Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

The master’s program in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures offers graduate training in the following core areas within the Department:

• Arabic
• Modern Hebrew
• Persian
• Comparative Middle Eastern Literatures
• Arabic or Semitic linguistics
• Islamic Studies
• Middle Eastern cultures

The program trains students in research methods for independent investigation, and helps students build the linguistic, textual, and writing skills necessary for academic and professional careers.  Students entering the program choose a field of specialization and, in consultation with a faculty mentor, design a coherent program of study including four courses in that area and twelve hours of supporting coursework.  In the second year of study, students take six hours of thesis coursework.  The MA degree is awarded upon completion of the degree requirements and the advisor’s approval of the MA thesis.

Degree Requirements

A Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures requires 30 hours of coursework, including 6 hours of thesis coursework culminating in an accepted MA thesis.   

Admission Requirements

Admission to the master's program in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures requires a bachelor's degree in a Middle Eastern or related field and demonstrated language proficiency and academic writing abilities in English.  Students of living languages are expected to have completed three years of college-level language study, or the equivalent, and to have reached advanced (Arabic  and Persian) or intermediate-high (Modern Hebrew) on a nationally recognized scale.

GPA Requirement

All students must maintain a minimum 3.50 GPA in order to remain in good standing.  If a student happens to fall between a 3.00 - 3.50 in a given semester, he/she will enter probation and have one semester to bring their grades back above a 3.50.  Failure to do so could result in dismissal from the program.  Students must possess at least a 3.50 in order to graduate from the program.