Carl Medearis is one of the biggest names in Islamic studies. Imagine studying personally with him via special online courses. Now you can, via William Jessup University in Sacramento, CA? There are six courses all focused on the Middle East (although one is an “Intro to Islam” course which would be broader than the Middle East). Check it out

http://www.jessup.edu/sps/program/modern-middle-east-studies/

And enjoy learning from a famous dude. :-)