The Ali Vural Ak Center and the Middle East Studies Program are pleased to announce that the interdisciplinary Master’s degree program in Middle East and Islamic Studies has been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The program, headed by Dr. Peter Mandaville and Dr. Bassam Haddad from the Department of Public and International Affairs, as well as Dr. Maria Dakake from the Department of Religious Studies, launches formally in Fall 2013, but Mason has accepted a small group of applicants for earlier admission in Spring 2013.
The aim of this degree program is to reposition the study of the Middle East and Islam within a global context to help students better analyze particular issues in light of current events and shifting historical paradigms. The program’s core classes provide a solid background in both fields of study, however students can choose to focus their coursework on either Middle East Studies or Islamic Studies. A variety of fascinating electives allow students to gain a unique understanding of the complex issues prevalent in both fields by examining historical and contemporary subjects across different disciplines.
With the recent popular uprisings in Arab countries, the transformation of social and political dynamics from North Africa to the Arab East, and our distinguished faculty’s work in new media, this program is truly “a new M.A. for a new Middle East.” Students will have the chance to study the region from multiple angles and explore emerging trends that shape current discourse in Middle East Studies.
The study of Islam’s diverse communities, rich history, and rapidly changing political realities is also approached from a global perspective in this program to offer students a broader understanding of the Muslim experience outside of any particular regional framework. While topics in Islamic Studies occasionally intersect with those of the Middle East, the degree’s curriculum incorporates subjects well beyond the limits of these borders to reflect the vast intellectual interests that define Islamic Studies today. Our faculty’s expertise in Islamic history, political Islam and different religious trends will allow students to pursue a more nuanced study of Islam around the world while attaining the necessary skills to compete in today’s job market after graduation.
November 08, 2012
