With the turmoil rising in the Middle East, the Political Science Department is offering a class called Iran and Nuclear Weapons in order to educate students on current issues.

Dr. Neal Coates, professor and chairmen of Political Science and Criminal Justice Department, is teaching Iran and Nuclear Weapons class to undergrad students this fall. This is his third time to teach this class, and it is one of the few country specific classes at ACU.

Coates said that this class is about “all things Iran, and their current nuclear program.” It is a complimentary class to the Israeli Government, and they both stem off of politics in the Middle East.

Instead of focusing on 16 countries that encompass the Middle East, the Iran and Israel classes focus on the countries specifically, which provides an understanding of how these countries work.

The Iran and Nuclear Weapons class explores the history, culture and geography of Iran, trying to give students an understanding of how Iran became what it was back then and what it is today. It will also cover Iran’s international relations with both its neighboring countries as well as with the world.

Coates says that the class will be providing the students an insight of what Iran would have looked like if it had made different decisions. Coates has created this class due to his background, interests and knowledge that Iran is becoming a major player in the Middle East.

He hopes to make this class available on the catalog and to all undergrad students wanting to take an elective in his department.