In order to provide disciplinary breadth about the region, students must moderate into a primary divisional program (such as Sociology, Literature, or Political Studies) along with MES. Electives also incorporate various disciplines such as anthropology, art history, literature, historical studies, political studies, religious studies, and sociology. To concentrate in MES students must meet the following requirements before moderation:

1. Enroll in “Narrating the Middle East,” a core course that provides a historical introduction to the major political, social, and cultural themes of the modern Middle East from the sixteenth to twenty-first centuries (4 credits).
2. Obtain one year language proficiency in Arabic or Hebrew in order to gain basic familiarity with the linguistic cultures of the region (8 credits).

At moderation, usually held concurrently with the primary program, students must submit the standard papers on past experience and projected work, as well as an academic paper about the Middle East written in one of their core or elective MES classes. At least one member of the board should be a faculty member affiliated with the MES program.

After moderation, students must meet the following requirements:

1. Enroll in four other electives to broaden understanding of the region and its study. One of the four elective courses should be a 300-level seminar in order to allow students to research and write a seminar paper on some topic pertaining to the Middle East (16 credits)
2. Successfully complete a Senior Project that addresses aspects of the contemporary Middle East and incorporates themes that the students have learned during their MES coursework. While the two-semester senior project will be based in a primary program, the senior project board must include at least one faculty member who is affiliated with MES.