Greetings and welcome to the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC) at Indiana University! As a globally recognized epicenter for the interdisciplinary study of the Middle East, MELC is affiliated with the Hamilton and Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS) within the College of Arts and Sciences. MELC hosts a large cohort of graduate students who come from different parts of the world and the Unites States. It also prides itself on having renowned scholars and outstanding lecturers who passionately and unfailingly contribute excellent research, teaching, and service to the IU community and beyond.
Founded by Iraqi-American historian Wadie Jwaideh, the then-called Department of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures was a leading destination for the study of the Middle East. The name of the department changed to Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (NELC) in 1980, before it took the current name of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC) in 2020. As a reminder of our illustrious past, you might still stumble upon the old NELC name somewhere!
MELC faculty are excited to welcome new students and work with them. With utmost dedication, they will be guiding and supporting students to pursue their MA and Ph.D., degrees, ensuring their successful completion of the program. Thanks to our distinguished faculty and their diverse research interests, MELC offers courses in the following primary fields: 1) Islamic Studies and Pre-Modern Middle Eastern Cultures, ranging from the classical and medieval periods of Islam and including philosophical and religious thought. 2) Arabic Linguistics and Arabic pedagogy and 3) the Modern Middle East, covering the cultures, literatures, histories of the region in addition to Judaic/Israeli studies. 4) Pre-Islamic North Africa and East Mediterranean Studies, with classes offered on the history and archaeology of early Christianity in the Middle East. Our Master's program in Egyptology, led by Professor Steve Vinson, offers unique courses that delve deeply into the ancient Egyptian language, literature, and history, employing state-of-the-art digital technology to study and understand the intricacies of the ancient world. MELC is also the home of a booming language program that offers comprehensive instruction in both Modern Standard Arabic and Arabic dialects, supported by our esteemed Arabic Flagship program. Other Middle Eastern language requirements, such as Persian, Turkish, and Kurdish, can be fulfilled at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies.
MELC students compete for and win Associate Instructorships, receive university awards to attend major academic conferences, and actively participate in a wide range of cultural events. After graduation, they embark on promising careers as scholars or follow career paths in government and in the public and private sectors.
I am looking forward to working with you and I hope you will keep consulting this handbook as it provides a comprehensive overview of the essential policies, requirements, and responsibilities. Some new changes have been put in place, requiring your attention when navigating your graduate career. Enjoy your years at MELC and Ahlan wa Sahlan`!
Associate Professor and Chair
Asaad Alsaleh
Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies