• A degree in Islamic or Arabic studies can serve as foundation for a career in international politics, interpreting or other fields that deal with relations with or the people of the Middle East. Additionally, undergraduate degrees in the field can prepare for advanced graduate-level study to teach the subject at the post-secondary level. A small number of colleges in the United States offer degrees in Islamic and Arabic studies, including both private and public institutions.
  
  

Brandeis University

• A private, nonsectarian institution, Brandeis University is in Waltham, Massachusetts, a suburban community 10 miles from Boston. The university offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies. The major is interdisciplinary, requiring students to complete courses from a number of different departments. All students in the program must take a course in Islamic civilizations and four semesters of either Arabic or Hebrew. In addition, students are free to select electives that deal with the society, art, religion, culture, history or political systems of the Middle East.
  
  Though not required, students in the Islamic and Middle Eastern studies program at Brandeis University are encouraged to spend a semester abroad studying in the Middle East. The university invites guest lecturers to speak to students in the program on a variety of topics throughout the year.
  
  Brandeis University is home to more than 5,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The college ranked 35th on the "U.S. News & World Report" Best Colleges 2011 ratings. Approximately 53 percent of freshmen and 47 percent of continuing students at the university receive some form of financial aid, according to the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges."
  
  

DePaul University

• The Vincentian Order of the Roman Catholic Church founded DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, in 1898, and since that time, the school has grown to an enrollment of more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Among the courses of study available to undergraduates is a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic World Studies.
  
  All students in the program complete course work in Islamic texts, the Islamic religion in the United States and Islamic history from 600 CE to 1100. An additional history course is also required, and students may choose between the medieval or modern period. Students must complete at least one year of study of the Arabic language, and the university strongly recommends a second year as an elective.
  
  To complete the requirements for the program, students must also take courses related to one of four concentrations or design their own. Established concentrations include Middle Eastern Islam, women in Islam, Islam in the Balkans and Islam in the United States. All majors complete a culminating research paper or project. Study abroad opportunities are available.
  
  According to the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges," about 59 percent of students at DePaul benefit from some form of financial aid
  
  

University of California Santa Barbara

• University of California Santa Barbara is a public institution with more than 22,800 undergraduate and graduate students. The college offers a Bachelor of Arts degree program in Middle Eastern studies. The program requires students to complete a series of language courses in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Biblical Hebrew and Targumic Aramaic or Biblical Hebrew and Syriac. Students also complete courses in religious studies. The program also allows majors to combine courses in anthropology, art history, music, history, political science and sociology to complete the requirements for the degree. Students may choose to study abroad in the Middle East for a semester, if they wish.
  
  The University of California Santa Barbara ranked 39th among all universities in the United States in the "U.S. News and World Report" Best Colleges 2011 rankings. About 45 percent of students at the university are financial aid recipients, reports the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges." California residents receive tuition discounts.