History of the Middle East

[Seanish]

Hi everybody,

I have an BA in History (mostly American) and an MA Middle Eastern studies. I'd like to study the Middle East at the PhD level but I have a few questions:

1. What sort of language familiarity are graduate programs looking for? I have four semesters of a relevant language, is that too little?

2. What universities offer this as a concentration? I've taken a look at the AHA website but it only lists a few. I've found some universities that offer area-studies PhDs but does anyone know (or study at) a university that offers a PhD concentration in Middle East history other than those listed at the AHA http://www.historians.org/projects/cge/PhD/Specs/MiddleEast.htm ?

Thanks for any help.

[crater21]

Hi Seanish,

With regards to language familiarity, I think the consensus seems to be that you need to have fairly proficient reading ability (i.e, proficient enough that you can read primary source materials). I'm not sure how many semesters that translates into, but I think if you indicate on your application that you have taken four semesters of a language, that should be enough to convince them that you have a solid grasp of it.

In terms of universities that offer Middle Eastern history, I think the best way would be to think of historians whose work in Middle Eastern history you admire, and then Google them to see where they teach. Other than the ones listed on the AHA website, the one that comes to mind is Yale. They have a pretty solid Middle Eastern focus, led by Abbas Amanat

Also, have you considered non-American universities? In the UK, Oxford/Cambridge and LSE have very good Middle Eastern history focuses. In Canada, University of Toronto and McGill are also quite good.

Good luck with your application!

[Sigaba]

A general recommendation. Aspiring grad students might double check the dates of the information on the AHA website and/or consult the printed edition of the most recent edition of the AHA's Directory of History Departments, Historical Organizations, and Historians. (If one has time, one might consult several recent editions of the directory to track both departments and scholars.)

HTH.