Middle Eastern Studies (research) (MA)
Designed for high-achieving students, Leiden University's master's in Middle Eastern Studies (Research) offers you unmatched resources and expertise.
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Why study Middle Eastern Studies (research) at Leiden University?
Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Leiden University has a reputation for a breadth and depth of expertise that is unmatched in Europe. You can explore subjects that span virtually the entire Middle East both in time and geography.
Learn more about the study programme
Flexibility to construct your own programme
This two-year research master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies allows you to freely combine subjects from seven focus areas: Turkish Studies; Arabic Studies; North African Studies; Persian Studies; Islam; and Modern Middle Eastern Studies.
You can decide to focus on a region such as the Arab world, North Africa or the Persian world, or on a discipline such as history, politics, literature or languages. A key feature is our comparative approach to learning, which includes intra-Middle Eastern comparisons, as well as comparisons of the Middle East with other regions in the world.
Admission and Application
Do you want to find out if you are eligible for this Master's programme?
Research on and in the Middle East
The courses in the first year of the programme develop your academic skills to an advanced level. In the second year, you will do research on a topic related to the Middle East and, where appropriate and possible, in the Middle East. You may also combine this research with attending courses at another top university, here or abroad.
Find out more about the career prospects
In which sector do students find jobs?
- 15 Education
- 15 Communication and marketing
- 15 IT
- 8 Research
- 8 Government and semi-government
- 8 Culture, sport and recreation
- 8 Welfare and health
- 8 Consultancy
- 8 Business services
- 7 Financial institutions
The graph above is based on alumni data from the Research Master Middle Eastern Studies 2016-2020.
Persian wall poem in Leiden
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Middle Eastern Studies (research) degree
Middle Eastern Studies (research) at Leiden University is an accredited degree programme. After successful completion of this programme, you will receive a research master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies and the title Master of Arts (MA).