Program Overview

Master Middle Eastern Studies

The Master's program in Middle Eastern Studies qualifies students for a diverse professional future. Both in public administration and in the private sector, as well as in the media, the ability to handle Islamic and Middle Eastern topics in a scientific manner is of great importance and in high demand. This qualification is achieved in an attractive research landscape at the Institute, which includes complex research projects as well as theme-specific individual projects.

The unity of research and teaching, deliberately cultivated in the program, introduces students to the scientific handling of problems and questions in Islamic and Middle Eastern research at an early stage in their studies. Since the study of Islamic and Middle Eastern sciences is no longer solely focused on an academic career but also offers a variety of professional perspectives, the question of transferring scientific knowledge into a non-university professional environment has gained significant importance. The competencies acquired in the program are also oriented towards a possible professional future. Thus, students are taught how to transfer scientific knowledge into other professional fields, such as the media.

Four basic building blocks shape this professional future: the ability to work scientifically in general, the language competencies acquired during the program, the subject-specific qualification, and finally, the ability to convert scientific knowledge into expert knowledge relevant to different professions.

Program Details

• Degree: Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Bern
• ECTS: 120
• Offer: Major (90 ECTS), Minor (30 ECTS)
• Combination possibilities: Several
• Study duration: 4 semesters
• Language of instruction: German
• Start of studies: Fall or spring semester

Legal Basis

• Study plan for the Bachelor and Master programs at the Institute for Islamic Studies and Modern Oriental Philology from October 1, 2005, with amendments (as of August 1, 2021) (PDF, 235KB)
• Appendices to the study plan of the Department of Middle Eastern and Muslim Societies, as of August 2024 (PDF, 404KB)
• Regulations on studies and performance assessments at the Faculty of Philosophy and History (RSL Phil.-hist. 21) of March 15, 2021 (PDF, 284KB)

Study Content

Both Master's programs at the Institute for Islamic Studies and Modern Oriental Philology build on the Bachelor's program in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies or equivalent training. They usually last two years. The Master's program in Middle Eastern Studies focuses on contemporary social, political, and cultural processes in the Near and Middle East, with a special emphasis on "Social Sciences and Anthropology" (SP3).

Study Structure

• Major (90 ECTS):
  • MA-Seminar Type 1: 3
  • MA-Seminar Type 2: 1
  • Literature list: 1
  • Written project work: 1
  • MA/Ph.D. colloquium: 1
  • Language module III-IV: 2nd oriental language: 1
  • Language deepening I: 1
  • Language deepening II: 1
• Minor (30 ECTS):
  • MA-Seminar Type 2: 2
  • Literature list: 1
  • Language deepening I: 1
  • Language deepening II: 1

Combination Possibilities

The Master's program in Middle Eastern Studies consists of a major (90 ECTS) and a minor (30 ECTS). All minors offered at the University of Bern can be chosen for the major, except for the minor in the same field of study.

Requirements

• Individual study requirements:
  • Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university with a major in Oriental Studies without conditions.
  • Bachelor's degree from a recognized university with a minor in Oriental Studies (60 ECTS). Conditions of up to 60 ECTS must be met.
  • For the MA program Middle Eastern Studies Minor (30 ECTS), students from the field of "Oriental Studies" with a BA degree minor (30 or 60 ECTS) from a Swiss university are admitted without conditions.
  • Students with BA degrees from other fields of study can be admitted to the MA program Middle Eastern Studies (90 ECTS or 30 ECTS) upon application. In this case, conditions (to be completed before starting the Master's program) or additional requirements (to be completed during the Master's program) may be required.
• Language requirements: Good language skills in English and French, as well as in-depth knowledge of at least two oriental languages (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Uzbek, Indonesian, Swahili, or others by agreement).

Application and Admission

• General admission requirements
• Application and admission with a Swiss study certificate
• Application and admission with an international study certificate

For questions regarding application and admission, please contact the Admission, Enrollment, and Counseling Department.

After the Master's Program

The demand for academics qualified in these fields has grown steadily over the past decades. Such training is best achieved in a profiled research landscape that is focused on new and latest methods and theories. It also allows for the realization of individual research interests.