The CHID program offers students an in depth examination of the history, culture, and politics of the Gulf region in contemporary Oman. Examining the ways in which religion and culture have intersected in the region. We will use culture as a lens through which students explore Omani society, history and politics through a variety of vantage points.

Jere Bacharach, Professor Emeritus, History

Professor Bacharach is a Middle East Scholar semi retired from the University of Washington where he taught courses for History, Near Eastern Languages & Civilization, and the Jackson School of International Studies. Professor Bacharach’s academic focus has been on Medieval and Modern Middle East Studies and Early Islamic Civilization. His expertise is largely in the subject of slavery & Numismatics.

This course will cover through lectures and readings major political, religious, and linguistic changes in the Middle East from approximately 600 C.E. to 1250 C.E., that is, from the rise of Islam to the end of the Crusading State in the Middle East. During the chronological period Arabs will arrive in Egypt, North Africa and Spain while Turks will reach Turkey. During the same chronological period the Christian and Zoroastrian world will be replaced by an Islamic one

Student will learn Modern Standard Arabic and some Omani Dialect. Placement test will locate the student’s level. The courses will be conducted by the SIT language center in Muscat.

In consultation with program directors, students will undertake a project of their own choosing and design. Students may work independently or collaboratively in creating an artistic work or research paper incorporating the themes of the program. Examples of such projects include artistic endeavors, theatrical performances, musical composition, creative writing or empirical research.

The program fee is expected to be around $5,300 , including the $350 deposit. This fee will cover program costs, housing, credits, and transportation and overnight accommodations for field trips. Upon acceptance, participants are required to submit a signed payment contract to the CHID office. At this time, the non-refundable $350 deposit, applied to the program fee, will be assessed to the student’s tuition account. In addition and at the same time, students must pay the IPE fee of $250 to the Office of International Programs and Exchanges.

The program fee does not cover: IPE fee, airfare, insurance meals or personal travel and expenses.

The CHID Program reserves the right to change the program fee based upon dollar devaluation or severe inflation. If such a change occurs, students will be notified of the increase and an adjustment will be made to the final program payment.

All fees are now charged to students’ accounts, and paid the same way as tuition.

Refund: Once we have received your contract, the $350 deposit and IPE fees are non-refundable. Any student withdrawing from the program is subject to a date dependent withdrawal policy. Student withdrawing from the program after given deadlines will be liable for a percentage of the program fee depending upon the date of withdrawal, which could range from $600 to the entire program fee. Details will be provided in the contract.

Participants who wish to withdraw must submit a signed Withdrawal Form to both the CHID and IPE offices.

TBD

Most forms of financial aid can be used during participation in this program. Participants who are on financial aid should contact the Financial Aid office to verify that their awards will apply. Students interested in applying for increased financial aid during their study abroad should obtain a revision request from the Financial Aid office, and a budget of student expenses from the IPE office, and submit both to the Financial Aid office in Schmitz Hall.

Students from all areas of study are encouraged to apply. After applying, students will be contacted for an interview.
NOTE: In order to receive credit for this program, participants must submit a Concurrent Enrollment (CE) form to the IPE office.
There is a $25 late fee for forms that are turned in after the deadline.

Departure Quarter	Concurrent Enrollment Deadline
Autumn	September 1
Winter	December 1
Spring	March 1
Summer	May 1
Exploration Seminar	July 1