Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science
Ari'el, Israel
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
14 Aug 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
26 Oct 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 5,380 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* attached to CPI - international students; USD 3,847 attached to CPI - Israeli citizens
Introduction
The Department of Middle Eastern Studies – Political Science at Ariel University offers a unique MA degree that combines Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science.
Ariel University’s MA Program in Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science is proud of its faculty which is comprised of top scholars in the field and its dynamic and diverse participants who have come from all corners of the world to explore their shared passion for the Middle East and all its fascinating components: political, religious, ethnic and national diversity, the status of women, and countless more. Discussions and topics are student-driven and pulled from classic and contemporary issues and are as varied as they are fascinating, all while advancing research objectives.
The Middle East unquestionably is one of the most discussed and media-covered regions in the world. Regardless of where you call home, whether the Middle East itself or the most remote spot on the planet, events in this region will have an impact on your life. It is fair to say that the entire global agenda begins and ends in the Middle East.
In addition to the Program’s Arabic language requirement, in the first year participants will study classical and conversational Persian and/or Turkish. Imagine engaging texts in the original Persian, or speaking to merchants while wandering the Great Bazaar in Istanbul! The research you pursue in the Program will transform your status from bystander to participant and make you among the most informed on the Middle East.
We invite you to be amongst the next generation of Orientalists, to have your voice heard in the literary or political realms, unlocking the secret beauty of texts or shaping policy and setting the agenda for this dynamic and pivotal region. The journey is yours to create.
Curriculum
The study program for the MA degree is based upon the theoretical and practical knowledge that links the two different but complementary worlds of the Middle East and Political Science and this acknowledgment of the link between these worlds is what forms the basis for developing the ability to carry out more profound research. Like the BA program which uses an interdisciplinary approach, the MA curriculum will place its emphasis on a range of research areas involving the Middle East which will include studies in Political Science involving Israeli politics, international relations, conflict studies, security studies, and even Arabic literature and culture.
Students will be expected to become proficient in developing and applying advanced methodological tools and to acquire an additional Middle Eastern language (Persian or Turkish) and/or to seriously broaden the knowledge of the Arabic they acquired during their BA studies.
The students in the program will be expected to utilize their analytical and research abilities when dealing with issues involving the past and present of the Middle East. It is important to note that this unique model in Israel already exists in similar ways in leading academic institutions throughout the world that offer MA degrees in Middle Eastern Studies and, overtly or covertly, assimilate important layers of Political Science studies into the unique study programs they develop.
Year 1 (both tracks – with or without thesis)
- Historiography, Theory, and Modern Middle Eastern Research Methodology
- The Arab-Israeli Conflict and its Place in the History of the Zionist Movement
- Middle Eastern Diaspora Communities in the West
- Persian or Turkish
Total credit points for Years 1 – 20
Year 2 – Thesis track Year
- Institutions of Government and Society in the Middle East
- Legislatures and Political Processes in a Comparative View
- Thesis
Total credit points for Year 2 Thesis track – 16 credit points
Year 2 Non-thesis track
- Institutions of Government and Society in the Middle East
- Legislatures and Political Processes in a Comparative View
- Intelligence Challenges in the new era
- State-Society Relations as Mirrored in Arabic Literature
- Gender and Sexual Politics in the Middle East
- Culture, Beauty, and Sexuality in Iran
Total credit points for Year 2 Non-thesis track - 16 credits
Career Opportunities
A Master’s Degree from the Ariel University Department of Middle Eastern Studies & Political Science provides graduates with a variety of exciting employment or academic paths.
The program requires students to gain fluency in English, Arabic, and Persian preparing our graduates for work throughout the Middle East–and beyond.
Demand for the talented, multi-lingual graduates from our challenging program is very high in a breadth of fields:
- Diplomacy
- Consulting
- Politics
- Think Tanks
- Industry
- Academics
- Business Analyst
- Security
Students who excel in their studies have the option of continuing their studies and pursue a Ph.D. at Ariel University or leading Israeli or foreign universities.