Student Resources
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Career Resources
- Liberal Arts Career Services provides resources for career exploration, application material and interview preparation, and job and internship searches. Students can also meet with a career coach to discuss specific goals and questions.
- Interested in law school? Aspiring law students can find information on upcoming pre-law events, financial resources, UT Law Fair, and resources for researching law schools on through Liberal Arts Career Services.
- Thinking about an MA or PhD program after graduation? Liberal Arts Career Services graduate school resources can help you learn more about liberal arts advanced degrees, prepare for an eventual application and navigate the application process.
- Texas Career Engagement, available to all UT students, provides professional and graduate school planning resources and career exploration and preparation resources.
The Middle Eastern Studies Capstone
The Middle Eastern Studies major at UT Austin combines the study of a Middle Eastern language with a survey of courses in the social sciences, history, and the arts & humanities. Students pursue one of eight possible tracks — Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, Ancient Near East, History, Islamic Studies, or Literature. For all tracks, coursework for the MES major culminates in a capstone course entitled “Engaging the Middle East.” Carrying both an Independent Inquiry flag and a Writing flag, the capstone course requires students to develop and pursue individual research projects, which are then showcased at the Capstone Colloquium at the end of the semester. The elements of the MES major prepare our graduates to pursue graduate school and/or careers in government service, business, nonprofit work, law, and art and culture.
Below is a list of our MES graduates, including their capstone project titles, resumes, links to professional webpage(s), and contact information. We are extremely proud of our graduates and are pleased to highlight their accomplishments here!
Spring 2022 Capstone Students
Khadeja Tahir Javed
Major(s): Middle Eastern Studies; International Relations and Global Studies
Minor(s)/Certificate(s): Arabic
Bio: Houston-based Muslim American with an interest in economic development policy and the role of international politics in aid deliverance.
2022 Capstone Project: Automating Apartheid: The role of tech trade in the Israeli Military-Industrial Complex
Khadeja's LinkedIn.
Ben Mulick
Major(s): Middle Eastern Studies
Minor(s)/Certificate(s): Government
Bio: I am a rising senior at UT Austin majoring in Middle Eastern Studies. I am interested in COVID-19 in Palestine and Development Studies.
2022 Capstone Project: Covid-19 Under Occupation: A Case Study of De-Development in The Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs)
Azili Omar
Major(s): Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, International Relations and Global Studies, Mechanical Engineering
Minor(s)/Certificate(s): N/A
2022 Capstone Project: Sumac: A Cultural Examination Across the Middle East pre-1950s
Madeline Ratliff
Major(s): International Relations and Global Studies; Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
Minor(s)/Certificate(s): Arabic
Bio: Madeline Ratliff double majored in International Relations & Global Studies and Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures during her time at UT. She plans to work at For the Nations Refugee Outreach after graduating and pursue a career in refugee services or humanitarian efforts.
2022 Capstone Project: Nonprofits in Yemen: Successes and Failures in Combating the Humanitarian Crisis
Madeline's LinkedIn.
Myra Syed
Major(s): International Relations and Global Studies; Government; Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
Minor(s)/Certificate(s): Arabic
Bio: Myra Syed is a senior at UT - Austin, triple majoring in International Relations and Global Studies, Government, and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures along with a minor in Arabic. Currently, Myra is a undergraduate fellow with the Clements Center for National Security along with the Public Affairs Coordinator at Smart City Policy Group. She also serves as chair of the International Security committee in the International Relations and Global Studies Council. Myra also served as Crisis Director in the Pan-Asian Dynasty committee at Central Texas Model United Nations, a non profit that holds a Model United Nations conference for high school students at UT. In the coming year, Myra plans on studying abroad at King's College in London, England at their War Studies Department with the Clements Center for National Security.
2022 Capstone Project: From Spray Cans to Revolution: Street Art during the Egyptian Revolution (2011 - 2012)
Fox Walker
Major(s): Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures; Arabic; Government
Minor(s)/Certificate(s): Business Foundations; Core Texts and Ideas
Bio: I am a senior Liberal Arts Honors student pursuing a double major in Government and Middle Eastern Language and Culture. My professional interests include issues of national security, Middle Eastern affairs, and Congress. My academic interests include presidential history, US Foreign Relations, and early modern political philosophy. As an Undergraduate Fellow at the Clements Center for National Security, I receive mentorship and professional development while exploring the nexus of history, strategy, and statecraftMy skills include research and analytical writing, especially in the domains of political philosophy and American history. I have leadership experience as an officer in several student organizations at the University of Texas.
2022 Capstone Project: Understanding Contemporary Yemen: Outsiders, Obstacles, and Awful Options
Mae Zeitouni
Major(s): Honors Government; Middle Eastern Studies; Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
Minor(s)/Certificate(s): Chemistry
Bio: I am a soon to be graduate at the University of Texas at Austin. My interests include Constitutional Law, Human and Civil Rights, and Political Theory. Following the completion of my undergraduate studies I plan to attend Wake Forest Law School on full scholarship.
2022 Capstone Project: Kneel or Starve: The Weaponization of Hunger in the Syrian Civil War, 2011-2017
Mae's LinkedIn.