Middle Eastern Studies, MA (Hons)

Situated at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, the Middle East has shaped global history since ancient times. The University of Edinburgh is a leading UK and international centre for Middle Eastern studies, languages, and the Islamic world, with world-class collections. Our four-year MA (Hons) programme adopts an Area Studies approach, deepening your understanding of the region's history, politics, societies, cultures, and literatures. You will hone skills in analysis, critique, and comparison through discussions, written work, and a dissertation, while gaining proficiency in at least one key language—Arabic, Persian, or Turkish—in Year 1, with options to continue or explore other subjects.Spanning pre-honours (Years 1-2: language grounding, history of the Middle East and Islam, plus interdisciplinary options) and honours (Years 3-4: tailored topics, possible study abroad, dissertation), the programme offers flexibility to discover your interests. Graduates possess valued specialist knowledge and cultural openness. Benefits include studying in a historic city with 18th-century Middle East expertise, language confidence, diverse subjects, societies, and exceptional libraries.