middle eastern studies in America or abroad?

[talons1025]

I am under the assumption that graduate schools in America are superior than those abroad, but I will ask this question anyway. I want to get a graduate degree in Middle Eastern Studies and wonder if it would be better to actually go overseas to a university in the Mid East to be educated or simply to a school in America.

[Bukharan]

I am under the assumption that graduate schools in America are superior than those abroad, but I will ask this question anyway. I want to get a graduate degree in Middle Eastern Studies and wonder if it would be better to actually go overseas to a university in the Mid East to be educated or simply to a school in America.

It is a very broad query. You need to tell us more about your academic background (how long have you studies the Middle East? which languages do you speak? what are your general academic interests - as in what era and which region of the ME?) and what you need the degree for (basically, do you entertain a hope of getting into policy-making or academia). Then, I am sure, many of people on the forum will be able to help.

Please, don't generalise. There are excellent universities in the USA with good funding (if you get it); when it comes to MES, there are also excellent universities in the UK (and the rest of Europe) with good funding (if you get it). There is also a whole range of very good, good and mediocre programmes on both sides of the Atlantic. Besides, the very nature of graduate study in the USA and elsewhere is so different that it makes the broad comparison meaningless as either system has its advantages and drawbacks, depending what you are looking for at grad school.

[sidiosquiere]

As Bukharan points out, it all depends on your background in ME studies and what your goals are in the end. There are various programs throughout the US that offer excellent training. If you don't have language training in one of the major ME languages, then these programs can offer you language training, and then, depending on what your goals are (academia, government, etc), you can decide. A lot of people choose to do MA degrees in ME studies before branching out into other disciplines - such as history, political science, education, public policy, etc. So, again, it depends on what your goals are and whether or not you have language training. If you don't have language training, you will have a difficult time getting into PhD programs (if that is your goal), and in that case I would recommend MA programs. If you do have language training, then your options, I think, are greater, and you be competitive, depending on your other academic background, for top PhD programs in ME studies such as Princeton, NYU, and Chicago. Other excellent MA programs in ME studies are the University of Arizona and the University of Texas-Austin. Many students from these schools end up competing quite well for other PhD programs either in ME studies or other disciplines (usually in the humanities). Other REALLY solid programs are Georgetown and the University of Washington. Again, it all depends on what your goals are. This list of schools is not all of the programs, but these are some good programs that come to mind.

[sidiosquiere]

As Bukharan points out, it all depends on your background in ME studies and what your goals are in the end. There are various programs throughout the US that offer excellent training. If you don't have language training in one of the major ME languages, then these programs can offer you language training, and then, depending on what your goals are (academia, government, etc), you can decide. A lot of people choose to do MA degrees in ME studies before branching out into other disciplines - such as history, political science, education, public policy, etc. So, again, it depends on what your goals are and whether or not you have language training. If you don't have language training, you will have a difficult time getting into PhD programs (if that is your goal), and in that case I would recommend MA programs. If you do have language training, then your options, I think, are greater, and you be competitive, depending on your other academic background, for top PhD programs in ME studies such as Princeton, NYU, and Chicago. Other excellent MA programs in ME studies are the University of Arizona and the University of Texas-Austin. Many students from these schools end up competing quite well for other PhD programs either in ME studies or other disciplines (usually in the humanities). Other REALLY solid programs are Georgetown and the University of Washington. Again, it all depends on what your goals are. This list of schools is not all of the programs, but these are some good programs that come to mind.

Indiana-Bloomington and Michigan are also really good for ME studies.

[talons1025]

Sure I can elaborate a bit. I speak Arabic, enough to get by, but would like to gain fluency. I want to use my degree to work in foreign service for the department of state. Counter-terror has always been an interest to me too, but I do not want to sound like I am connecting terrorism to middle eastern cultures when terrorists come in all sorts of nationalities. There is a graduate program in Israel's Tel Aviv University that sounds pretty great. Intensive Arabic training on top of ME studies graduate degree studies.

[Bukharan]

Sure I can elaborate a bit. I speak Arabic, enough to get by, but would like to gain fluency. I want to use my degree to work in foreign service for the department of state. Counter-terror has always been an interest to me too, but I do not want to sound like I am connecting terrorism to middle eastern cultures when terrorists come in all sorts of nationalities. There is a graduate program in Israel's Tel Aviv University that sounds pretty great. Intensive Arabic training on top of ME studies graduate degree studies.

If you are interested in foreign service, Arabic and security studies, then I would recommend Georgetown. It is a great great place for Arabists.

I can actually comment on the Tel Aviv programme. I absolutely love it. They have great faculty (many educated in America's top schools), very good research facilities and friendly environment. And it is in the heart of the Middle East, of course. Students usually get to study both Hebrew and Arabic over two years' time, and normally acquire solid proficiency in Hebrew (and good command Arabic) by the end of it. Perhaps, there is another programme there of which I don't know - but the one I am talking about has a focus on Middle Eastern history rather than ME politics/security studies. Many students on the course will be interested in (very) historical aspects of the Arab world (and there will be a chunk of Jewish Studies people). Hope this helps.

[talons1025]

If you are interested in foreign service, Arabic and security studies, then I would recommend Georgetown. It is a great great place for Arabists.

I can actually comment on the Tel Aviv programme. I absolutely love it. They have great faculty (many educated in America's top schools), very good research facilities and friendly environment. And it is in the heart of the Middle East, of course. Students usually get to study both Hebrew and Arabic over two years' time, and normally acquire solid proficiency in Hebrew (and good command Arabic) by the end of it. Perhaps, there is another programme there of which I don't know - but the one I am talking about has a focus on Middle Eastern history rather than ME politics/security studies. Many students on the course will be interested in (very) historical aspects of the Arab world (and there will be a chunk of Jewish Studies people). Hope this helps.

http://international...te-g/mameh.html this is the program I am referring to. They claim it is "ME studies" but if it is "ME history", I do not see that as being as valuable...

EDIT: by the way Burkharan, do you have any experience / knowledge about this program at all? http://humweb2.bgu.ac.il/mapmes/about

Edited May 10, 2011 by talons1025

[cooperstreet]

Bukharan,

Could you elaborate on which Georgetown program would be best? IIRC, there are a couple of MA degrees they offer relating to the Middle East (the MAAS) being the most intense.

[Bukharan]

talons1025, I sent you a PM.

Yes, I meant the MA Middle Eastern Studies programme. It is strongly affiliated to the Department of Middle Eastern and African History (which is, once again, amazing - I love it - but there will be an emphasis on history).

On your next point, I am afraid I do not know much about the Ben-Gurion University and that particular programme. One thing to keep in mind (and I am trying to be facetious here): the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will actually be in the Negev. The desert, you know. In the south of Israel. Sand and stones, and crazy high temperatures. No Tel Aviv beach and chique or Jerusalem's cultural heritage.

cooperstreet, I am afraid I don't know much about Georgetown. Yes, the MAAS has a great reputation. There is a general assumption that those looking for DC/federal jobs favour Georgetown, and that their Dept of Arabic and Islamic Studies, complemented by the Centre for Contemporary Arab Studies, is one of the best places in the world to learn about contemporary Arabic-speaking Middle East.

Which other ME-related programmes Georgetown offers? Their SSP (Security Studies Program) is of course great but I don't know whether once can choose to focus in the Middle East in that programme.

Edited May 13, 2011 by Bukharan

[max.sands]

If you are interested in foreign service, Arabic and security studies, then I would recommend Georgetown. It is a great great place for Arabists.

I can actually comment on the Tel Aviv programme. I absolutely love it. They have great faculty (many educated in America's top schools), very good research facilities and friendly environment. And it is in the heart of the Middle East, of course. Students usually get to study both Hebrew and Arabic over two years' time, and normally acquire solid proficiency in Hebrew (and good command Arabic) by the end of it. Perhaps, there is another programme there of which I don't know - but the one I am talking about has a focus on Middle Eastern history rather than ME politics/security studies. Many students on the course will be interested in (very) historical aspects of the Arab world (and there will be a chunk of Jewish Studies people). Hope this helps.

The program in Tel Aviv has its problems. If you really want to gain some fluency in Arabic, I would suggest going to an Arabic country. The CLS program, which has moved to Salalah, Oman is ran by perhaps one of the smartest professors I have ever encountered. He got his grad degrees at Harvard and now teaches in the UAE. I was also thinking about Anti-Terror and State Department, before I had a change of heart, I have spoken to a ton of State Department folks, and I happen to know a few people in the FBI's CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit). If learning Arabic is something you really want to do, and Middle Eastern Culture is something you really want to learn about, I suggest just going for it. Drop yourself in the country of your choice for a while and experience it. If you just want to learn MSA (which I have found to be a little worse than useless) just pick up Rosetta Stone and do an MES course in the US. Also when picking a place for MES you have to decide what you want to focus on, history, culture, politics etc.

Hope you the best of luck!