*We are pleased to share some exciting news about the minor. Starting Fall 2024, the name of the program will be Middle East and Islamic World Studies. Also, credit hours requirements will change from 18 to 15. Finally, we are expanding our course offerings to reflect the new name and to diversify our classes. We hope you will be part of our community during these exciting times!

Loyola's Middle East & Islamic World Studies minor introduces students to the Middle East and Islamic civilization. The minor offers a unique opportunity to think differently about the 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 & Muslim societies. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a Middle Eastern or Muslim country and enhance their academic knowledge through real life exposure to Muslim people and cultures.

 

Student Spotlight

Zayd Mushtaq, Winner of IWS art contest, 2024

My name is Zayd Mushtaq and I'm a senior here at Loyola. 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'm able to 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. 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.  

 

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Jenn Finn

I am Associate Professor and Chair of the Classical Studies Department since 2021. 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’ve 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 “Experiencing Mesopotamia”, as well as HONR 212: Encountering the Middle East.