Program overview This full-time, two-year Master’s programme is taught in English on campus in Berlin and is offered tuition-free. It brings together the university’s strengths across a range of area studies — Arabic Studies, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Kurdish Studies, Ottoman Studies, Semitic Studies, and Turcology — so students can study the Middle East from multiple vantage points.
Academic profile The programme adopts an interdisciplinary and interregional approach, encouraging students to examine the region’s linguistic, literary, social, religious, and cultural diversity. As a consecutive Master’s, it builds on knowledge and methodological skills acquired during a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent professional qualification) in the humanities, cultural studies, or philological fields, and emphasizes independent study and the exploration of new research interests.
Who this is for This programme is well suited to students eager to deepen their understanding of Middle Eastern cultures and to pursue independent, research-oriented study in an international, English-language environment in Berlin.
Admissions requirements (concise)
The curriculum is organised into three taught areas and a separate research component. Each of the three taught areas is made up of several modules, and each module consists of two courses. The final (fourth) area is dedicated entirely to your Master’s thesis, allowing you to apply the programme’s interdisciplinary training to an extended piece of independent research.
Key modules are structured to give you both breadth and depth. Across the three taught areas you will encounter module pairs that build core regional knowledge, introduce theoretical and methodological tools for interdisciplinary inquiry, and offer opportunities to pursue specialised topics or electives. The two-course format per module is designed so that one course typically establishes conceptual frameworks while the companion course focuses on applied or case-based work.
Learning outcomes emphasise advanced, interdisciplinary understanding of the Middle East, strong analytical and research skills, and the ability to design and carry out an extended research project. By the end of the programme you should be able to synthesize perspectives from different disciplines, apply appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative methods, and communicate findings clearly—culminating in a Master's thesis that demonstrates independent scholarship and subject-matter expertise.
Requirements (concise)
This programme requires a completed first university degree and demonstrated language abilities in both English and a Middle Eastern language. If your prior degree was completed outside the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), you should check how your credits are recognised or provide official documentation of equivalence. Detailed information on the application and selection process is available on the programme website and in the official admission regulations.
Prepare to submit official transcripts and any documents that demonstrate subject-related coursework, additional qualifications, language competence, or professional experience that support your eligibility. Specific evidence required for the listed language skills and for English proficiency is described on the programme pages and in the admissions rules.
Admission requirements (bullet points)
For step-by-step guidance on how your documents will be assessed and what counts as equivalent qualifications or acceptable language certificates, consult the programme website and the detailed admission regulations.
Winter Semester (International)
Admission deadlines are published on the centralprogramme websiteof the Student Services Center as well as on the website of the programme:www.fu-berlin.de/isme
Graduates are prepared for careers in cultural institutions, publishing, NGOs, international organisations, diplomacy, and media where regional expertise on the Middle East, language skills, and interdisciplinary analytical abilities are valued. The programme’s combination of area studies, language proficiency, and the option to undertake internships or research projects supports entry into professional roles in cultural mediation, policy analysis, consultancy, and communications.
For those pursuing academic paths, the MA provides a solid foundation for doctoral research in Middle Eastern studies, cultural studies, and related humanities fields. The programme’s emphasis on languages and regional specialisation also lends itself to careers in translation, education, and archives or museum work focused on Middle Eastern collections and topics.
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