DevDoc82

Hello, Does anyone know when the University of Arizona sends out their acceptance letters for their Persian and Iranian Studies graduate program? Also, who else is interested in this field and where are you applying?

اهلاً فيك Thank you for the reply. I had no idea Yale had such a program. This news is quite pleasant. I desire to study Medieval Islamic Philosophy, as well as its intellectual roots. Also, I am interested in St. Thomas Aquinas. Some articles have read seem to insinuate that he was influenced by many of the Islamic philosophers. I am currently teaching myself Greek, and will be taking graduate level Greek poetry in the fall. It is a sink or swim scenario, but I basically taught myself Arabic and Latin, so I hope that I will have the same results with Greek. A lot of hard work does pay off, especially when you study for about 16 hours a day or so. Sometime less. That is what I have heard about CASA as well. It is not really geared towards Classical Arabic, but rather reading news articles and speaking MSA and Egyptian dialect. Thanks!

I am currently a MA Classics student looking to pursue a PhD in the field. I must say, however, that the University of Toronto's Collaborative Program in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy is my ultimate goal. My reason for posting on this forum is to ask for some advise on few things. I focused my undergraduate degree in Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic, where I procure advanced speaking and reading skills. This background has facilitated my interest in Medieval Islamic Philosophy. The more I read Averroes, Al-Ghazli, and Al-Farrabi, the more I am inclined to spend the rest o my life researching the fields. I am desirous to know what the admissions committee is looking for in terms of an applicant applying to this school. At the moment, I have 5 years of Arabic, 3 years of Latin, and I am just starting to undertake the acquisition of Greek. I am willing to prepare as much as possible to obtain admissions. Also, I desire to set myself apart from the rest. So, does anyone think that a CASA Fellowship in Arabic will help in convincing the admissions committee at Toronto? This fellowship will take advanced speakers and reader to superior levels. Please respond. Any feedback is great! Thanks!

I thought I would get the ball rolling for this year's application cycle for NELC/MES applicants. It is my desire to get admitted to the University of Chicago's PhD program, but I hope my application is competitive. My interests pertains to Ottoman Turkish Studies/Ottoman History, where I hope to focus on imperialism and social classes. Pertaining to Middle Eastern language acquisition, I have procure advanced proficiency in writing, reading, and speaking Arabic. At this time, I am teaching myself Latin. However, I need to acquire proficiency in reading for French and German, which I have yet to commence. I know this field is extremely competitive, so I presume that one should apply to several different programs. I am still generating a list of possible programs I wish to attend. Are there any other aspiring NELC applicants for this year's cycle?

I have been reading a few of the posts on this forum, but have yet to find some information on a similar situation. I obtained my BA in Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic with an overall 3.82 GPA. I've decided that I would like to pursue a PhD. in Classics, but I do not have a background in Latin or Greek. Can any of you direct me as to what avenues are available to achieve admissions into a PhD. program? I appreciate your time.

Pala, I am glad I will see you at the Maxwell School. It will be a great experience. See ya then.

I just got the FLAS from the Maxwell School as well. I will be seeing you this summer.

I received the same email and called the South Asian Center and spoke with one of the big whigs. Your assumption is correct and no one has received funding. Therefore, all have been labeled as alternates. The gentleman I spoke with, Anand Dwivedi, stated that they are still waiting on funding and at this time do not know the amount they will receive from the Department of Education. I guess that is what happens when the government lives beyond its means.

I applied for the FLAS under Pashto, but I hope they will let me pursue Hindi. I speak Arabic, so acquiring Hindi will put me half way to Urdu. I guess I'll see what happens though.

Blingem, You were right about the consulting info. I spoke with a buddy of mine who stated that federal consulting is the avenue I should take, but there are some possibilities to get my feet wet in business consulting with MBA types. I guess after I have about 5 to 7 years of experience I will apply for an MBA.

Sorry to generalize on the topic. My remarks were toward someone who goes into business consulting, which is feasible out of the Maxwell School. I know Deloitte is a tough firm to work at, but I think it would be pretty rewarding. I hope that I could get a job at their firm in Damascus, Syria or anywhere else in the Middle East.

Personally, I believe the fastest way to get out from under debt is to go into a consulting job after graduation. It is tough work and demands lots of hours, but the experience alone is worth it. The problem with debt is that it never sleeps and constantly crosses one's mind.

I did not apply for it, so no competition from my end. By the way, how many years of public service must you accumulate in order to receive debt forgiveness?

I really hope that you are right about this.

No news on this end. I bet Monday is the day we should know what amount of funding/lack of funding we will be receiving.