The MSc/Dip in the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies programme aims to provide an advanced, interdisciplinary understanding of the history, politics and culture of the Middle East at the postgraduate level while catering to the specific interests of candidates in the medieval or modern periods. It is also suitable for those wishing to acquire grounding in the methods and skills necessary for further research in the field. This is a 12 month programme although part-time study is possible. Students are not expected to have any prior Middle Eastern language competence but the opportunity of taking Arabic, Persian or Turkish is available.
For admission to the MScT IMES programme, the Department normally requires an undergraduate masters degree with the equivalent of a final mark of 2:1 or better. Non-native speakers of English must normally attain a 7 in the IELTS test (or TOEFL equivalents).
The programme is composed of the following elements:
A. Core Courses: Approaches to Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (Autumn semester) and Advanced Issues in the Middle East (Spring semester) meet 2 hours per week. Each course is worth 20 credits.
B. Research component: Research Skills and Methods, a 20 credit course, is held during the first week of the Autumn semester and assessed by a research bibliography on a pass/fail basis. This course is organised by the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. In the Spring semester Research Problems and Methods in IMES course engages more specifically with the discussion of methodogical issues and planning and development of the dissertation.
C. Options: Two options from the following list (subject to availability), each worth 20 credits and each meeting 2 or 3 hours per week over 10 weeks.
(i) IMES options include:
An Introduction to Twelver Shi'ism
Cinemas of the Middle East
Diasporas of the Middle East
Early Islamic Political Thought
The Harem and the Body: Space and Gender in Middle Eastern Literatures
Christian-Muslim Relations and the Relationship between the World of Islam and the West
Ideology and Political Practice in the Modern Middle East
Jihad: Theory and Practice
Mystical Islam
The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Liberty, Land and People
The Contribution of al-Ghazali to Classical Islamic Thought
the History of Islamicate Medicine
For a complete list of IMES options running in 2011-12 click here
(ii) Outside options include:
Divinity
History
- The Armenian Genocide
- Post-Colonial South Asia
- Ancient Persia - The Achaemenid Dynasty
- Italy and the Mediterranean from Constantine to the Crusades
- Clash of Empires and Religious Conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean World from Justinian to Iconoclasm c. 550-800
- India 1700-1947: Raj, Rebellion and Ryot
History of Art
- Islam and Art
- Medieval Islamic Painting
- Mosques, Palaces and Gardens in the Golden Age of Islam
- Persian Painting
- The Rise of Islamic Art: Transforming the Classical Heritage
- Royal iconography in Islamic art
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Politics
- International Security (level 11)
- International Relations of the Middle East (level 11)
- Politics of the Middle East (level 10)
Social Anthropology
- Culture and Power: The Anthropology of Political Processes (level 11)
- Ritual and religion (level 11)
- The Arab World
N.B. Not all options are available each year.
Students who successfully complete the programme with an average mark of 50% and above may progress to the dissertation stage.
Students who complete the above courses with an average mark of 40-49%, will be awarded the Diploma.
D. A dissertation (60 credits) of around 15,000 words (MSc). This is a piece of independent research of not more than 15,000 words (including footnotes and bibliography, but not appendices). Two copies must be submitted to the IMES office by late August.
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Admission to the Programme
Application forms and other useful information are available from the Graduate School website.
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