Wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, revolts in Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia, power struggles in Turkey, Saudi-Arabia and Israel – conflicts in the Middle East are daily news.
Do you want to deepen your expertise on the region and its conflicts and meet the important societal demand for knowledge and insights in the Middle East? Then join our Master’s programme Middle Eastern Studies in Groningen.
The one-year Master’s programme in Groningen focuses on contemporary developments in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on the theme of conflicts and coexistence. The programme is interdisciplinary and research-driven, using insights from fields such as International Relations, Religious Studies and Anthropology to help you to understand this highly dynamic and fascinating region. The MA Middle Eastern studies alumni are successful in many professional fields.
If you have a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies, the Master’s programme enables you to specialize in the theme of conflicts and coexistence and to increase your familiarity with important theoretical and methodological approaches to the region. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in another (related) discipline, the Master’s programme facilitates you to familiarise yourself with the Middle East and apply your expertise to this region, which is of fundamental in today’s world.
The programme offers core modules on contemporary developments in the Middle East, conflicts in the region, the role of international organizations, how to understand minorities, sectarianism and the multifaceted links between religion and politics. You will explore cases such as Syria, Israel-Palestine, Iraq and Iran. The programme also offers ample space to pursue your own interests and develop your own expertise, for example through papers for different audiences, tutorials and internships, for example, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies or think tanks, media agencies and societal organisations working on issues such as migration, refugees, terrorism and security.
Read more about the department of Middle Eastern Studies.
Sign up now for the Master's Week from 18-22 November!After completing my Bachelor's in International Relations and International Organisation, I was looking for a programme that would allow me to specialize further within the field of International Relations. Ultimately, I chose not to pursue an International Relations Master's programme because the Middle Eastern Studies Master's offered such interesting courses that were hands-on and focused on real case studies.
At first I was not planning to do this Master's, because after the Bachelor's Middle Eastern Studies I was looking to focus on something else. However, I could not find a programme that encompassed what I was looking for and therefore chose to start the MA Middle Eastern Studies. With this mindset I started the Master's and at first was not impressed by the courses as conflicts had already been a major topic in the Bachelor's.