator.

The Language Track includes at least three courses of one MES language. If a MES sequence is used for the general education requirement in civilization studies, a Language Track minor can also consist of six language courses in one or more related languages with DUS approval.

Language Track Sample Minor

Language Track Sample Minor

Language Track Sample Minor (for students who take a MES sequence to satisfy civilization studies requirement)

*Consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies about the level of the language (introductory, intermediate, or advanced) required to meet the language track requirement. Credit may not be granted by examination to meet the language requirement for the minor program.

The Culture Track allows students to focus on topics such as, history, religion or literature in translation and does not have a language requirement. In addition to the two- or three-quarters Civilization sequence, students choose three or four MES electives. If a MES sequence is used for the general education requirement in civilization studies, a Culture Track minor can also consist of six relevant MES electives with DUS approval.

Culture Track Sample Minor

The Archaeology Track requires NEAA 20100 (Introduction to Archaeology), one introductory course in Geographical Systems Analysis (either NEAA 20061: Ancient Landscapes 1, or GEOG 28202: Geographic Information Science 1), two methodologically oriented courses (see Major Requirements for more detail on these courses), and two elective courses in the archaeology, history, or culture of the region(s) of interest offered by MES or another department.

Archaeology Track Sample Minor