Middle East and Islamic World Studies Minor
Explore Middle East, Muslim, and Islamic Societies
Loyola's Middle East and Islamic World Studies minor introduces students to the Middle East and Islamic civilization. The minor offers a unique opportunity to think differently about 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 and Muslim societies. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a Middle Eastern or Muslim country to 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 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 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 it. 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. Olivia Wolf
Assistant Professor, DFPA
Dr. Wolf, an assistant professor in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, has edited and published a book entitled “Islamic and Islamicate Architecture in the Americas: Transregional Dialogues and Manifestations.” Using diverse case studies, contributors examine the migration of construction techniques, the adaptation of Islamic architectural motifs in colonial and modern contexts, and the role of patronage in shaping built environments. This book expands our understanding of how cultures travel and take on new meanings in different spaces by bridging North and South America, two regions often excluded from the Islamic architectural canon. Dr. Wolf’s research has been supported by the Fulbright-Hays DDRA fellowship, the Society of Architectural Historians, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. She teaches FNAR 202: Global Art History-Modern Art which includes discussion of Middle Eastern and Islamic art.
Through a rigorous interdisciplinary approach, students explore history, culture, politics, and religion in Middle Eastern and Muslim societies. Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a Middle Eastern or Muslim country to enhance their academic knowledge through real life exposure to Muslim people and cultures.