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Middle East
Asia Africa InstituteMiddle East

Photo: UHH/Thiemann

Studying at our department

The Department of Middle Eastern History and Culture is divided into three linguistically and regionally defined areas: Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, and Turkish Studies. It offers a 4-year International BA program and a 2-year International MA program in History, Languages and Cultures of the Near East. Within these joint degree programs, students can choose to major in Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, or Turkish Studies. In both the MA and BA programs, a central concern is to combine solid knowledge of the region with good language skills. In this way, the study program enables students to deal independently with the most diverse phenomena of culture and society in the respective areas. Beyond the traditional region of the Near East, the research and teaching of the department also addresses areas and cultural regions extending from the Ottoman Balkans, the Mediterranean to the Iranian Plateau and Central Asia. Three points in particular are characteristic:

- Internationality: a stay abroad is an integral part of the Bachelor's and Master's program. Please refer to the corresponding  information on stays abroad.

- Interdisciplinarity: A broad range of theories and methods of cultural studies is presented in exercises and seminars in order to   facilitate a diverse approach to the subject of Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies or Turkology and its subject matter. In addition, there is   the possibility to attend interdisciplinary seminars and lectures of the other majors.

- Interculturality: The courses do not treat the Arabic/Iranian/Turkish-speaking area in isolation, but always take into account the broader context on the one hand, and their own culture as a point of perception on the other.

 

Academic advising of the department

The advising service offers current and prospective students subject-specific information about the three main areas of study, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies and Turkish Studies, as well as the degree programs offered by the Department of Near Eastern History and Culture. Academic advising is conducted by members of the faculty during office hours or by appointment.  Current contacts in our department can be found here .

In addition, the Campus Center offers various counseling and information services for prospective and current students. These include, for example, the Central Student Advisory Service and the Psychological Counseling Service for Students.

 

Our Study Programs

The Department of History and Culture of the Middle East offers the following study programs:

  • Int. Bachelor Vorderer Orient (B.A.)
  • Nebenfach Bachelor Geschichte, Sprachen und Kulturen des Vorderen Orients (B.A. NF)
  • Master-Studiengang Geschichte, Sprachen und Kulturen des Vorderen Orients (M.A.)
  • Promotion (Dr. phil.)

For further information, please click here.

Semester abroad within the framework of our degree programs

 

As part of the International Bachelor of Middle Eastern Studies, majors in all specializations are required to spend at least one semester in their respective region of study. The Department encourages a variety of options in regard to both the country and the activities undertaken during this semester. Information on studying abroad as well as the corresponding contact persons for the respective specializations can be found under the menu item Study Abroad.