Graduate Programs
The graduate programs in Middle Eastern Studies encompasses a wide variety of critical methodologies and approaches to the Middle East. Guiding students to conceptualize the Middle East regionally instead of limiting them to a narrow scope of nation- and language-based inquiry, the graduate programs encourage comparative study of the cultures, histories, and languages of the Middle East. In keeping with its open and flexible conception of Middle Eastern Studies, the programs nurture the study of more than one Middle Eastern language and familiarity with multiple Middle Eastern cultures. Course offerings are also widely varied, as are the topics of master’s theses/reports and doctoral dissertations. UT's MES graduate programs embrace an inclusive view of the field, ensuring its continued leadership and visibility in the field.
Our graduate programs in Middle Eastern Studies have among the strongest job placement records in the College of Liberal Arts. Our doctoral program placed 93% of their Ph.D. graduates in academic positions, with the college average being 75%. Although graduate programs in Middle Eastern Studies are not ranked officially in national reviews, we are nationally and internationally recognized as an academically excellent program which supports its students during their studies and places them in appropriate positions upon graduation. University reports have also identified that the placement rate of area studies departments, such as MELC, have higher academic placement rates than disciplinary departments in the Social Sciences and Humanities.
Fall 2020 applications are open. All tracks are accepting applications. Apply here!
Ph.D. Program
The graduate program in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures aims to educate and mentor scholars and teachers of the languages and cultures of the Middle East with the depth to support a sustained research career and the breadth to teach a range of courses on Middle Eastern topics. Students select a field of study from among the following:
Hebrew Bible / Ancient Near East Track
The HB/ANE track is designed to immerse students in the critical, academic study of the Hebrew Bible in its ancient Near Eastern context.
Middle Eastern Literatures and Cultures Track
This track provides graduate students with comprehensive and in-depth training in Middle Eastern literary and cultural production. The course of study is engaged within and across national and linguistic boundaries, disciplines, genres, and historical periods. Students are trained in comparative and theoretical approaches to literature, film, and media.
Middle Eastern History Track
The Middle Eastern History track provides students with training in the discipline of History, with a geographic focus on the Middle East region, with the primary goal of training Ph.D.s for academic jobs in history programs.
Islamic Studies Track
The doctoral program in Islamic Studies at UT Austin provides in-depth multidisciplinary training in the study of Islam coupled with a strong grounding in languages and theoretical approaches in religious studies.
Linguistics Track
For those interested in linguistics, this track offers courses in theoretical linguistics. Theoretical interests of faculty include comparative Semitics, dialectology, historical linguistics, language contact, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, and syntax.
Master's Programs
The MA in Middle Eastern Studies is an interdisciplinary academic degree designed to broaden and deepen the student’s knowledge of the languages and cultures of the Middle East.
Middle Eastern Studies
Our MA program sustains a consistent level of attention to the breadth of the study of the Middle East. Ensuring breadth in the MES graduate curriculum, faculty consistently offer courses in their respective areas of expertise in relation to the Middle East region. Their courses originate in diverse fields, including art history, Asian studies, history, sociology, government, anthropology, and religious studies.
Dual Master's Programs
Master's of Middle Eastern Studies / Master's of Global Policy
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs offer a dual degree program leading to two graduate degrees, the Master of Global Policy Studies (MGPS) degree and the Master of Arts (MA) in Middle Eastern Studies. The dual-degree combines advanced studies of globalization with a focus on the politics, history, economy, and cultures of the Middle East.
Master's of Middle Eastern Studies / Master's of Public Affairs
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies offer a joint program leading to the Master of Public Affairs and the Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies. The program combines advanced policy studies with interdisciplinary area studies, responding to an increased need in both public and private sectors for policy specialists with a thorough understanding of the economics, geography, history, and culture of the Middle East and North Africa.
Master's of Middle Eastern Studies / Master's of Communication
Journalism or Radio-Television-Film
The College of Communication and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies offer joint programs leading to the Master of Arts in Journalism or Radio-Television-Film (RTF) and the Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies. This program combines advanced communication studies with interdisciplinary area studies and language courses. It responds to the increasing need for communication specialists with a thorough understanding of the culture, economics, geography, history, and politics of the Middle East and North Africa.
Master's of Middle Eastern Studies / Master's of Information Sciences
In conjunction with the School of Information, we offer a program in which a student can work toward the joint degrees of Master of Science in Information Studies and Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies in three academic years. The goal of this program is to train professionals who combine library and information expertise with an understanding of the cultures and societies of the Middle East and North Africa and Middle Eastern language skills.
Master's of Middle Eastern Studies / Doctor of Jurisprudence
The program combines the study of law with interdisciplinary area studies and language courses. It responds to the increased need in both the public and private sectors for legal specialists with a thorough understanding of the economics, geography, history, politics, and culture of the Middle East and North Africa.
