Master of Arts in Middle Eastern or South Asian Studies

Students may be able to apply for funding for the study of Arabic or Persian for the 2019-2020 academic year. The Middle East and South Asia are two regions of vital interest to our world today. The Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (CSAMES) is pleased to offer Master of Arts degrees in South Asian and Middle Eastern studies. This two-year program is designed for the needs of students preparing for further academic study in a particular discipline and students preparing for careers in government, NGOs, business, the media, international law, private foundations, or cultural exchanges. The program provides broad exposure to the history, cultures, societies, and politics of the area as well as to the variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to its study. For individuals planning non-academic careers, such study is essential in preparing to respond to the growing opportunities and challenges presented by this region. For students planning academic careers, the program provides wide and multifaceted knowledge of the region and valuable experience in interdisciplinary study and interpretation.We offer advising and academic support to students by working closely with approximately fifty departments and seventy-five affiliated faculty, who bring to CSAMES their expertise and diverse areas of interest, including contemporary and historical studies of South Asia and the Middle East, and inquiries into such topics as religious and social identities, cultural values, literary expression, urbanization, politics and gender. Illinois offers regular courses in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Turkish, Hindi, and Sanskrit. More than thirty language courses and over fifty graduate-level disciplinary courses are available to students.

Applicants are expected to have a strong background in at least one South Asian or Middle Eastern language, normally, this means a minimum of two years of formal study. Students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and must score greater than 610 on the paper-based TOEFL or greater than 102 on the internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT) to be eligible for admission with full standing.A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A=4.0), or comparable GPA for an international applicant, for last two years of undergraduate study is a minimum requirement for admission.