午夜AV

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Local artwork representative of 午夜AV's Middle East and Islamic World Studies minor. The background is ivory with gold speckles. In the center is an abstract image with rich tones of gold, purple and green, interspersed with what appears to be branches of a tree.

Middle East and Islamic World Studies Minor

Explore Middle East, Muslim, and Islamic Societies

午夜AV's Middle East and Islamic World Studies minor introduces students to the Middle East and Islamic civilization. The minor offers a unique opportunity to think differently about Middle East, Islam, Muslim societies and their influence around the world.

Through a rigorous interdisciplinary approach, students explore history, culture, politics, and religion in Middle Eastern and Muslim societies. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a Middle Eastern or Muslim country to enhance their academic knowledge through real life exposure to Muslim people and cultures.

Beginning Fall 2024, the program name is Middle East and Islamic World Studies. Credit hours requirements changed from 18 to 15. Course offerings reflect the new name and diversified classes.

午夜AV Chicago Middle East and Islamic Studies student Zayd Mushtaq. He is standing next to his winning artwork, displayed on an easel.
Student Spotlight

Zayd Mushtaq

Winner of IWS art contest, 2024

My name is Zayd Mushtaq and I'm a senior at 午夜AV. As a second generation American, I strive to portray my South Asian identity in ways that other people with foreign-born parents might resonate with. Through incorporating elements of Mughal style portraiture while adding themes pertinent to my life, I create artwork that is both reminiscent and present. A lot of what I make is an attempt to connect to my cultural heritage as well as make sense of it. By dissecting fragments of my own understanding and then putting them back together, I create a piece that is over-embellished and glamorized. It thus becomes an idealization of a place that I am not entirely familiar with.

午夜AV Middle East and Islamic Studies professor Dr. Jenn Finn. It's a headshot of her smiling in front of a brick wall background.
Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Jenn Finn

Associate Professor, Chair, Classical Studies

I hold a Ph.D. in Greek and Roman History from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Assyriology (Ancient Near Eastern History and Language) from Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, Germany. My research interests cross-cultural contacts between the Near East and the Mediterranean World, Achaemenid Persia, and propaganda and power. I鈥檝e published two books: Much Ado about Marduk (de Gruyter, 2017) and Contested Pasts (University of Michigan, 2022). I teach courses in the Classical Studies Department, including a new course called 鈥淓xperiencing Mesopotamia鈥�, as well as HONR 212: Encountering the Middle East.