Course descriptionThe Center for Middle Eastern Studies offers the Master of Arts with a major in Middle Eastern studies, an interdisciplinary professional degree with a regional concentration on the Middle East. The degree is intended primarily for those preparing for a career in business, communication, government, information studies, law, the military, or community college teaching. There is a good deal of flexibility in meeting degree requirements; each student, in consultation with the graduate adviser, designs an individual program within the framework of the requirements.
Students interested in a master’s degree in a single discipline with a concentration on the Middle East should contact the graduate adviser for that discipline; for example, the student might major in anthropology, art history, business, classics, comparative literature, economics, geography, government, history, linguistics, or sociology.
The Department of Middle Eastern Studies administers the degree programs in Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian. The master’s degree is offered in language, linguistics, and literature and in cultural studies in the student’s area of concentration. The doctoral degree is offered in Arabic language, linguistics, pedagogy, and literature; in Hebrew language, linguistics, literature, and biblical archaeology; and in Persian language and literature.
With the approval of the graduate adviser and the graduate dean, students may design special programs that include courses from outside the department that are related to their major area of study. Graduate courses are offered in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish languages and literatures, Islamic and Jewish studies, and in the cultures of the Middle East. The study of these languages, literatures, and cultures may also be included in programs leading to master’s or doctoral degrees in other fields