Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)

Basic Structure of the Program

AMES is an interdisciplinary program that draws on faculty and courses from a variety of disciplines (History, Art History, DAMELL, and many other departments and programs) as well as sponsoring its own courses.
AMES shares an affinity with DAMELL (the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures) but concentrates more on area studies and less on languages (six of ten courses for the major, and all six for the minor, must be non-language courses). Members of the DAMELL faculty are part of the AMES faculty, and all DAMELL courses other than first-year language courses can count towards study in AMES.
Within AMES are three principal areas of concentration: East Asia (mainly China, Japan, and Korea), South and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East are the principal areas of concentration, but students can also pursue a Central Asia or interregional focus.
Beginning with the Class of 2013, AMES majors and minors will be required to take at least one interregional course as part of their program of study: either AMES 40 or another pre-approved course of an interregional nature. Contact the AMES chair for the current list of possible substitutes for AMES 40.
The AMES Program sponsors an interdisciplinary Foreign Study Program in Fez, Morocco, in the spring term. Prerequisites for the program are completion of at least ONE of the following courses (with a grade of B or higher): ANTH 15 (with Middle Eastern Studies faculty and topics), ANTH 19/AMES 6, ANTH 27/AMES 5, ARAB 10/AMES 4, ARAB 61 or 63 (when the designated topic includes a focus on North Africa), GOVT 46, HIST 5.2/AMES 14, HIST 71, HIST 89, REL 8/AMES 8, or REL 16/AMES 15. Students also qualify if they have taken the full sequence of Arabic (1, 2 and 3). Applications are due Feb. 1.
AMES also offers, in partnership with the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, an interdisciplinary Foreign Study Program in Hyderabad, India, in the winter term. The prerequisite is completion of at least one preapproved AMES or WGST course with a grade of B or higher. Contact the AMES chair for a current list of approved AMES prerequisites.
In addition, AMES sponsors a Foreign Exchange Program in Seoul, Korea, in the fall term.
Applications are due Feb. 1 for programs in 10-11; for students not on campus winter term, the due date is Nov. 2 of the preceding fall. Visit the Off-Campus Programs Office for more information and applications.

Courses for the Student with Little or No Background Who Wants to Explore Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Courses that have an AMES designation only or courses from other departments and programs that are cross-listed with AMES all constitute broad and comprehensive introductions to various aspects of Asia and the Middle East, and might be the best place for a student with no background to begin.
These courses are listed at: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~asia/courses.html

Information for the First-Year Student who Plans on Pursuing Studies in AMES

A first-year student who plans to major in AMES should identify as soon as possible an appropriate faculty advisor within his or her chosen area of concentration (East Asia, Middle East, or South and Southeast Asia), and work closely with the advisor to develop a coherent major program. Both the chair and the program administrator (Gerard Bohlen) can aid in identifying such an advisor.

Other Information about Courses and the Program

Any questions about the program, appropriate courses, or whether certain courses in particular departments can count towards AMES study can be addressed to Steven Ericson (chair) or Gerard Bohlen (administrator). Courses from other departments or programs that have been approved for credit toward the AMES major are listed on the AMES website (see below).

Current Enrollments, Class Size, and Distributives

The ORC

The AMES home page