Bachelor of Arts in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Study leading to a degree in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) is interdisciplinary and is normally focused on one of the following areas: East Asia, the Middle East, and South/Southeast Asia. Each area is overseen by a faculty committee, and students majoring in AMES work in cooperation with their committee of specialization in the development of their course plan, off-campus studies, and independent work. Majors work with advisors (selected from the above list of program participants) to design a program of study to ensure coherence of language study, disciplinary training, and off-campus experience. Students should choose advisors in their respective areas of concentration. Careful planning should begin in consultation with the advisor by early in the spring term of the sophomore year. Each program of study also requires review and approval by the AMES Chair. The major in AMES requires a minimum of ten courses. Normally all ten courses will be in the student’s area of concentration. A student who wishes to combine courses from more than one area must provide a written rationale for approval by the advisor and the AMES Chair. For each concentration, consult the Program web site for a list of already-approved courses as well as specific requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to include at least two years of a language offered by the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures; DAMELL language courses above the first-year level may be counted toward the AMES degree. At least six courses counted toward the major, including the culminating experience, must be non-language courses. With the concurrence of the AMES Chair, students can petition the AMES Steering Committee to have other appropriate courses count toward the AMES major. Students admitted to the Honors Program will complete a thesis as the culminating requirement for the degree. For other majors, AMES 91 will be the normal culminating requirement. Students with special concerns may submit a proposal to the Steering Committee to substitute AMES 86 for AMES 91 or petition the AMES Chair to substitute an advanced seminar from another department or program. All AMES majors are encouraged to pursue study abroad. In most cases, this will occur in the context of an off-campus program offered either by the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures or by AMES. Students can petition the AMES Steering Committee to recognize study in other Dartmouth off-campus programs, in foreign study programs offered by other American undergraduate institutions, or in foreign universities. They need to do so at the latest on the tenth class day of the term proceeding the actual transfer term. Retroactive credit for transfer terms or courses will not be granted.