The Department of Middle Eastern Studies deals with reasearch and teaching of the political, social and economic history of the Arab and Muslim regions of the Middle East since the rise of Islam in the seventh century until our days. Degrees: B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Courses: Some 30 courses a year at the levels of undergraduate and graduate studies. The courses consist of introductory general courses, advanced specialized courses, seminars, and special graduate courses. About one third of the courses concentrates on medieval Islam (religion and history), while the rest of the courses focus on the history of the modern Middle East (19th-20th centuries). The students are required to learn 16, 30, or 46 yearly hours, in accordance with the intensity of their studies (minor, major, or intensive), which are divided over three years. In addition to their studies in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies , the students are also required to learn 10 to 14 yearly hours of language studies in the Department of Arabic. Graduate students are also required to learn Turkish or Persian.