I spent a long time thinking about the question "what do students in my major learn how to do?" We learn a lot of facts about the Middle East and at least one language, but that's not really an answer. Just like most majors in the social sciences, the MENAS program teaches students how to conduct and present academic research. It also teaches students how to approach complex situations from different perspectives through required courses like Introduction to Islamic Thought.
Some people with MENAS degrees decide to stick around Tucson and work as baristas. However, many also move to DC and become analysts, either as bureaucrats or government contractors. Some become interpreters, reporters, aid workers, or teachers. Many earn graduate degrees and stay in college forever.
There aren't many exciting people in this field right now. Some organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs have a lot of influence on public opinion and government action. The field of journalism also regularly overlaps with MENAS, and Al Jazeera is one of the most influential Middle East focused news sites.
Arab Studies Quarterly, Middle East Report, and (my favorite) the International Journal of Kurdish Studies are all relatively influential within the field. It is more often, however, for academics to publish Middle East focused work in larger International Relations journals. The Middle East Report and the International Journal of Kurdish Studies are located in Britain. Arab Studies Quarterly's headquarters is in Jordan.
Some people with MENAS degrees decide to stick around Tucson and work as baristas. However, many also move to DC and become analysts, either as bureaucrats or government contractors. Some become interpreters, reporters, aid workers, or teachers. Many earn graduate degrees and stay in college forever.
There aren't many exciting people in this field right now. Some organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs have a lot of influence on public opinion and government action. The field of journalism also regularly overlaps with MENAS, and Al Jazeera is one of the most influential Middle East focused news sites.
Arab Studies Quarterly, Middle East Report, and (my favorite) the International Journal of Kurdish Studies are all relatively influential within the field. It is more often, however, for academics to publish Middle East focused work in larger International Relations journals. The Middle East Report and the International Journal of Kurdish Studies are located in Britain. Arab Studies Quarterly's headquarters is in Jordan.
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