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AMST40570

Academic Year 2026/2027

The U.S. and the Middle East (AMST40570)

Subject:
American Studies
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Centre For American Studies
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Eugenio Lilli
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Understanding the region of the Middle East is critical for any student interested in international affairs. In this module we look specifically at the role that the United States has long played in Middle Eastern politics. In fact, despite talks about a US withdrawal from the region, the Middle East today arguably remains a key region for the protection and promotion of the US national interest.


About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module you will gain a sophisticated understanding of key foreign policy issues concerning the United States in the strategically important region of the Middle East.

Indicative Module Content:

Indicative content may include:
- great powers' competition
- democracy promotion
- nuclear proliferation
- Orientalism and Occidentalism
- Persian Gulf energy resources
- radicalization and foreign fighters
- the special relationship with Israel


The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

176
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Key teaching and learning approaches used in the module include:
- Lectures
- In-class peer and group work
- Active/task-based learning;

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Cleveland and Bunton (5th edition or newer), 'A History of the Modern Middle East', Westview Press. Or any similar manual on the history of the Middle East.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Exam (In-person): The exam consist of short answer questions covering the material discussed in the module. End of trimester
Duration:
1 hr(s)
 Graded No
90
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Weekly short written analysis of the relevant readings. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
10
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will receive individual and group feedback on their in-class activities throughout the duration of the module. Feedback on end-of-term coursework will instead be provided individually if requested.

The complete reading list will be presented at the beginning of the module. The vast majority of the readings will be made available through Brightspace.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Fri 11:00 - 12:50
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