Masters degrees in Middle Eastern Society & Culture Studies examine the social and cultural institutions, practices and movements originating from, or associated with, the Middle East. Countries include Israel, Cyprus, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and more.
Entry requirements normally include an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as Cultural Studies, Middle Eastern Studies or Languages and Literature.
This multidisciplinary degree focuses on the politics, religions, cultures and languages of the Middle East and North Africa. Current political events are covered in depth, alongside historical developments, paths towards democratisation, the role of gender dynamics and the interactions between religious authorities and civil society.
Core modules will introduce you to the complex intersections between Islam, culture and politics across the region. You’ll also choose from a range of optional modules, allowing you to explore issues such as Islam’s encounter with modernity in further depth, or to learn Arabic, Turkish or Persian from beginner level. Through your dissertation, you will carry out independent research on an aspect of the Middle East that particularly engages you.
This is a fascinating and unique opportunity to study and understand a diverse and complex region through a mix of approaches drawn from Area Studies (Middle East and North Africa), Islamic Studies and traditional disciplines including Politics, History and Law.
Specialist resources
At Leeds we have a wealth of resources to help you make the most of your studies. Our archives contain 500 Arabic manuscripts and 10,000 archaeological artefacts, ranging from Pharaonic to early Palestinian eras.
There are also extensive library resources in our world-class Brotherton Library, and our fully equipped Language Centre features digital language labs, audio-video practice booths and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) to help you develop your language skills.
We are committed to helping you to develop skills in critical reading, academic analysis and the presentation of your ideas and research and offer students dedicated sessions on these themes.
This programme is also available to study part-time.
Core modules will lay the foundations of the programme, introducing you to research methods and bibliography to prepare you for your own research and exploring the relationship between Islam, culture and politics in the Middle East and North Africa. You’ll then choose from a wide range of optional modules, allowing you to pursue your interests.
You’ll be expected to choose at least some modules in Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, which means you could learn Arabic, Persian or Turkish from scratch, explore Arab drama or media or study popular revolts and democracy.
However, you can also choose from relevant modules offered by the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science and the School of Politics and International Studies on topics such as Middle Eastern politics, the links between religion and global development or Muslims and multiculturalism among others.
By the end of the programme in September, you’ll be able to showcase the skills and knowledge you’ve developed when you research and write a dissertation on a topic of your choice.
If you choose to study part-time, you'll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.
Compulsory modules
To help you make the most of our tutors’ expertise, we use a range of teaching and learning methods. Most of your modules will involve lectures and weekly seminars where you’ll discuss your reading and research, while language modules will involve intensive practical classes in small groups.
Depending on the modules you choose, you may experience different forms of assessment. Usually these will include essays, exams, oral presentations, practical assessments and even seminar participation.
This programme will equip you with a deeper understanding of Islamic and Middle Eastern culture, as well political awareness and potentially language skills. You’ll also develop more sophisticated skills in areas such as research, analysis, interpretation and communication which are highly valued by employers in a wide range of careers.
Opportunities are available in a range of careers within and beyond the UK with a Middle Eastern or Islamic dimension. These include journalism, teaching, NGOs and the charity sector, cultural organisations, travel and tourism, business and finance, the media, marketing and advertising and the civil, security and diplomatic services.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
This two-year programme offers a unique opportunity for in-depth study of Arabic language, region-specific culture, history and politics. It is intended for students who already have some knowledge of the Arabic language (approximately 400 hours of previous study or CEF level B1 or B2).
This programme takes a combined and communicative approach to the language, teaching all the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in parallel, combining both spoken ‘dialect’ and more formal Modern Standard Arabic, bringing learners to an advanced level in all skills.
You will have access to some of the UK’s leading experts in the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and will experience a three-month immersion in language and culture in an Arabic-speaking country.
Graduates of the postgraduate Arabic programme at the department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies have gone on to use their language and regional expertise in a wide variety of roles, including business, government, charities and NGOs and academia.
The first eight months of the programme are delivered in Edinburgh, with a combination of language training, survey and option courses. You then spend three months at an approved institution in an Arab country, further developing your skills. The second year includes specialisation through further optional courses as well as training in research skills and extensive support in preparation for the final dissertation.
Compulsory courses:
Option courses can be chosen from those offered by IMES, from elsewhere within the School or across the University. Among these are:
Expertise in the Arabic language and Middle Eastern Studies are increasingly sought after. Graduates of this programme will be well-placed to use their language skills in - for example - business and commerce, governments, NGOs and charities, and academia.
Developed in the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) – a ground breaking UK government initiative established here at Edinburgh – and housed in the department of Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies (IMES), this two-year programme offers a unique opportunity for in-depth study of Arabic language and region-specific culture, history and politics.
Formed with the aim of creating the UK’s leading resource for Arab world expertise, the resources and high profile of CASAW and IMES will see you graduate with a strong and prestigious qualification.
You will have access to some of the UK’s leading experts in the field of Arab-world social and political sciences, arts and humanities, and will experience a four-month immersion in language and culture in an Arab country.
The first eight months of the programme are delivered in Edinburgh, with an intensive focus on language skills and a discursive core providing a survey of the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies. You then spend four months at an approved institution in an Arab country, further developing your skills. The second year includes training in research skills and completion of your dissertation. Throughout the programme you will participate in seminars and tutorials.
Compulsory courses:
Option courses can be chosen from those offered by IMES, from elsewhere within the School or across the University. Among these are:
By the end of this programme you will have:
As the West’s engagement with the Arab world deepens, graduates with expertise in the field are increasingly sought after. This degree will give you the opportunity to take your interest to the doctoral level with further research, and perhaps an academic career. You could also pursue a career in an area such as education, policy or any of the social sciences.
The International Master’s Degree Program in Israel studies offers students the opportunity to partake in an in-depth study of the State of Israel covering periods of the beginning of the Zionist movement to the present day. The course aims to elucidate the theoretical underpinnings of the Zionist project, communities of the Jewish diaspora and their relationship to the modern state of Israel, and the deep complexities of Israeli society in light of its multicultural character.
Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented growth of scholarly interest in Israeli history, politics, society and culture. Numerous programs, research centers and chair endowments in Israel Studies have been established in North America and Europe, adding a new, fresh and innovative dimension to existing programs in Judaic Studies. The Israel Studies program is designed for students who wish to deepen their understanding of the experiences of the Israeli population from a range of perspectives, against the wider backdrop of twentieth-century Jewish history, Middle Eastern politics and society.
The program will examine Israeli society from a variety of perspectives, including Aliyah and migration; economics and politics; culture, religion, history and the ties between Israel and Jewish communities abroad. The one-year program is taught in English over three consecutive semesters from October through August. Students wishing to pursue the thesis track will be required to submit a research thesis within one year of completing their coursework.
The field campus is one of the highlights of the program. Students, together with academic staff, spend three days in one of the country's historically rich regions. Locations include the Lower and Upper Galilee, the Negev, Jordan Valley, Beit She’an Valley, Jerusalem and its surroundings. Students engage in an exploration the areas' complexities, of both the past and present. Students meet public figures and Israeli citizens with the aim of developing dialogue and familiarity with Israeli society. The cost of the field campus is included in the tuition fee.
Hebrew and Arabic language courses are also available to students who are interested. Upon completion of the program, students will be awarded an MA in Israel Studies from the Faculty of Humanities and Department of Israel Studies.
Graduates of the program will be well placed to continue academic careers in their home countries both in Middle Eastern studies and the growing field of Israel studies specifically. They will also find the use for their studies in the fields of diplomacy and journalism; working for a variety of Israel-related NGOs, and points of cultural exchange between Israel and the world.
For the most recent list of courses, course description and schedule, please visit the program website.
The director of the Israel Studies department, Professor Gur Alroey, is also the director of the Israel Studies and 20th– century Jewish Histories (ISJH) International MA Program and the chair of the School of History at the University of Haifa. During the years 2009-2011 Alroey was a visiting professor at the Taub Center for Israel Studies at NYU and Schusterman fellow at Rutgers University. He has also authored a number of books related to Israel studies in both Hebrew and English, such as Seeking a Homeland: the Jewish Territorial Organization and its Struggle with the Zionist Movement, 1905-1925; Immigrants: Jewish Immigration to Palestine in the Early Twentieth Century and Bread to Eat & Clothes to Wear: Letters from Jewish Migrants in the Early Twentieth Century.
To explore the rest of the faculty members and their specializations please click here.
This program is eligible for Masa scholarship. For more scholarship information please visit the Program's Scholarships page.
Faculty scholarships are available up to $4,500US for eligible applicants. Please inquire when applying.
You will gain an advanced, interdisciplinary understanding of the history, modern politics and culture of the Islamic Middle East, and explore the paradigms behind the various disciplines within this field.
Recognised in the UK and internationally as a leading institution for research and undergraduate and postgraduate study, our department is well resourced. We are home to the Alwaleed Centre, part of an international network of centres devoted to the promotion of better mutual understanding between the World of Islam and the West. We boast an impressive library of current and archival material.
The programme will combine seminar work, oral presentations and essays. You will complete one compulsory course, two research courses and three option courses over two semesters, followed by an independently researched dissertation.
Your option courses can be chosen from within IMES or from other disciplines such as history, divinity, politics or international relations. You may also take additional language courses in introductory Persian, Turkish or Arabic.
Compulsory courses:
Option courses may include:
The aim of this programme is to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to advance to doctoral study, and perhaps an academic career. You may also choose to apply your skills to a role that involves the Islamic community, or use your transferable communication, research and other skills in an unrelated area.
You will gain an advanced, interdisciplinary understanding of the history, modern politics and culture of the Islamic Middle East, and explore the paradigms behind the various disciplines within this field.
Recognised in the UK and internationally as a leading institution for research and undergraduate and postgraduate study, our department is well resourced. We are home to the Alwaleed Centre, part of an international network of centres devoted to the promotion of better mutual understanding between the World of Islam and the West. We boast an impressive library of current and archival material.
The programme will combine seminar work, oral presentations and essays. You will complete one compulsory course, two research courses and three option courses over two semesters, followed by an independently researched dissertation.
Your option courses can be chosen from within IMES or from other disciplines such as history, divinity, politics or international relations. You may also take additional language courses in introductory Persian, Turkish or Arabic.
Compulsory courses:
Critical Readings in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
Research Skills and Methods in IMES
Research Methods and Problems in IMES
Option courses may include:
Ideology and Political Practice in the Modern Middle East
Islam in Modern Societies
Mystical Islam
Gender and Media in the Arab World
Cinema and Society in the Middle East
The aim of this programme is to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to advance to doctoral study, and perhaps an academic career. You may also choose to apply your skills to a role that involves the Islamic community, or use your transferable communication, research and other skills in an unrelated area.
Join one of our 16 International English-language Master’s programs at the University of Haifa
