Apr 17, 2025  
USC Catalogue 2019-2020 
    
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USC Catalogue 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]

Middle East Studies

Return to: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences  

The Department of Middle East Studies (MDES) is committed to the teaching and study of the languages, cultures, peoples and societies throughout the Middle East region. With faculty in Arabic, Classics, Comparative Literature, Economics, French, Hebrew, History, International Relations, Judaic Studies, Persian, Political Science and Religion, MDES is home to an interdisciplinary major and minor in Middle East Studies, a minor in Iranian Studies, and a minor in Arabic. The department organizes lively and exciting lectures, colloquia, conferences and film series on a broad range of topics ranging from politics and economics to history and the arts.

Taper Hall of Humanities 256
(213) 740-2795
FAX: (213) 740-9354
Email: mdes@usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/mdes
 

Chair: Ramzi Rouighi, PhD

Faculty

Robert Grandford Wright Professor and Professor of International Relations and Middle East Studies: Laurie A. Brand, PhD* (International Relations)

Associate Professors: Sarah Gualtieri, PhD* (American Studies and Ethnicity); Olivia C. Harrison, PhD (French and Italian); Ramzi Rouighi, PhD

Assistant Professor (Teaching) of Persian: Peyman Nojoumian, PhD

Visiting Assistant Professor: Mehmet Sinan Birdal, PhD (International Relations)

Lecturers: Hani Khafipour, PhD; Sozan Wali, EdD

Affiliated Faculty

King Faisal Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture and Professor of Religion and American Studies and Ethnicity: Sherman Jackson, PhD (Religion)

Professors: Reuven Firestone, PhD (Hebrew Union College); Jeffrey B. Nugent, PhD* (Economics); Bruce A. Phillips, PhD (Hebrew Union College); Philip Seib, JD (Journalism); Bruce Zuckerman, PhD (Religion)

Associate Professor: Christelle Fischer-Bovet, PhD (Classics)

Assistant Professor: Veli Yashin, PhD (Comparative Literature)

Associate Professor of the Practice: Lynn Swartz Dodd, PhD (Religion)

*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.

Programs

    Bachelor’s DegreeMinor

    Courses

      ArabicPersianMiddle East Studies