The M.A. program in Near Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona offers a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum in which students develop proficiency in at least one Near Eastern language and enroll in courses that examine Middle Eastern History, Islamic Studies, and Gender Studies.  They also engage in a critical examination of contemporary ideas and methodologies in the field of Near Eastern Studies. 

Students Choose Either
(1) Thesis Track or (2) General Middle East Track

Thesis Track requires a thesis (NES 910) plus three years of a Middle Eastern Language. General Track requires a department paper (NES 909) plus two years of a Middle Eastern language.

Students are advised to have completed the equivalent of NES 277A (History of the Middle East 600-1453) and NES 277B (History of the Middle East: Modern Middle East) and NES 334 (Islamic Thought) or equivalent coursework prior to enrollment in the M.A. program.  Any deficiencies should be fulfilled during the student’s first year of graduate work.

No more than six graduate units from institutions other than the UA can be transferred toward a degree program; and must be approved by the Graduate Advisor.

Students may apply three units of Independent Study (599, 699, 799) to their degree requirements.  All Independent Study units must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Studies. In exceptional circumstances, the Director of Graduate Studies (Leila Hudson, lhudson@email.arizona.edu) may approve an additional three units of Independent Study. 

Courses outside the department (not cross listed with NES) may be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies on a case-by-case basis.

First and second year language units cannot be applied to the total number of units required for the degree, unless they are at the 500-level.  There is one exception to this rule: In the General Middle East Studies Track, 500-level dialect classes cannot be applied to the total number of units required for the degree if they are being used to fulfill the Near Eastern Language requirement (see General Middle East Studies track for more information).

Students who have native or near-native fluency in a Near Eastern Language must take 6 units of that language in advanced linguistics or literature courses if they wish to fulfill their Near Eastern Language requirement with the language in which they are fluent.