Iranian Studies Core & Electives Courses

The Global Studies minor (Iranian Studies specialization) requires 18 units of Core courses. The remaining 10 units can be from the approved Elective courses. 

Learn more about the minor requirements 

Courses

Tehran cityscape with traffic

Politics in Modern Iran

Learn more

Modern Iran has been a smithy for political movements, ideologies, and types of states. Movements include nationalism, constitutionalism, Marxism, Islamic fundamentalism, social democracy, Islamic liberalism, and fascism. Forms of government include Oriental despotism, authoritarianism, Islamic theocracy, and liberal democracy. These varieties have appeared in Iran in an iteration shaped by history, geography, proximity to oil and the Soviet Union, and the hegemony of Islamic culture.

Dr. Abbas Milani

WINTER 2025

Spring

COMPLIT COMPLIT 171, Spring: Sights and Sounds of Modernity: Iran 1925-1979 (COMPLIT 271)

COMPLIT 171
Spring
Minor Elective
,
Minor Core

COLLEGE COLLEGE 119, Spring: Making of the Modern World

COLLEGE 119
Spring
Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM
Minor Core
Lazic, J. (PI)
Parker, G. (PI)

COMPLIT COMPLIT 151, Spring: Systemic Beauty: Poetry, Film, and the Divine

COMPLIT 151
Spring
Tuesday Thursday
12:00 PM - 1:20 PM
Minor Elective
Barletta, V. (PI)
Huber, M. (PI)

COMPLIT COMPLIT 179, Spring: Rumi: Rhythms of Creation (COMPLIT 249)

COMPLIT 179
Spring
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Huber, M. (PI)

COMPLIT COMPLIT 249, Spring: Rumi: Rhythms of Creation (COMPLIT 179)

COMPLIT 249
Spring
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Huber, M. (PI)

COMPLIT COMPLIT 254, Spring: The Middle East through Graphic Novel

COMPLIT 254
Spring
Monday
1:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Minor Elective
Karahan, B. (PI)

FILMEDIA FILMEDIA 135, Spring: Around the World in Ten Films (FILMEDIA 335, GLOBAL 135)

FILMEDIA 135
Spring
Thursday
10:30 AM - 1:20 PM
Minor Elective
Levi, P. (PI)

GLOBAL GLOBAL 104, Spring: Iranian Cuisine

GLOBAL 104
Spring
Tuesday
4:30 PM - 6:20 PM
Minor Elective
Milani, A. (PI)

GLOBAL GLOBAL 135, Spring: Around the World in Ten Films (FILMEDIA 135, FILMEDIA 335)

GLOBAL 135
Spring
Thursday
10:30 AM - 1:20 PM
Minor Elective
Levi, P. (PI)

HISTORY HISTORY 252B, Spring: Diplomacy on the Ground: Case Studies in the Challenges of Representing Your Country (INTNLREL 174)

HISTORY 252B
Spring
Tuesday Thursday
12:00 PM - 1:20 PM
Minor Elective
Rakove, R. (PI)

INTNLREL INTNLREL 174, Spring: Diplomacy on the Ground: Case Studies in the Challenges of Representing Your Country (HISTORY 252B)

INTNLREL 174
Spring
Tuesday Thursday
12:00 PM - 1:20 PM
Minor Elective
Rakove, R. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 3, Spring: First-Year Modern Persian, Third Quarter

PERSLANG 3
Spring
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 12A, Spring: Accelerated Second-Year Persian, Second Quarter

PERSLANG 12A
Spring
Monday Wednesday
1:30 PM - 3:20 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 103, Spring: Third-Year Persian, Third Quarter

PERSLANG 103
Spring
Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

POLISCI POLISCI 149S, Spring: Islam, Iran, and the West

POLISCI 149S
Spring
Wednesday
1:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Minor Core
Milani, A. (PI)

POLISCI POLISCI 149T, Spring: Middle Eastern Politics

POLISCI 149T
Spring
Monday Wednesday Friday
1:30 PM - 2:20 PM
Minor Elective
Blaydes, L. (PI)

Winter

COMPLIT COMPLIT 249B, Winter: Iranian Cinema in Diaspora (GLOBAL 249B)

COMPLIT 249B
Winter
Minor Core

GLOBAL GLOBAL 249B, Winter: Iranian Cinema in Diaspora (COMPLIT 249B)

GLOBAL 249B
Winter
Minor Core

CLASSICS CLASSICS 361, Winter: Persia and the Greeks

CLASSICS 361
Winter
Wednesday
1:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Minor Elective
,
Minor Core
Morris, I. (PI)

GLOBAL GLOBAL 133, Winter: The Medieval Middle East: Crusaders, Turks, and Mongols (GLOBAL 233, HISTORY 283C, HISTORY 383C)

GLOBAL 133
Winter
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Izzo, J. (PI)

GLOBAL GLOBAL 233, Winter: The Medieval Middle East: Crusaders, Turks, and Mongols (GLOBAL 133, HISTORY 283C, HISTORY 383C)

GLOBAL 233
Winter
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Izzo, J. (PI)

HISTORY HISTORY 81B, Winter: Making the Modern Middle East

HISTORY 81B
Winter
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Gunaydi, M. (TA)
Zou, Y. (TA)
Barakat, N. (PI)

HISTORY HISTORY 181B, Winter: Making the Modern Middle East

HISTORY 181B
Winter
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Gunaydi, M. (TA)
Zou, Y. (TA)
Barakat, N. (PI)

HISTORY HISTORY 283C, Winter: The Medieval Middle East: Crusaders, Turks, and Mongols (GLOBAL 133, GLOBAL 233, HISTORY 383C)

HISTORY 283C
Winter
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Izzo, J. (PI)

HISTORY HISTORY 383C, Winter: The Medieval Middle East: Crusaders, Turks, and Mongols (GLOBAL 133, GLOBAL 233, HISTORY 283C)

HISTORY 383C
Winter
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Elective
Izzo, J. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 2, Winter: First-Year Modern Persian, Second Quarter

PERSLANG 2
Winter
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 11A, Winter: Accelerated Second-Year Persian, First Quarter

PERSLANG 11A
Winter
Monday Wednesday
1:30 PM - 3:20 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 102, Winter: Third-Year Persian, Second Quarter

PERSLANG 102
Winter
Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

POLISCI POLISCI 245R, Winter: Politics in Modern Iran

POLISCI 245R
Winter
Wednesday
1:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Minor Core
Milani, A. (PI)
Parhad, R. (GP)

Autumn

PERSLANG PERSLANG 11A, Autumn: Accelerated Second-Year Persian, First Quarter

PERSLANG 11A
Autumn
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective

PERSLANG PERSLANG 21, Autumn: Second-Year Modern Persian, First Quarter

PERSLANG 21
Autumn
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective

CLASSICS CLASSICS 81, Autumn: Ancient Empires: Near East (HISTORY 117)

CLASSICS 81
Autumn
Monday Wednesday
10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Minor Elective
Flynn, J. (TA)
Morris, I. (PI)

COMPLIT COMPLIT 43, Autumn: Modernity and Politics in Middle Eastern Literatures (HUMCORE 131)

COMPLIT 43
Autumn
Monday
11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
Minor Elective
Karahan, B. (PI)

COMPLIT COMPLIT 249A, Autumn: The Iranian Cinema: Image and Meaning (GLOBAL 249A)

COMPLIT 249A
Autumn
Thursday
1:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Minor Elective
,
Minor Core
Beyzaie, B. (PI)

GLOBAL GLOBAL 101, Autumn: Critical Issues in Global Affairs

GLOBAL 101
Autumn
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Minor Core
Kuhns, K. (PI)

GLOBAL GLOBAL 131L, Autumn: Early Modern Iran: Continuity and Change (HISTORY 281L)

GLOBAL 131L
Autumn
Tuesday
1:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Ghereghlou, K. (PI)

GLOBAL GLOBAL 249A, Autumn: The Iranian Cinema: Image and Meaning (COMPLIT 249A)

GLOBAL 249A
Autumn
Thursday
1:30 PM - 4:20 PM
Minor Core
Beyzaie, B. (PI)

HUMCORE HUMCORE 131, Autumn: Modernity and Politics in Middle Eastern Literatures (COMPLIT 43)

HUMCORE 131
Autumn
Monday
11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
Minor Elective
Karahan, B. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 1, Autumn: First-Year Modern Persian, First Quarter

PERSLANG 1
Autumn
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 12A, Autumn: Accelerated Second-Year Persian, Second Quarter

PERSLANG 12A
Autumn
Monday Wednesday
1:30 PM - 3:20 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

PERSLANG PERSLANG 101, Autumn: Third-Year Persian, First Quarter

PERSLANG 101
Autumn
Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM
Minor Core
,
Minor Elective
Emami, A. (PI)

Course List

For a representative, rather than comprehensive, list of courses that count towards the minor, see the Related Courses tab of the Bulletin. Other courses may also fulfill the requirements; students should consult their Iranian Studies minor adviser concerning which courses might fulfill minor requirements.

Courses Not Currently Offered

ANTHRO

ARTHIST

COMPLIT

GLOBAL

HISTORY

JEWISHST

MUSIC

PERSLANG

POLISCI

PUBLPOL

Back to Top