Academic Programs

Students have many opportunities to participate in the academic life of the Institute for Middle East Studies (IMES). IMES offers a Master of Arts program in Middle East Studies and an undergraduate major in Middle East Studies. Course offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate level draw heavily on the various academic departments of the University, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of international issues and giving students both a practical and theoretical perspective from which they can analyze world events.

Students at all levels of study are invited to participate in the wide-range of events run by the Institute each semester. IMES programming includes brown-bag lunches, academic workshops and conferences, film screenings, and the Middle East Policy Forum lecture series. Additionally, students may apply for the IMES Research Fellows program, which awards funding to students to work as a research assistants to professors of their choosing.

*Note* The Elliott School of International Affairs does not currently have a PhD program. If you are interested in completing a PhD related to the Middle East, please get in touch with the relevant disciplinary office (eg Political Science, Anthropology, History, etc).

The Middle East Studies major builds upon the same multi-disciplinary core found in the International Affairs degree and moves quickly to focus on unique topics central to the Middle East. After four years of study, successful students will have knowledge of a modern regional language (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish are offered at GW) and the basic intellectual tools they need to understand the region’s history and contemporary dynamics. Students are encouraged to study in the Middle East through one of GW’s formal partnerships with a regional university or their own self-designed study abroad program.

Contact Info

Undergraduate Admissions:

800 21st St NW Suite 100
Phone: 202-994-6040
Email: gwadm@gwu.edu

Middle East Studies Undergraduate Program:

1957 E Street NW, Suite 512
Phone: (202) 994-9249
Email: mesp@gwu.edu

The Master of Arts in Middle East Studies program combines a rigorous academic foundation in the study of the Middle East with a strong professional orientation. Bridging the theory and practice of international affairs, the program will prepare students for careers in government, the private sector, and international and nongovernmental organizations.

The curriculum includes a range of courses covering the history, politics, economics, international relations and cultures of the societies and nations of the Middle East. In consultation with the program director, each student will develop a program of study that combines a broad overview of the region through a set of core courses, along with a more specialized field based on the student’s specific academic and career interests. In addition, completion of the M.A. in Middle East Studies requires demonstrated advanced oral and reading proficiency in a language of the Middle East region (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian or Turkish).

The Elliott School also offers graduate students who are enrolled in the Master of Arts in International Affairs program a concentration option in the Middle East region.

Contact Info

Elliott School Graduate Admissions:
1957 E Street NW, Suite 301
Phone: (202) 994-7050
Email: esiagrad@gwu.edu

Middle East Studies Graduate Program:
1957 E Street NW, Suite 512
Phone: (202) 994-3476
Email: mesp@gwu.edu

The Middle East Studies Program has a special emphasis on intensive language study, specifically in Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Farsi/Persian, Hebrew, and Turkish). Achieving linguistic proficiency in these relevant languages is a core element of the program, and our students work with many excellent faculty to achieve their language goals. Moreover, many students receive FLAS fellowships (see below) which further supports this commitment to linguistic mastery.

The U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Program provides summer and academic year fellowships to GW students studying Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Farsi/Persian, Hebrew, Turkish). Academic year fellowships are available to graduate students in ESIA, CCAS, or GSHED and include tuition for one year at GW and a living stipend. Summer fellowships are open to all undergraduate and graduate students, and include tuition for a summer language program (domestic or abroad), travel funding, and a living stipend. For more information about FLAS, please visit our FAQ page or the Office of Graduate Student Assistantships & Fellowships.

MES Program Director Arie Dubnov serves as advisor to all undergraduate and graduate Middle East Studies students. His office hours are by appointment.

For routine questions about the Middle East Studies programs, you may also contact the Middle East Studies Program Assistant.

Forms

Forms for Undergraduate Students

Forms for Graduate Students

Contact Information

Dr. Arie Dubnov, Director, Middle East Studies Program
1957 E Street NW, Suite 512M
Phone: 202-994-6234
Email: dubnov@gwu.edu

Ellie Sneau, Program Assistant, Middle East Studies Program
1957 E Street NW, Suite 512
Phone: 202-994-3476
Email: mesp@gwu.edu

Elliott School Graduate Student Services
1957 E Street NW, Suite 603
Phone: 202-994-3788
Email: esiagss@gwu.edu

Elliott School Undergraduate Advising
1957 E Street NW, Suite 302
Phone: 202-994-3002
Email: advising@gwu.edu

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