Our M.A. Programs in International Studies

M.A. – Middle East Studies

The interdisciplinary M.A. program in Middle East Studies allows students take courses through the Jackson School of International Studies and other departments on campus. The course of studies provides a student with a thorough grounding in the modern Middle East and a view of how this region fits into the world community politically, historically and economically. To achieve this understanding, students take courses in the social sciences, humanities and a Middle Eastern language.

The Middle East Studies program offers a variety of courses. Courses on the economic development of the Middle East and advanced reading seminars on the region are given in the Jackson School. The Department of Political Science offers general courses about the government and politics of the Middle East as well as more specific offerings on theories of revolution in the Middle East and North Africa, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Faculty members in the Department of History also offer general courses on regional history and more specific courses on the expansion of Islam, the modern Middle East, and Ottoman history.

In addition to the social science-history focus, students must take courses beyond the second-year level in a Middle Eastern language. The four major Middle Eastern languages – Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish – are taught in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization. Through the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, students may take courses in Islamic civilization, Islamic philosophy, Islamic law and jurisprudence and the Quran.

Students may combine their work on a masters degree in Middle East Studies with study in a professional school. The student may count two courses taken in the graduate schools of Business Administration, Library and Information Science, Public Affairs or the School of Law toward the MAIS degree. In the same manner, students may apply two non-Middle East courses from a social science discipline toward the degree.

Danny Hoffman, Interim Chair

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted by January 31 for admittance to the autumn quarter cohort. We only accept students into the M.A. program during autumn quarter.

You can find information about the application requirements and process on our website.

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2025-2026 HANDBOOK

Our handbook serves as a compilation of UW and Jackson School resources for students and a reference guide containing the school’s academic requirements, deadlines, policies, and procedures. You are responsible for knowing and adhering to the contents of this handbook. Any questions about this handbook can be directed to the appropriate adviser as listed in the general advising section.

We encourage you to seek out and take full advantage of the opportunities all over the UW campus as well.

Information about advising, M.A. degree requirements, curriculum requirements, language requirement, capstone research paper(s), and a timeline to finish the degree in 1 or 2 years is included below.

  1. General Advising
  2. M.A. Degree Requirements
  3. Course of Study
  4. Capstone Research Paper(s) and Oral Exam
  5. Prerequisites and Language Proficiency
  6. Model Timelines for Completing the Degree

In addition, you will find more information about policies, procedures and other resources related to the program on the following webpages:

  1. Concurrent Degrees
  2. Graduate Certificates
  3. Tuition & Funding
  4. UW Academic Policies
  5. Graduation Processes
  6. Other Resources

GENERAL ADVISING

The Jackson School staff and faculty offer a variety of support and guidance to prospective and current students.

Professor Danny Hoffman is the Interim Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) for our M.A. in Middle East Studies. As the GPC, Dr. Hoffman serves as the academic adviser for the program. Please meet with him at least once per year to review your course of study and request any necessary approvals required. After you have formed your supervisory committee in your second year, your committee chair also advises you. Please see the section titled supervisory committee for more information on your committee’s role, duties, and your responsibility to it.

Jesús Hidalgo is the Graduate Program Adviser (GPA) for all our graduate programs. He will advise you regarding degree requirements, academic planning, policies and procedures, and graduation. Please meet with him at least once per year to ensure you are on track to graduate. >

The adviser-student relationship implies mutual responsibility. Faculty and staff advisers have office hours over Zoom and in person, where you can drop by to talk, and they may also be available by appointment at other times. Students are responsible for seeking out faculty and staff either during office hours or by making appointments. Please be proactive about your advising and ask early for the assistance that you need.

If you find yourself struggling academically, meet with the GPC or GPA to discuss your options.

Other advisers

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M.A. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Students receive the M.A. degree when they have fulfilled the following requirements:

  1. Complete curriculum requirements, including thirty-six (36) credits of graduate level work (400-level classes and above, of which eighteen credits must be 500-level and above), not including language classes;
  2. Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above;
  3. Complete two Middle East language classes above the second year;
  4. Complete either a thesis or two article-length papers under faculty supervision;
  5. Pass the oral exam; and
  6. Comply with the rules and regulations of the UW Graduate School.

All degree requirements must be met within six years of the start of your program. This time limit includes leaves ofabsence. Under extraordinary circumstances this limit may be extended with the agreement of your GPC and GPA.

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COURSE OF STUDY

A summary of the curriculum is provided below. A detailed description of the entire program curriculum, policies and procedures can be found in the Middle East Studies handbook.

Recommended courses: The MES program recommends students take the following series of courses in their first year. This sequence of courses, taught by faculty experts on the region, exposes students to the thematic, intellectual, and professional field of Middle East Studies and introduces them to faculty at the UW who conduct research on the MENA region.

  • JSIS A 544 Colloquium in Middle East Studies (2 credits) in autumn quarter
  • JSIS A 545 Reading Seminar in Middle East Studies (2 credits) in winter quarter
  • JSIS A 546 Professional Development for Middle East Studies (2 credits) in spring quarter

20 credits on the modern Middle East These credits must be distributed across at least two disciplines in either the social sciences or the humanities.

1 approved Jackson School course This course does not necessarily focus on the Middle East.

2 courses in a discipline or profession The purpose of this requirement is to give you the opportunity to develop some expertise in the theory and methodology of a discipline or profession. This is useful for students planning to pursue a Ph.D. or completing a concurrent degree. These courses do not have to be on the Middle East.

* If you decide to write a thesis, you must add nine (9) extra 700-level credits to the minimum 36 graduate credits you need to accumulate to finish the degree.

** If approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator, up to five (5) 400-level credits taken at the Jackson School as an undergraduate student can be counted towards the 38 graduate credits you have to accumulate for your M.A. degree.

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CAPSTONE RESEARCH PAPER(S) AND ORAL EXAM

Students can complete either a thesis or two separate research papers. Each student must form a supervisory committee to advise them during their work and assess their completed work. You should consult what option you would like to select with the GPC initially and then regularly with your supervisory committee members for guidance in research and writing.

Thesis

This option is designed for students who wish to undertake a major research project that involves extensive use of primary sources. Generally, work on the thesis begins in a graduate seminar.

A thesis is typically about 20,000 words long; the majority of the text is dedicated to the student’s original analysis and commentary. You can find accepted theses from prior years in the Middle East Center.

You must register for at least nine JSIS 700: Master’s Thesis credits to complete this option. Your supervisory committee chair generally supervises and submits grades for these credits. You can take them all in one quarter or spread out over several quarters.

Two papers

Alternatively, students may choose to write two research papers expanding on papers written for their seminar classes. At least one paper must relate to the Middle East and the second should have some relevance to your overall program and career objectives.

Each research paper is typically about 8,000 words long.

You should aim to develop two papers that are of publishable quality, in terms of originality, quality of research, style, and length. Ask your supervisory committee to review your papers early, in case they ask you to rewrite one or both of them.

These papers are not merely term papers written for a class, but they may be thoroughly revised versions of such.

ORAL EXAM

The final oral exam is based on the thesis or two research papers, any implications of your topic(s), and its relevance to global trends. All exams are different and you should ask your committee about your exam specifically. Below is an example of how the exam may be structured.

At the start of the exam, students are asked to step out of the exam room, while the committee members deliberate about the student’s candidacy and the line of questioning they will pursue. Students are expected to prepare a brief, ten- to twenty-minute presentation about their research projects. Following these deliberations, committee members will ask the student questions for about forty-five to sixty minutes. The student will then leave the room while the committee deliberates on the results of the oral exam. Following their second deliberation, the chair will invite the student back to the exam room to inform them of the results of their exam.

You will take your oral exam with your supervisory committee during the quarter you intend to graduate.

Committee members may award distinction to students with outstanding performance in their written work (essay or two papers) as well as in their oral exam. The following two categories of distinction will be awarded to students for their overall body of work and with unanimous consent of all committee members.

  • High Pass: A High Pass will be awarded to students who (1) showed overall mastery of material in their thesis or, whose two papers exhibit a close to publishable quality; and (2) delivered an impressive performance during their oral exam that showed substantial theoretical and empirical knowledge of their fields of study.
  • Honors: Honors will be awarded to students who (1) showed excellent mastery of material in their thesis or, whose two papers are of publishable quality; and (2) delivered an outstanding performance during their oral exam that showed excellent and broadly situated theoretical as well as empirical knowledge of their respective fields of study in the context of international affairs.

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PREREQUISITES & LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Language study is an essential part of the program. Courses in Middle East language and literature are offered by the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Civilization. First and second year language courses are usually available in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish. All students must complete three 3 credit or two 5 credit courses beyond the second year in a Middle East language.

Students with minimal background in a Middle East language may wish to take first-year in their first year, intensive second-year during the summer term, then third-year in the second year.

If you believe you are at or beyond the required language level but do not have a transcript to show this, you should arrange to take a proficiency exam. Do this early before you start your first quarter in the program; if your exam results do not show the required proficiency, you will need time to take the appropriate coursework.

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MODEL TIMELINE FOR COMPLETING IN TWO YEARS

This timeline is for students who have no prior training in a language. It is intended to be a guideline and model for courses taken as a full-time M.A. student, not a required path for all students. It is also different than the path concurrent students will take. This model includes JSIS 700 credits, required for students writing a thesis. If you are not writing a thesis, please fill these spots with other credits.

YEAR 1

  • Autumn (12 credits: 7 graduate cr + 5 language cr):
    • Language Year 101 (5 cr)
    • JSIS A 544 (2 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)
  • Winter (12 credits: 7 graduate cred + 5 language cred):
    • Language Year 102 (5 cr)
    • JSIS A 545 (2 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)
  • Spring (12 credits: 7 graduate cr + 5 language cr):
    • Language Year 103 (5 cr)
    • JSIS A 546 (2 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)

YEAR 2:

  • Autumn (15 credits: 10 graduate cr + 5 language cr):
    • Language Year 201 (5 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)
    • Discipline/Professional Class or JSIS Class (5 cr)
  • Winter (14 credits: 5 graduate cr + 5 language cr + 4 thesis cr):
    • Language Year 202 (5 cr)
    • Discipline/Professional Class or JSIS Class (5 cr)
    • JSIS 700 (4 cr)
  • Spring (15 credits: 5 graduate cr + 5 language cr + 5 thesis cr):
    • Language Year 203 (5 cr)
    • Seminar (5 cr)
    • JSIS 700 (5 cr)

* If approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator, up to five (5) 400-level credits taken at the Jackson School as an undergraduate student can be counted towards the 38 graduate credits you have to accumulate for your M.A. degree.

MODEL TIMELINE FOR COMPLETING IN ONE YEAR

This timeline is for students who have prior training in a language. It is intended to be a guideline and model for courses taken as a full-time M.A. student, not a required path for all students. It is also different than the path concurrent students will take. This model does not include JSIS 700 credits, required for students writing a thesis.

  • Autumn (12 graduate credits):
    • JSIS A 544 (2 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)
    • Discipline/Professional Class or JSIS Class (5 cr)
  • Winter (12 graduate credits):
    • JSIS A 545 (2 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)
    • Discipline/Professional Class or JSIS Class (5 cr)
  • Spring (12 graduate credits):
    • JSIS A 546 (2 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)
    • Middle East Seminar (5 cr)

* If approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator, up to five (5) 400-level credits taken at the Jackson School as an undergraduate student can be counted towards the 38 graduate credits you have to accumulate for your M.A. degree.

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HANDBOOKS

M.A. in Middle East Studies Handbook 2023-24

M.A. in Middle East Studies Handbook 2022-23

AFFILIATED CENTERS

The Jackson School houses 14 outreach centers. These centers provide opportunities for educators, students, and the community to learn about the world. Some of them have specific scholarship opportunities and other resources that may be useful. Here are those you might find particularly useful:

MIDDLE EAST CENTER STROUM CENTER FOR JEWISH STUDIES