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Middle Eastern Studies: Modern Middle East Studies

This e-guide is still being updated. More courses may be added shortly.

Students with disabilities

The university is committed to supporting and accommodating students with disabilities as stated in the university protocol (especially pages 3-5). Students should contact Fenestra Disability Centre at least four weeks before the start of their courses to ensure that all necessary academic accomodations can be made in time conform the abovementioned protocol.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to be familiar with Leiden University policies on plagiarism and academic integrity. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you submit any work with your name affixed to it, it is assumed to be your own work with all sources used properly indicated and documented in the text (with quotations and/or citations).

Start in Fall

Note that ‘ Semester 1’ stands for Fall semester and ‘ Semester 2’ for Spring semester.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Fall Semester

Common Core Course

Choose one of the following two courses:

Theories and Methods of Middle East and Islamic Studies 1 10
Theories and Methods of Middle East and Islamic Studies 2 10

Specialisation Course I:

Choose one of the following two courses:

The Middle East in the International Political Economy 10
International Relations of the Middle East and Asia (IRMEA) 10

Specialisation Course II:

Choose one or two (LAT 1-2 or LAA 1-2 or LAP 1-2 or LAMH 1-2) of the following courses with a total of 10 EC:

Literature and Politics in the Persian-speaking World 10
From Inkwell to Internet: Text and Transmission in the Muslim World 10
Material Culture, Memory and Commemoration along the Silk Roads in Central Asia 10
Narratives that Matter: Literature, Film and Television Drama in Turkey 10
Modern Standard Arabic 1 5
Modern Standard Arabic 2 5
Language Acquisition Persian 1 5
Language Acquisition Persian 2 5
Beginner's Turkish 1 5
Beginner's Turkish 2 5
Language Acquisition Modern Hebrew 1 5
Language Acquisition Modern Hebrew 2 5

Spring Semester

Common Core Courses

MA Thesis Middle Eastern Studies 20
Thesis Seminar in Middle East and Islamic Studies (Spring) 0

Specialisation Course III

Choose one of the following three courses:

Developments in the Modern Middle East 10
International Relations in the Middle East: Regional Struggle and Great Power Rivalry after the Cold War 10
Nation States and Great-power Rivalry in the Middle East: from World War I to the Cold War 10

Fall Semester (additional)

Extra-curricular

An internship does not count towards the degree.

Internship MA Middle Eastern Studies

Start in Spring

Note that ‘ Semester 1’ stands for Fall semester and ‘ Semester 2’ for Spring semester.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Spring Semester

Common Core Course

Theories and Methods of Middle East and Islamic Studies 3 10

Specialisation Course I

Choose one of the following two courses:

Developments in the Modern Middle East 10
International Relations in the Middle East: Regional Struggle and Great Power Rivalry after the Cold War 10

Specialisation Course II

Choose one of the following two courses:

Anthropology of Muslim Societies 10
Nation States and Great-power Rivalry in the Middle East: from World War I to the Cold War 10

Fall Semester

Common Core Courses

MA Thesis Middle Eastern Studies 20
Thesis Seminar in Middle East and Islamic Studies (Fall) 0

Specialisation Course III

Choose one of the following courses:

The Ottoman Empire and Turkey (1908 - 1945) 10
From Inkwell to Internet: Text and Transmission in the Muslim World 10
Literature and Politics in the Persian-speaking World 10
Narratives that Matter: Literature, Film and Television Drama in Turkey 10
International Relations of the Middle East and Asia (IRMEA) 10
The Middle East in the International Political Economy 10

Spring Semester (additional)

Extra-curricular

An internship does not count towards the degree.

Internship MA Middle Eastern Studies

Meer info

Objectives
Structure
Contact Information

Objectives

The multidisciplinary approach to a geographical area, the Middle East and North Africa, throughout history is characteristic of this programme. Using the rich collections of the University Library and other institutions the programme incorporates both the long textual tradition of Leiden University and the most up-to-date theories and approaches of history, literature, linguistics and the social sciences.

Programme

Structure

The master’s programme in Middle Eastern Studies consists of two semesters, each consisting of 30 EC. In the first semester students follow three courses of 10 EC each. In the second semester students take one more 10 EC course and write their MA-Thesis (20 EC).

In the first semester all students take the course ‘Theories and Methods of Middle East and Islamic Studies’ (10 EC). In this course the emphasis lies on the relevance (or lack thereof) of contemporary theories, concepts and models from the social sciences for the study of the Middle East. Students are familiarised with a variety of methods to obtain and interpret information from different types of sources. In addition to this common course, students take two courses which are specific to their specialisation.

In the second semester students of the specialisations Arabic, Persian, Islamic, Israel and Modern Middle East Studies continue their studies at Leiden University taking one more course of 10 EC. These students take part in the ‘Thesis Seminar in Middle East and Islamic Studies’ in which the students present their ongoing research.
Students of the specialisation Turkish Studies spend the second semester at a partner university in Turkey or complete their coursework at Leiden University taking courses up to a weight of 10 EC.
All students, including those studying abroad, also work on their MA-Thesis (20 ects) during the second semester.

Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

In order to graduate, students must have successfully completed the 60 EC programme including their MA-Thesis as a component of that programme. The thesis carries 20 EC, and as a rule should not exceed a maximum of 20,000 words including notes, bibliography and appendices. The thesis is preferably supervised by a lecturer of the School of Middle Eastern Studies who possesses the appropriate expertise in the field addressed in the thesis. The Department ensures that students are put in contact with a lecturer for thesis supervision, preferably at the commencement of the programme. More details on the procedures regarding the MA-Thesis can be found in the course description.

Specialisations

The MA programme in Middle Eastern Studies offers the following specialisations:

Arabic Studies
Islamic Studies
Modern Middle East Studies
Persian Studies
Turkish Studies Israel Studies

Contact Information

Mailing address

MA Middle Eastern Studies programme
Secretariat Vrieshof 4, rm 112a
P.O.Box 9515
2300 RA Leiden
The Netherlands

Visiting address (also address for courier services)

Matthias de Vrieshof 4, 2311BZ Leiden
Witte Singel 25, 2311BG Leiden

Secretariat

Matthias de Vrieshof 4, room 112a
Phone +31 (0)71 527 2253
E-mail osz-oa-Vrieshof@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Openinghours

Coordinator/Student adviser

N.A.N.M. van Os, PhD
Phone: +31 (0)71 527 2937
E-mail: stucovrieshof@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Office hours: upon appointment on Mondays (until 13.00 hs), Tuesdays, Wednesdays