Certificate in Arab and Regional Studies
Study the current issues of the Arab world through a historical lens, and dive into the cultural factors shaping the region’s relationship with the world.
The Certificate of Arab and Regional Studies (CARS) provides students with a broad interdisciplinary understanding of the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Primarily centered on the history and current issues of the Arab world, this certificate benefits from the unique geographical, cultural, and academic immersion that Qatar offers. It highlights the connection of regional history with current issues, and emphasizes the impact of culture on the self-understanding of the Arab and Islamic world and its relationship with the West.
Students interested in the CARS certificate should complete the CARS application form and contact program advisor Elizabeth Wanucha at the beginning of the spring semester of their junior year.
Program Goals
As an interdisciplinary program, Arab and Regional Studies:
- Provides students with the strong historical and civilizational background necessary to make sense of the development and current issues of the region.
- Introduces students to the main political and economic issues and challenges of the region.
- Fosters a reflection on the manifold interactions, past and present, between the region and the West.
- Integrates the interdisciplinary academic experience of students within the context of a substantial research paper.
Program Administrators
Dr. Firat Oruc
Curricular Field Chair
Dr. Valentini Pappa
Faculty Liaison
Elizabeth Wanucha
Student Advisor
Zain Fanik
Alumni Spotlight
For Zain Fanik (GU-Q ’25), CARS offered engaging coursework mixed with rigorous academic research, allowing her to engage deeply with questions of diversity, identity politics, and minority experiences in the region. Zain’s interest in Arab Christians, refined through sustained mentorship and research, led to a thesis on Palestinian Christians in the West Bank, earning her the CARS Outstanding Research Award.
“The Certificate of Arab and Regional Studies was incredibly rewarding—it gave me a real taste of what academic research looks like and allowed me to explore the region through perspectives I hadn’t considered before.”
Certificate Requirements and Timeline
CARS Requirements
- Completion of any two gateway history courses approved for the program.
- Completion of one course on contemporary politics in the Middle East.
- Completion of one course in the social sciences, including the sociology, anthropology, or economics of the Middle East.
- Completion of any humanities course on the Western Asia and North Africa region that includes attention to its interaction with other parts of the world.
- Completion of a sixth course on the Middle East in any discipline.
- Completion of a significant research thesis. The research thesis is to be written under the direction of a faculty mentor, either independently or as part of a course on the Middle East, in any discipline. The faculty mentor will have to attest that the thesis reflects substantial research on the Middle East.
- Note that most courses will be completed during junior and senior years.
- Note that students cannot pursue honors in the major and a certificate simultaneously, due to the heavy workload. Students who wish to do both must complete the certificate thesis in the junior year as specified in the CARS deadlines.
Arab and Regional Studies Sample Electives
GU-Q offers a variety of courses that fulfill the requirements of the Arab and Regional Studies certificate. Below are some recently offered elective courses:
- ARAB 4466:The Contemporary Arabic Novel
- HIST 1601: Middle East I
- HIST 1602: Middle East II
- HIST 4607: Islamic Law and Gender
- INAF 3271: Media in the Middle East
- THEO 3010: Religion and Conflict
- THEO 3420: Islamic Mystical Tradition
Final Research Thesis
In the senior year, each student pursuing the Certificate of Arab and Regional Studies writes a research thesis under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The thesis enhances and advances the student’s research interests and skills. The completed thesis must be reviewed and approved by a faculty committee for the Certificate to be awarded. The student will be expected to give a formal seminar outlining the main findings of the research.
The expected length of the thesis is 7500-9000 words (i.e., approximately 25-30 double-spaced pages), including references and endnotes.
CARS Thesis and Application Timeline
2025-2026 (NEW applicants to CARS):
- January 15, 2025: Information session
- March 9, 2025: CARS application deadline
- March 2025: Communication of decisions
- April 2025: Initiate contact with mentor
- Summer 2025: Initiate CARS project research
- September 1, 2025: Submission of extended abstract, short progress report and bibliography
- October 31, 2025: Submission of draft thesis
- November 2025: Receive feedback from mentor
- January 16, 2026: Research project presentations
- January 30, 2026: Submission of completed thesis to mentor
- February 13, 2026: Submission of thesis revisions as required by the mentor
- February 20, 2026: Submission of final thesis
2024-2025 (for current CARS students):
- January 30, 2025: Submission of completed thesis to mentor
- February 13, 2025: Submission of thesis revisions as required by the mentor
- February 20, 2025: Submission of final thesis