How does one obtain a fully-funded Masters degree in Middle Eastern History?

[KevinYoungX]

My stats are sour, so I am considering getting a Masters degree before applying to PhD programs.

 

I have noticed that there is a decent bit of funding for Middle Eastern Studies Masters degrees, but is there any way one could get a fully-funded Masters in Middle Eastern History (or Middle Eastern Studies)?

 

I appreciate any and all help. Thanks for your time.

Edited April 4, 2015 by KevinYoungX

[twentysix]

I would expect so, I received 2 fully funded Latin American Studies MA offers.

[KevinYoungX]

Right, that's my point.

 

There is definitely a decent bit of funding out there for interdisciplinary MAs, but not History MAs. For instance, you got two offers in fully-funded Latin American Studies MAs, but if you wanted to get two offers of fully-funded Latin American History MAs, that would typically be much more difficult to obtain.

[rising_star]

If you identify schools that offer only the master's and not the PhD in history, you may have better luck finding programs with funding. That said, UTexas is pretty well known for Middle Eastern Studies and appears to have TA funding available: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/history/graduate/support.php

[twentysix]

Right, that's my point.

 

There is definitely a decent bit of funding out there for interdisciplinary MAs, but not History MAs. For instance, you got two offers in fully-funded Latin American Studies MAs, but if you wanted to get two offers of fully-funded Latin American History MAs, that would typically be much more difficult to obtain.

 

Also my target schools did not offer terminal MAs in history, only the MA/PhD route. I didn't feel I was a good enough applicant for a PhD at this time. In my experience only lower tiered schools are going to fund a terminal History MA.

 

Schools like North Dakota State and Northern Iowa etc.

 

Most of the top tier schools do not offer an MA and if they do it is not funded.

 

I am doing an LAS MA then applying to a PhD in History (Latin America)

Edited April 5, 2015 by twentysix

[twentysix]

I believe UCLAs IDP has what you are looking for.

 

They offered me full funding through a fellowship. So that is a program you could look into.

 

You can take on a primary focus of History, but you will need courses from another discipline like Anthropology or Sociology to pair with the history courses.

[Chianti]

It takes a bit of searching, but they do exist. I was unsure if I wanted a PhD in history, so I applied to terminal MA programs, and was offered full-funding from several. However, I now wish I'd gone to the MA/PhD program I had also applied to.

[KevinYoungX]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

 

I have a question about getting external funding for a graduate degree. For instance, one of the Masters degrees I am most interested in is the Middle Eastern Studies Masters degree at Tel Aviv University. What kind of external funding (meaning funds that are not from the university) can I apply for to cover the program's Cost of Attendance?

 

Does a university have to be partnered with FLAS in order for one to apply for FLAS or can accepted students of any graduate degree program apply for FLAS funding? What other kinds of external funding out there exists for graduate school?

 

I know many of these questions seem pretty basic, but my university does not have a Middle Eastern Studies program and thus few people I can talk to about these sorts of things. My university has a very strong Jewish Studies program and I have been talking with them more, but they only know so much about Middle Eastern Studies in general (except for the one person in the department who studies Islamic philosophy).

[twentysix]

FLAS is only for students of the program awarded funding and their funding must be in your region of the world. Not all schools with flas offer flas for all language types. Summer flas on the other hand can come from another university and can be used outside the US.

[twentysix]

But summer flas is pretty small, like $3,500.

[Icecream]

IU Bloomington has a fully funded MA in Jewish Studies, which can also be done as a joint MA in Jewish Studies/Jewish History.  Whether or not that program might be a good match depends on your exact focus of interest.