Program Overview

Comparative + Middle East Politics and Society (CMEPS) - Master

Key data on study program

• Faculty: Economics and Social Sciences Faculty
• Academic Degree: Master
• Restricted admission: Yes, in first semester
• Regular duration of studies: 4 semesters
• Is a combination subject required?: No
• Application deadline 1st semester:
  • Application deadline for Germans and EU citizens: Winter semester: 15.05
  • Application deadline for non-EU citizens: Winter semester: 15.05
• Program start: Winter semester
• Language of instruction: English
• Costs: Tuition and other fees

Requirements and application

On what criteria are applicants selected?

The CMEPS program offers 20 places each year, 10 each at the University of Tübingen and the AUC. Selection of students will be based on academic capabilities, personal qualification, and motivation.

Which requirements must I meet for studies?

You are eligible to study in the CMEPS program if you hold a B.A. degree or equivalent

• in Political Science, International Relations or a related social science, or
• in Middle East Studies, Islamic Studies, or a related discipline. You also need to provide evidence of your proficiency in English, e.g. through TOEFL (scores: at least 90), IELTS (at least 6.5), a similar certificate, or through having graduated from an English-language university.

Which languages must I know?

The CMEPS program is taught and assessed in English. Applicants need to provide evidence of their proficiency in English (see admission requirements above). CMEPS students at Tübingen will also take courses in basic Arabic in their first year and have the possibility to take further Arabic courses during their semester at AUC.

Program details

Which topics are dealt with in the program?

The M.A. in “Comparative & Middle East Politics and Society” (CMEPS) is a two-year joint master’s program offered by the University of Tübingen and the American University in Cairo (AUC). It provides in-depth knowledge of the political and societal developments in the Middle East as well as analytical tools for understanding this region’s complex dynamics and challenges. The focal point of the degree program is the relationship between societies and states in the MENA region, as well as the dynamics of social and political transformation. Key topics are Comparative Politics of the Middle East, development politics and international cooperation, and issues of regime change and democratization. Students can also choose from a range of elective modules, concentrating, for example, on International Political Economy, Peace and Conflict Resolution, or on issues in the culture and civil societies of the Middle East. Depending on their first degree, students of the CMEPS program will also take courses in either Political Science methods or basic Arabic during their first year. Irrespective of their first degree, by the end of their studies CMEPS students will have a unique profile which combines an advanced knowledge of Comparative Politics with a strong specialization in the politics, society, cultures, and language of the Arab Middle East. To promote the link between theory and practice, study trips to international organizations and development agencies as well as to important political and cultural institutions of the respective host country are included in the program.

What is special about the Tübingen program?

CMEPS is the first and so far only international Joint Degree at the University of Tübingen and the American University in Cairo (AUC). All students will spend one semester at the respective partner institution. They will gain practical work experience through an internship (alternatively: courses on transdisciplinary qualifications). The master’s theses will be jointly supervised by faculty members of both universities.

How is the program structured?

Students will spend the first year of the program at their home university. They will take classes on Middle East politics and societies, regime change and democratization, and Comparative Politics of the Middle East. Depending on their prior knowledge, students will take Arabic language classes. Moreover, students can choose electives from issues in Comparative Politics of the MENA region or Political Science. The third term is spent at the partner institution where students will take a course on Development Politics, choose between courses of Issues in Cultures and Civil Societies of the Middle East and deepen their knowledge of Arabic in advanced in-country courses. It is also most likely in the third term that students will complete an internship either in Egypt or in Germany. In the fourth term all students attend a research colloquium during which they need to present an outline of their planned thesis, write their M.A. theses, and sit an oral examination.

Is study abroad expected?

In this degree program, students spend their third semester (August - December) at the partner university AUC in Cairo.
The planning of the studies in Cairo is discussed in advance with the program coordinator.

After your studies

Career prospects

CMEPS graduates will have excellent job opportunities for academic and non-academic careers in either country. They will be qualified to work at leading universities or in governmental or private research institutions. The focus on Middle East politics and societal issues provides an excellent foundation for a career in German and international institutions concerned with development cooperation or diplomacy, NGOs, Political Foundations and Think Tanks.