Minor in Turkic

The Turkic minor enriches students’ education by providing advanced proficiency in language skills and by enhancing understanding of Central Asian cultures. This minor serves as an excellent complement for those studying in various fields, including business, political science, and international studies.

Students who minor in Turkic can find an advantage after graduation as they apply their skills and knowledge to work in business and nonprofits, public service, graduate programs, and more.

For questions, please contact Professor Talant Mawkanuli (tmawkan@uw.edu) and/or UW Humanities Academic Services.

Declaring a Minor in Turkic

Students in good academic standing may declare the minor at any time by contacting their major adviser. Please see the Undergraduate Advising minors page for additional considerations about earning a minor.

Minor Requirements

30 credits

  1. Language courses: 15 credits at the second-year level, chosen from one of the following: (1) KAZAKH 201, KAZAKH 202, KAZAKH 203; (2) UYGUR 201, UYGUR 202, UYGUR 203; (3) UZBEK 201, UZBEK 202, UZBEK 203
  2. Upper-division courses with the TURKIC prefix (10 credits)
  3. Elective coursework (5 credits): see the list below for approved courses
  4. Minimum of 15 credits at the 300 or 400 level
  5. Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for courses applied to the minor
  6. Minimum 15 credits taken in residence through UW

The requirement to complete one or more of the language courses may be satisfied by taking a placement exam and testing out. A successful placement exam does not count towards the 30-credit requirement. Students entering the UW with proficiency in a Turkic language beyond the second year of language training must take 20 credits of upper-division courses with the TURKIC prefix. In addition, they must earn 10 credits of electives; refer to the list below for approved courses.

*Please note: If a student pursues both a major and a minor in the MELC Department, 60% of the coursework applied to the minor is taken outside of the student's major requirements. This means these classes may not
apply both to satisfying major requirements and to satisfying the requirements for the minor.

Upper-division Courses with the KAZAK, UYGUR, UZBEK, CHGTAI, NEAR E and TURKIC Prefixes:

  • KAZAK 401 – Kazak through Culture (5)
  • KAZAK 402 – Kazak through Culture (5)
  • KAZAK 403 – Kazak through Culture (5)
  • UYGUR 401 – Uygur through Culture (5)
  • UYGUR 402 – Uygur through Culture (5)
  • UYGUR 403 – Uygur through Culture (5)
  • UZBEK 401 – Uygur through Culture (5)
  • UZBEK 402 – Uygur through Culture (5)
  • UZBEK 403 – Uygur through Culture (5)
  • CHGTAI 401 Chagatai I (5)
  • CHGTAI 402 Chagatai II (5)
  • MELC 457 Turkic Linguistics (5)
  • TURKIC 490 Supervised Study (1-­6, max. 18)
  • TURKIC 496 Special Studies in Turkic (3-­5, max. 15)
  • TURKIC 499 Undergraduate Research (1­-6, max. 18)

Electives:

  • Any upper-division course with the KAZAK, UZBEK, or UYGUR prefix
  • MELC 101 Gateway to the Middle East (5)
  • MELC 257 Introduction to Central Asian Turkic Literature in Translation (5)
  • MELC 259 Introduction to the Writers and Intellectuals of Central Asia under Soviet Colonialism (5)
  • MELC 266 The Modern Middle East and Central Asia (5)
  • MELC 267 Folktales Along the Silk Road (3)
  • MELC 268 Introduction to the Silk Road (5)
  • MELC 270 The Turks: A Global Perspective (5)
  • MELC 357 Peoples and Cultures of Central and Inner Asia (5)
  • MELC 358 Islam and Muslims in China (5) I&S
  • MELC 359 Language and Ethnic Identity in China (5)
  • MELC 360 Oral Literature of the Turkic Peoples of Central Asia I: The Heroic Epos (3)
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