Degree Requirements

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies offers an interdisciplinary Master of Arts program designed for students who wish to use their knowledge of the Middle East in careers other than university teaching and research. The program is also suitable for students considering an academic career who have not had the appropriate academic background for direct entrance into a doctoral program. Language and area studies preparation may be supplemented by relevant course work in a professional school or department. Students may be admitted to the Master of Arts program in either the Division of the Social Sciences or the Humanities and will receive the degree from the division through which they have registered. Students with significant previous training in Middle Eastern or Islamic studies who wish to earn a doctoral degree leading to careers in research and college or university teaching should apply for admission directly to one of the graduate doctoral departments or committees of the University.

There are two tracks—modern and ancient—for the MA program in Middle Eastern Studies. The modern program covers the time period from the rise of Islam until the present. The ancient track, offered in collaboration with the faculty of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, focuses on the cultures and languages of the ancient Near East. The application process, degree requirements, and the rules and conditions for financial aid are similar for both programs.

Program Requirements

The requirements are satisfactory completion of:

  • Six quarters of a Middle Eastern (ancient or modern) language (through at least two year proficiency);
  • One quarter core colloquium: Approaches to the Study of the Middle East, or Approaches to the Study of the Ancient Near East;
  • Three quarters of an approved integrated Middle Eastern survey course.
  • For ancient students, three survey courses in the History, Archaeology and Cultures of the Ancient Near East (see below under “Core Courses”)
  • Eight courses in relevant electives;
  • A master’s thesis.

Only courses taken for a quality grade count toward fulfilling the requirements. No P or R grades will be accepted.

Elective courses may concentrate on one area or explore several of the fields of ancient or modern Middle Eastern studies such as, for example, Archaeology, Cuneiform Studies, Egyptology, Semitic linguistics, Arabic, Persian or Turkish literature, as well as related disciplines such as Art History, Anthropology, Classics, History, Linguistics, Political Science and Sociology.

Typical Two-Year Program

Year 1

Fall

  • Language
  • Survey Course
  • Core Course

Winter

  • Language
  • Survey Course
  • Elective

Spring

  • Language
  • Survey Course
  • Elective

Year 2

Fall

  • Language
  • Elective
  • Elective

Winter 

  • Language 
  • Elective
  • Thesis

Spring

  • Language
  • Elective
  • Thesis
Language

Placement interviews will be given so that entering students may register for courses at the appropriate level of instruction. The languages offered include: Akkadian, Arabic, Armenian, Egyptian (Ancient), Hebrew (classical and modern), Hittite, Persian, Sumerian, Turkish, and Uzbek.

Core Courses

For the modern track MA, all students are required to take the core colloquium Approaches to the Study of Middle East (CMES 30001). Students must enroll in the following three quarter sequence: Islamic Civilization I, II, III (NEHC 30201, 30202, 30203 / ISLM 30201, 30202, 30203 / HIST 35621, 35622, 35623). For the ancient track MA, students are required to take the core colloquium Approaches to the Study of the Ancient Near East and must enroll in at least three survey courses in the History, Archaeology and Cultures of the Ancient Near East, covering at least three different geographic areas (Egypt and Nubia; Mesopotamia; Anatolia; the Levant; Iran; etc.). Relevant courses are listed on the website of the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (https://nelc.uchicago.edu/courses) at the beginning of each academic year. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the Faculty Advisor for the CMES Ancient Track MA.

Students are required to submit a master’s thesis that should deal with a problem relevant to the student’s intended career and should give evidence of the specialized disciplinary aspects of his or her training. The student’s program adviser and a faculty member with special interest in the subject of the paper will guide the research and writing of the paper and judge whether it exhibits proof of competence in the field. During the writing of the paper, the student may register for a thesis preparation or reading and research course. The thesis title will be listed on the student’s transcript.