Beginnings of Researching Schools

[hjc-gobuckeyes]

I am just beginning the research different programs and different schools and am not sure where to begin. I am looking for programs centered around Middle Eastern culture/language/society. I want to learn everything I can about that culture because it is something our education system does not focus on and therefore extremely intriguing. I am looking for some help to narrow down programs that are good. Any help would be appreciated (i.e. sites with rankings, experience, etc.)

[Gelpfrat the Bold]

Make a list of all the authors whose work you've read that has anything to do with your field of interest. Go through your old essays and hunt through the bibliographies for names you may have forgotten. Google the authors and find out if they're still teaching and where they work.

You can also try looking into universities whose presses tend to publish a lot in your field.

Otherwise, go to the websites of every university you can think of and painstakingly search through their faculty lists. Good way to waste time.

[goldielocks]

Ditto to everything offered by Gelpfrat the Bold.

Also, be sure to utilize some of the useful guides available on the web. The AHA directory is a great place to start: http://www.historians.org/projects/cge/PhD/intro.cfm

Good luck!