American University in Cairo

Through close readings of works of political, economic and religious thought produced by African intellectuals, this course provides a grounding in some of the major debates around identity, sovereignty, and racial, gender and sexual equality as they have played out on the African continent. First, the course starts with the time when Africans became African: when they began to think of themselves as “African” in a sense different from other human beings they encountered from other continents. Second, while African intellectual history is related to political, economic, social and cultural histories of Africa, it is not the same thing. African thought influenced all of these histories, but the course focuses on the non-material, ideational, and ideological influences on these histories and their material results. In the end, the course develops a better understanding of how Africans in the past made sense of their world and how that understanding has affected the present.

This course introduces some of what anthropologists do with complex social phenomena, what tools they bring, and the significance of their inquiries. The discipline has gone through several historical realignments concerning the relationship between culture, power, colonialism, and representations of difference. Thus, giving a single genealogy of “how we got here” is never going to be complete. Instead, this course is engineered to give a sense of what anthropological methods can do, why they remain relevant in a planetary world, and how the discipline that was once dubbed “the handmaiden of colonialism” can be taken up as a critical practice for confronting our troubled present. If there is one thing that draws many of us to the discipline, it is the conviction that the “big” questions that vex and enliven us take shape in the details of our daily actions, habits, and encounters. Ethnography can be seen as a way of giving an account of how these theaters of operation shape our lives and our world, and as a practice of “learning to learn from that which we cannot understand.”

This course provides a systematic study of the structure, function, and regulation of major body systems and organs, including homeostasis, nutrition, and regulation of temperature and fluids. The structure and function of the respiratory, circulatory, and digestive systems, reproduction, hormonal and nervous control, and behavior are discussed with a focus on the human body.

The focus of this course is on the practical dimension of foreign policy: foreign policy in action. It examines how states actually formulate, negotiate, and implement their external decisions, and this is developed primarily through comparative case studies. The theoretical component is treated only briefly. Unlike courses dedicated to foreign policy theory that engage deeply with conceptual debates and require specialization in political science, this course emphasizes applied analysis rather than abstract theory. Within this practical orientation, the course explores how major powers approach the Middle East and how key Middle Eastern states craft their own foreign policies. Through interactive lectures and applied exercises, students develop the capacity to assess foreign policy behavior using multiple levels of analysis and a range of analytical tools.

The course offers an introductory survey of public international law. It provides non-lawyers the ability to understand how international law influences/is influenced by international relations. It offers a detailed understanding of the sources of international law, then moves on to examine different themes in international law, such as the use of force, self-determination and laws of armed conflict. This course is premised on the idea of student-led learning: student views (informed by reading, thinking, discussion and independent research) are considered both legitimate and important. Therefore, students are not only encouraged, but expected, to participate. 

This is the concurrent lab course for BIOL 125 HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. It provides a comprehensive overview of the gross and microstructure and function of the major organs and systems. Activities investigate the respiratory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous system structure and functions.

This course introduces the settlements and daily life of the ancient Egyptians, including the material culture. It concentrates on the archaeological evidence from settlements of the three most important periods of ancient Egyptian civilization: the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. The course first discusses urban settlement patterns in ancient Egypt, and secondly the processes by which material assemblages form in settlements. The plans and structure of dwellings is also considered along with the material evidence found within them.

This is the associated lab course for GENERAL CHEMISTRY II. It covers semi-micro qualitative analysis of selected salts and mixtures.

This foundation-level studio course introduces the methods, materials, tools, and concepts of working across Surface (2D), Space (3D), and Time (4D)—both independently and in relation to one another. Students develop their own ideas while engaging with themes presented by the faculty, exploring how form and concept intersect. Core Studio integrates formal experimentation with conceptual inquiry, situating practice within both historical and contemporary contexts. Through lectures, demonstrations, readings, and short in-class assignments, students explore a wide range of approaches to contemporary cultural production. Studio work, individual meetings, and critiques are designed to encourage reflection, experimentation, and the development of a personal visual language. The course emphasizes a supportive and inclusive studio culture that respects diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions, critiques, and collaborative exercises, contributing to a critical and respectful environment. Occasional field trips and excursions outside the classroom supplement studio practice, offering additional opportunities for research and inspiration. Assignments encourage sketching, prototyping, editing, and problem-solving, while short readings foster critical awareness of the ideas and methods driving contemporary art. The course is designed to expose students to key debates and practices, while pushing them toward their own learning edges. Active engagement, risk-taking, and accountability are essential for building a confident, self-motivated practice.

This literature and philosophy interface explores the origins of drama as theorized by two major thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche and René Girard, and then moves on to test their hypotheses by reading major plays in the dramatic canon. The first part of the course explores Nietzsche’s interpretation of the Dionysian origins of Greek drama and René Girard’s belief that early drama attempted to resolve a metaphysical crisis with reference to a surrogate victim. The arguments for and against the role of the god, Dionysos, in the dramatic tradition are taken up in theory and practice. Dramatists read include Euripides, Shakespeare, Dryden, and Camus. This course, which combines seminar and lecture, is intended for majors in English and Comparative Literature but should also interest students in philosophy, psychology, and the social sciences.