Bactrian Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 So I've been accepted to a MA program in Global/International history (Georgetown) and an MA program for Near Eastern Studies (University of Arizona). If my goal is to go on to a PhD program with a focus on Middle Eastern history which program do people recommend I attend? If you don't have a recommendation I'd love to hear what you know or have heard about the two programs/schools. If it matters to your opinion I wish to focus on the modern history of Iran though my interests (colonial/imperial pressures, social adaptation/resistance and revolutionary movements) fit nicely into a global and comparative framework. I haven't been able to find a whole lot by Googling and my bachelor degrees are not in history (or near eastern studies) so I'm kinda flying by the seat of my pants here, any and all advice is welcome. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidiosquiere Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I know that Georgetown is supposed to be really good for Arabic and foreign policy stuff. Arizona's program is really great, and one of its advantages is that it offers language instruction for Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew, and Persian. I would definitely recommend Arizona's program. Plus Tucson is really cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bactrian Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 I know that Georgetown is supposed to be really good for Arabic and foreign policy stuff. Arizona's program is really great, and one of its advantages is that it offers language instruction for Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew, and Persian. I would definitely recommend Arizona's program. Plus Tucson is really cheap! Do you have personal experience with the program? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bukharan Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 You know what is at stake. A great programme that will let you specialise in what you want vs. a more famous university. I don't think you can go wrong either way, to be honest. Personally, I would go for Georgetown for name recognition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bactrian Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 You know what is at stake. A great programme that will let you specialise in what you want vs. a more famous university. I don't think you can go wrong either way, to be honest. Personally, I would go for Georgetown for name recognition. I have been leaning towards Georgetown as well, mostly for the reason you give, but since I don't know anything about how Arizona is perceived (in near eastern studies) then I don't really know that having 'Georgetown' on my CV is actually better. So I find myself here, trying to find out what people know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sankd Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Arizona is a pretty big name in Middle East studies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pleiades Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Arizona is a pretty big name in Middle East studies. Yep, when you are applying for Middle Eastern history doctoral programs, all the best schools will recognize that Arizona AND Georgetown are both fantastic for Middle Eastern studies. All other things being equal, I would personally lean towards Georgetown if I could afford it just because their modern Arab history program is so strong (and that's what I applied to focus on there). Since you're studying Iran, I think you would want to go with who has the best faculty for your specific area. Though both schools have great reputations (with Georgetown being more "prestigious"), you will want to make your decision based on which school can offer you the best scholars, classes, and research opportunities for you. You should probably research both schools some more, read up on the works of the profs and get in touch with them, and talk to current grad schools so you can make a more informed decision. Are you getting any funding? If not, I'd probably go with Arizona because, as sidiosquiere said, it's cheap to live there! D.C. is super expensive. Plus, Tuscon's weather isn't half bad. No matter what you choose, you're in a good place because both programs are excellent and will make you a viable candidate when you apply for Ph.D. programs. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a piece of bread Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) As you said, it heavily depends on in what specilization you want to move on. If you plan to focus on Middle East in your PhD, then you can go to Arizona. The title "Near Eastern Studies" might help you get in doctoral schools. If you want to study something like "Ottoman political and military history", you can better go to Georgetown considering you will probably have an option to stay there and work with Prof. Gabor Agoston. Overall, I say "Arizona". P.s. I have just realized that you want to study Modern Iran. Since I am also writing my MA thesis on Ottoman and Safavid states, I know how it works for history of Iran. I still think that Arizona's MA program in NES will provide you a better understanding of not only Iran but the whole Middle East. They have faculy members dealing with your topics too. Edited March 3, 2011 by a piece of bread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bactrian Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Thank you for the advice everyone, it is all very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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