Middle Eastern Studies (MA)

The Middle Eastern Studies Department at Leiden University is among the largest of its kind in Europe and a leading centre for academic research. The MA Middle Eastern Studies capitalises on this expertise in every way.

Specialisations

Learn from leading researchers in the field

When you choose the master’s programme in Middle Eastern Studies, you learn from internationally-respected academics. These active researchers bring you both in-depth knowledge on the most relevant topics in the field and the latest insights, often from their very own research.

Choose your area of interest

The Middle Eastern Studies programme offers an unparalleled breadth and variety of subjects. You will be able to choose from six specialisations and a wide range of electives within each specialisation, allowing you to go in-depth into your area of interest. A comparative and global approach is taken to all topics, delivering you an unbeatable combination of broad and specialised expertise.

Academic challenge

Ambitious and highly-motivated classmates will help you hone important skills during in-class discussions and through peer-to-peer feedback. Learn what it takes to become a critical thinker – a lifelong skill that will distinguish you in any future career.

Study at one of our partner institutions

Our partnership network with universities and institutes in the Middle East also gives you the opportunity to study courses at a university abroad, so you can immerse yourself in the language and culture you are studying.

A brand new Arabic wall poem thanks to the celebration of 400 years Arabic in Leiden.
How did the Arabs manage to maintain an empire based on Islamic principles for three hundred years? Arab expert Petra Sijpesteijn and her team will be examining this question over the coming five years, focusing on the correspondence of ordinary people. The research is being funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant
The Persian Empire (539-330 BCE) was the first world empire in history. At its height, it united a territory stretching from present-day India to Libya - and it would take 2,000 years before significantly larger empires emerged in early modern Eurasia. What explains its success? For the very first time, thousands of cuneiform texts will be brought together and incorporated in an online database.
Turkic nomadic rulers established large empires in the Middle East and Asia between the 11th and 14th centuries. Leiden University researchers will explore the link between their political ideology and the production of art and literature, via the cultural heritage of five cities along the Silk Road: Kashgar, Samarkand, Ghazna, Tabriz and Konya.