Program Requirements and Opportunities

The Program in Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and North African Studies (MECANA) offers a minor focusing on the study of the area from Morocco to Afghanistan, from antiquity to the present day. Bryn Mawr students can investigate the history, politics, and cultures of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa through coursework, independent study, study abroad, and events here and at neighboring institutions. 

The Director of MECANA is also the advisor for the concentration and can assist students to plan coursework and independent study, including independent majors.

There are two tracks in the MECANA concentration: one requires study or competence in a modern regional language, the other does not.

Track 1
The first track consists of six courses in the Humanities or Social Sciences that include pre-modern and modern topics distributed in the following manner: 

1. A basic course that offers a broad introduction to the region and its peoples. When available, students should take MEST 100: Introduction to MECANA Studies at Bryn Mawr. If this course is not available, students will select a comparable introductory course in consultation with the MECANA advisor(s).

2. Five elective courses, including: 

• at least one course at the 300 level, in a specific area to be chosen in consultation with the MECANA advisor. This area might be defined in terms of conceptual, historical, or geographical interests and, in many cases, will be connected to work in the student's major.
• at least one course must be in the Social Sciences, and at least one course must be in the Humanities.
• at least one course must be pre-modern/early modern in content (before 1800) and at least one course must be modern or contemporary in content (after 1800). 

3. Of the six courses required for the minor, only two may form a part of the student's major. 

Track 2
The second track includes language study. Students opting for this track must take the equivalent of two years of study of a modern regional language. Four additional courses distributed as follows are required for the minor: 

1. A basic course that offers a broad introduction to the region and its peoples. When available, students should take MEST 100: Introduction to MECANA Studies at Bryn Mawr. If this course is not available, students will select a comparable introductory course in consultation with the MECANA advisor(s).

2. Three elective courses, including: 

• at least one course at the 300 level, in a specific area to be chosen in consultation with the MECANA advisor. This area might be defined in terms of conceptual, historical, or geographical interests and, in many cases, will be connected to work in the student's major.
• at least one course must be in the Social Sciences, and at least one course must be in the Humanities. 
• at least one course must be pre-modern/early modern in content (before 1800) and at least one course must be modern or contemporary in content (after 1800). 

3. Of the courses required for the minor, only two may form a part of the student’s major.

For Middle Eastern languages taught at Bryn Mawr and Haverford, please see the course listings for the Bi-College Program in Arabic and the Bryn Mawr offerings in Hebrew. Additional regional languages may be offered at the University of Pennsylvania.