The Department of Middle East Studies M.A Studies

One-Year International M.A. Program in Middle East Studies.

Our department offers two MA programs. The regular program described here is intended mainly for students residing in Israel. If you do not reside in Israel and are interested in our one-year MA Program (MAPMES).
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The department's two-year M.A. program offers candidates with a background in either Middle East studies or other academic disciplines an opportunity to develop expertise in the region's rich history, cultures, sociology, and literature and to gain a nuanced understanding of its conflicts and politics. In particular, and as befits the department's unique vantage point, students acquire specialized knowledge of Jews and Christians in Islam; the development of Islam and nationalism in the Middle East; the society, laws, and legacy of the Ottoman Empire; the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and Arabic.

Students may choose a research track with thesis or a general track without. Students in the general track sit for comprehensive exams at the end of their second year, while those in the research track write a dissertation on a topic of their choosing under the guidance of a member of the department's faculty. If you are interested this option, you are encouraged to review carefully our core faculty profiles, which list the research interests and approaches of each. You will be asked to identify a dissertation advisor from among our department's core faculty as part of the admissions process.

A unique and much-loved feature of the program is a yearly trip to a different Middle Eastern or North African country, for which students receive credit toward their degrees. Students are also an integral part of the department's academic activities, including conferences, workshops, seminars, and faculty book launches, as well as in its Middle East culture club, “Arabesque." You can learn more about the department's vibrant academic atmosphere on the other pages of this website.

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M. A Studies

Students have the choice of one of three study tracks:

1) General Middle Eastern Studies: courses whose focus are the history, societies, and cultures of the region, from the advent of Islam to the modern day.

2) Jews and Christians in Islamic Society: courses whose focus are the theologies and cultures of each religion, and the interactions and influences between them throughout their shared histories.

3) Arabic Language and Culture Studies: courses whose focus are various aspects of Arabic language, literature, and poetry, with an emphasis on the societies and cultural contexts in which they arose. Acceptance to this track requires prior knowledge of Arabic.

Degree Requierments

Courses in the M.A. program generally take place on a single day each week, allowing sufficient time for writing and research.

Requirements for the General Track:

A two-part compulsory methodological course, “Approaches and Methods in Middle East Studies I and II”

Eight seminars, five of which require short seminar papers, and three a longer, final seminar paper

A comprehensive final written examination

Requirements for the Research Track:

Four compulsory courses: “Approaches and Methods in Middle East Studies I and II”; “Writing a Research Proposal”; “Writing a Dissertation”; and a departmental seminar

Five departmental courses, three of which require short seminar papers, and two a final seminar paper

A written dissertation

For students who choose this option, 50 percent of their degree will comprise coursework and the other 50 percent their dissertation.

Apply to the Department of Middle East Studies’ M.A. Program

M.A Studies

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M. A Studies

Degree Requierments