​​​Immerse yourself in the rich traditions and experiences of 

religious minorities in the Middle East.

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​MA Program in Middle East Studies 

Intertwined Worlds: Jews, Christians, and Minorities in Islamic Societies​

Situated in the multi-cultural and religiously diverse city of Beer-Sheva, the Department of Middle East Studies at ​Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will offer a new, unique one-year MA program in Middle East Studies with a focus on religious minorities and inter-religious relations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Program Launch: Fall 2023 (October 2023 - September 2024)
Registration is now open! 

Are you interested in gaining expertise in these topics?

» Identities in Judeo-Arabic culture

» The diverse historical and present trajectories of Jewish and Christian communities across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

» Archival resources, oral histories, and ethnographic accounts for studying MENA Jewry

» Classical and colloquial Arabic training, taught in Arabic by native speakers


The Department of Middle East Studies at Ben-Gurion University is home to a community of leading scholars in Middle East studies, inter-religious relations, and histories of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish and Christian communities: 

Dr. Orit Ouaknine-Yekutieli (Moroccan Jewry), Prof. Yoram Meital (Modern Egypt, Egyptian Jewry), Dr. Leonardo Cohen (Ethiopia, Christians in the Middle East and Africa), Prof. Muhammad AL-Atawneh (Islam in Israel), Prof. Daniella Talmon-Heller (Comparative Religious Studies, Islam and Judaism), Prof. Haggai Ram (Palestine, Iranian Jews), and more.

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Program Highlights:


» One-year MA program in Middle East Studies taught in English (3 terms: Fall, Spring, Summer)
» Study Arabic - intense Arabic language program (colloquial, classic, modern, standard Arabic, all levels)
» Academic tours in Israel - museums, pilgrimage sites, local archives in Haifa, Jerusalem, and more
» International two-week course in Morocco on the Jews of North Africa
» Social activities and events: film nights, trips, a vibrant campus life!

Multidisciplinary Topics covered in the program:


» Methodologies in studying the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
» Comparative religious perspectives: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
» Memories and narratives of Jewish and Christian communities
» Material cultures of MENA minorities
» Museum Studies
» Introduction to archival work, oral history, and other relevant resources and skills
» Critical postcolonial and diaspora studies
» Perspectives on inter-religious relations, assimilation, and conversion
» Contemporary Middle-Eastern identities, cultures, films, and more
» Missionaries in the Middle East and Africa
»​ Islam in contemporary Israel

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Scholarship Opportunities:

The MA in Middle East Studies is a Fulbright MA Degree Fellowship Program.

Grants are also available through Masa Israel Journey (a joint project of the Israeli Government and the Jewish Agency for Israel), for those who are eligible. To find out more and to apply, please visit Masa Israel.

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Learn More:​


Please leave your details to learn more about the program and about the application process for Ben-Gurion University. 
Questions? Reach us via email at mapmes@bgu.ac.il​

To read more about the MA in Middle East Studies, click here for the Department of Middle East Studies website.