MSc Arab World Studies

Develop your knowledge of the range of existing disciplinary, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research on the Arab world.

The MSc in Arab World Studies is intended to provide rigorous, research-driven, interdisciplinary, Masters-level education and training. It is committed to providing a supportive learning environment that seeks to combine critical and practical reasoning so as to attain the following aims:

• The course is designed to establish a cadre of exceptional researchers, qualified at the Masters level, with skills and knowledge sufficient for the conduct of research in and on the Arab World
• To recruit students of high calibre who have not previously completed any substantive research training and who have few or no Arabic language skills
• To provide generic training in research methods and methodologies to provide a foundation in a broad range of social science research methods as well as basic research and transferable skills that all students in the social sciences require as deemed appropriate for ESRC recognition
• To provide subject-specific training in research methods and methodologies in Politics, relevant also to International Relations and International Studies

To provide language instruction in the Arabic language, such that you will develop appropriate and sufficient competence to utilise the language in your subsequent research, or employment in the Arabic-speaking world

• To develop the knowledge, skills and understanding which will prepare you to undertake research for a doctoral degree in Politics, International Relations or International Studies, and which may be required of a professional researcher in these fields of the social sciences
• To develop your knowledge of the range of existing disciplinary, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research on the Arab World.

Year 1

Core modules:

• Arabic Language 1
• Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Practices across Social Science Research
• International Politics of the Middle East
• Empirical Research in Politics, International Relations and Security
• Quantitative Methods and Analysis
• Qualitative Methods and Analysis

Year 2

Core modules:

• Arabic Language 2
• Dissertation

Examples of optional modules:

You can choose two optional modules that may include:

• Contemporary Political Philosophy
• Core Concepts
• The Politics of the European Union
• Designing Political Inquiry
• Global Governance
• Global Political Theory
• International Organisations
• Ideologies and Political Thought
• International Relations Theory
• The Politics of East Asia
• Advanced Ethnographic Research
• Multilevel Modelling
• Simulating Data in R
• Systematic Review
• Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences
• Computational Social Science
• Participatory Action Research.

A 20 credit language module is allowed to be taken with all the courses as long as it is agreed with the Programme Director.