Middle Eastern Studies Leiden University

Overview

Middle Eastern Studies at Leiden University distinguishes itself from similar programmes through its disciplinary breadth and historical depth, through its wide range of research-based electives, and through its flexibility, which enables students to tailor their individual programmes to their interests. You will be able to explore topics across the humanities and social sciences, including modern and premodern history, politics, international relations, religion, anthropology, literature, and philology. It is also possible to train your language skills and take courses in Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Hebrew, Turkish and Persian (Farsi). All courses are taught in English by internationally respected scholars.

What you will learn

The Middle Eastern Studies programme will help you make a clear difference in your chosen career. It will introduce you to the conceptual and academic approaches at play in the region, such as linguistics, history, anthropology and political science. Furthermore, developing your in-depth knowledge in the field and giving you the ability to think critically and analytically are also key goals of the programme.

Career prospects

After successfully completing the Middle Eastern Studies programme you will have developed and honed a unique set of academic skills that will be highly relevant to a career requiring a specialist language or cultural knowledge of the Middle East.

These skills and competences will serve as a strong foundation for a wide variety of academic-level positions, and will also enable you to furthering your academic education with a PhD programme.

After graduation, you can pursue careers in:

• Diplomacy, NGOs, and cultural institutions
• Academia and research
• International organisations and development
• Journalism, consultancy, and education

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.