The Kurds, often referred to as the “world’s largest stateless nation,” are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East, following the Arabs, Turks, and Persians. They are spread across four Middle Eastern countries: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. The Kurdish struggle for rights and recognition over the past century has transformed the Kurdish question into a regional issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The University of Central Florida is home to the nation’s first and only academic program dedicated to studying Kurdish issues. The Certificate in Kurdish Political Studies is designed to provide a unique insight into Kurdish politics, the struggle for rights and recognition of the Kurdish people, and their roles in secularizing and democratizing the broader region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This interdisciplinary certificate offers you a distinctive perspective for analyzing the intricate socio-political landscape of the broader Middle East, stimulating your intellect and challenging your perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earning a Certificate in Kurdish Studies is not just an academic achievement but a direct engagement with the complex regional and global competition over the future of the Middle East. It’s an excellent investment in your future, as the Kurds are increasingly part of the shifting political landscape in the wider region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This certificate will give you a competitive advantage when pursuing a career in government, academia, non-profit organizations, or private companies working on security and humanitarian issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Review the Certificate Requirements and Course list below, and you will see how this certificate can equip you with a unique understanding of the broader Middle Eastern politics and society through a Kurdish lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Certificate Requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Commit 12 Credit hours \u2013 an equivalent of four 3 credit courses \u2013 towards earning the certificate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Take one of the two required courses<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n CPO 4400<\/strong> \u2013 Kurdish Politics: Identity, Violence, and Democracy<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASH 3244<\/strong> \u2013 History of the Kurds in the Middle East<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take three of the restricted electives listed below:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At least one of the restricted electives must be at the 3000 level or higher. Also, at least one of these courses must come from courses taken with SPSA (INR, CPO, POS prefixes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n ANT 3275<\/strong> \u2013 Anthropological Perspectives on Refugees<\/p>\n\n\n\n ARA 1120C<\/strong> \u2013 Elementary Arabic Language and Civilization I<\/p>\n\n\n\n ARA 1121C<\/strong> \u2013 Elementary Arabic Language and Civilization II<\/p>\n\n\n\n ARA 2200<\/strong> \u2013 Intermediate Arabic Language and Civilization I<\/p>\n\n\n\n ARA 2201<\/strong> \u2013 Intermediate Arabic II<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASH 3224<\/strong> \u2013 History of Mesopotamia<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASH 3225<\/strong> \u2013 Islam and Its Empires<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASH 3337<\/strong> \u2013 Women in the Middle East<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASH 3431<\/strong> \u2013 History of Iraq<\/p>\n\n\n\n CPO 3043<\/strong> \u2013 Politics of Developing Areas<\/p>\n\n\n\n CPO 3403<\/strong> \u2013 Politics of the Middle East<\/p>\n\n\n\n CPO 3403H<\/strong> \u2013 Honors Politics of the Middle East<\/p>\n\n\n\n CPO 4406<\/strong> \u2013 Minorities and Majorities in the Middle East<\/p>\n\n\n\n FOL 1930<\/strong> \u2013 Elementary Kurdish Language and Civilization I<\/p>\n\n\n\n FOL 2931<\/strong> \u2013 Elementary Kurdish Language & Civilization II<\/p>\n\n\n\n INR 4075<\/strong> \u2013 Human Rights Policy<\/p>\n\n\n\n INR 4084<\/strong> \u2013 Politics of International Terrorism<\/p>\n\n\n\n INR 4084H<\/strong> \u2013 Honors Politics of International Terrorism<\/p>\n\n\n\n INR 4102<\/strong> \u2013 American Foreign Policy<\/p>\n\n\n\n INR 4724<\/strong> \u2013 International Politics of the Middle East<\/p>\n\n\n\n REL 3320<\/strong> \u2013 Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad<\/p>\n\n\n\n REL 3363<\/strong> \u2013 Islam<\/p>\n\n\n\n Complete the courses with a grade of “C” (2.00) or better<\/strong> for a course to be counted towards the certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact Information<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n College of Sciences About the Certificate The Kurds, often referred to as the “world’s largest stateless nation,” are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East, following the Arabs, Turks, and Persians. They are spread across four Middle Eastern countries: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. The Kurdish struggle for rights and recognition over the past century has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1589","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1589"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1755,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1589\/revisions\/1755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/politics\/kps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
A:<\/strong> Yes, you may use up to 3 credit hours of relevant courses earned outside of UCF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
A:<\/strong> Yes, internships, honors in the Major Thesis, independent study and substitute courses\/new courses are allowed with the approval from the certificate advisor (up to 3 credit hours).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
A:<\/strong> No, but make sure you complete prerequisites for the courses you take as part of this certificate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs
Howard Phillips Hall (HPH), 302
407-823-2040
Kurdish@ucf.edu<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"