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Postgraduate Taught

MA Advanced Arabic

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code 1234
Duration 1 year full time
2 years part time
Entry year September 2024
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline Arab and Islamic Studies
Contact

Programme Director Abla Oudeh Mahmoud
Web: Enquire online 
Phone: +44 (0)1392 723192 

Typical offer

View full entry requirements

2:2 Honours degree

Contextual offers

Overview

  • Combining advanced language learning with specialist Middle East studies, this programme leads to high level of expertise in Arabic and the Middle East
  • You will receive intensive tuition in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and an Arabic dialect in Exeter and spend a period abroad studying in an Arabic-speaking country
  • Our flexible programme, with a wide range of optional modules, enables you to tailor your degree to your interests and conduct independent research on a topic that interests you
  • The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies (IAIS) is one of the foremost academic departments in Middle East, Islamic Studies and Arabic. Get involved in a variety of IAIS activities and join our vibrant research community
  • Your advanced proficiency in Arabic language and Middle East expertise will be valued by public and private sector employers and open doors to further academic study

Apply online

View 2024 Entry

Fast Track (current Exeter students)

Open days and visiting us

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Contact

Programme Director: Abla Oudeh Mahmoud

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

1st for Middle Eastern and African Studies

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

Largest purpose-built Middle East centre in the UK

Home to Europe's most important research collection on the Arab world

Masters Excellence Scholarships available

Entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree with 53% or above in their first degree, in a social science or humanities discipline with an Arabic language level of B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) or a graduate degree in Arabic language. 

Entry requirements for international students

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Course content

This MA programme also includes a significant research element. Alongside intensive language training, you will be coached in research methods and critical analysis, and you will receive specialist supervision in a dissertation topic in the area of Middle East or Islamic studies. Your dissertation will be a substantial piece of research of publishable quality.

Fees

2024/25 entry

UK fees per year:

£12,000 full-time; £6,000 part-time

International fees per year:

£24,300 full-time; £12,150 part-time

Scholarships

We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.

For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.

Teaching and research

Teaching

  • Lectures will give you direct access to the cutting-edge research being carried out by our academic team
  • Take responsibility for your own learning and that of your peers by participating in group work, class discussions and student presentations
  • Fine tune your critical reading skills and learn how to ask and field incisive questions
  • Utilise a range of media from video and audio to articles from newspapers and academic journals

Assessment

The taught modules on this programme are assessed by a combination of essays, presentations and group work. Following completion of these in April, you will then be assessed by a 15,000-word dissertation for submission in September.

Research

As a Masters student you can attend regular research seminars held across the College of Social Sciences and International Studies and organised by our research centres. These are given by academics from Exeter and other Universities in the UK and overseas, as well as guest speakers from the private, public and charity sectors.

Facilities

The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including a computerised language lab, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, lounge, satellite TV for viewing Middle Eastern channels and a gallery for Middle Eastern art exhibitions.

The Arab World Documentation Unit based in the Research Commons is a valuable research resource, housing numerous collections of academic textbooks, press cuttings,  government papers and reports, periodicals, pamphlets, business yearbooks, and much more, with material in English, Arabic and Hebrew.

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Careers

You will develop analytical and research skills as well as an awareness of different interpretations of issues and events, develop opinions and use effective communication skills to put forward your ideas and conclusions.

Graduates from this programme may find professional employment in a wide range of sectors both in the UK and internationally. A comprehensive background in Islamic Studies is relevant to careers in:

  • academia and education
  • international agencies such as the United Nations or the European Union
  • international development
  • print and broadcast media
  • politics
  • private sector companies with interests in Islamic countries
  • business and risk analysts

Further study

The academic skills developed on the MA Advanced Arabic will enable to you to pursue doctoral study. The Institute has an international profile for our pioneering regional focus on the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula and expertise in Islamic Studies providing an ideal place in which to undertake an MPhil/PhD.

Employment and professional development

Our excellent Career Zone provides invaluable support, advice and access to graduate employers. Visit the employment and professional development pages for more information, including podcasts and profiles, about the range of support available.

In addition, the location of this programme within a hub of renowned academia will offer you the possibility of connections, networking opportunities, advice and guidance from others with extensive academic and career-related experience in this field.

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