In collaboration with Trinity College Dublin
The MPhil in The Middle East in a Global Context is a new taught Masters course, offered in partnership with Trinity College Dublin. The course is awarded and taught by the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at Trinity College Dublin.
This course is designed for students who hold a degree in any discipline and are interested in studying the region of the Middle East, its histories, cultures, politics and (optionally) language.
It provides a foundation in the methods and disciplines relevant to the study of the Middle East. It provides intensive training in several fields of knowledge through a combination of online lectures, seminars, tutorials and essay writing, allowing you to develop research and writing skills with training in theoretical and methodological approaches. You also complete a research project (dissertation) on a subject chosen by you in consultation with your supervisor.
The application deadline is 31 July 2024.
This course is designed for students who hold a degree in any discipline and are interested in studying the region of the Middle East, its histories, cultures, politics and language.
The programme can be accessed via three different entry routes, each of which offers distinct advantages. Subject to satisfactory progress, it is possible to transition from the Certificate to the Diploma and then to the MPhil, which effectively spreads the MPhil as a part-time degree.
On the Postgraduate Certificate (total: 30 credits), students complete three core modules (M1-M3) to develop a basic understanding of and fluency with the methods and contexts of the field of Middle Eastern Studies.
On the Postgraduate Diploma (total: 60 credits), students complete four core modules (M1-M4) plus 2 optional modules, gaining a thorough grounding in both the theory and the practice underpinning current research in Middle Eastern studies.
On the MPhil (total: 90 credits), students complete four core modules (M1-M4) plus 2 optional modules, and build on the knowledge and skills gained through the modules by applying them to the research project (which is worth 30 credits).
• Data sharing – information provided in the application may be shared with the Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education. It is also possible to apply via the Al-Maktoum College.
A 2.1 honours class degree from an Irish university or its international equivalent is the minimum qualification required for admittance on this course. This table provides some international equivalents to a 2.1 honours degree. The table is drawn from data provided by Quality Qualifications Ireland. It is provided only as a frame of reference.
All candidates who are not native English speakers and have not completed a degree through the medium of English are required to prove their proficiency with the language. Trinity prefers IELTS, but will accept alternative tests provided by international organisations, such as TOEFL. This table provides the minimum score for IELTS and some alternatives:
SELT’s can only be sat at approved test centres. A list of all the approved test centres is available on GOV.UK
The list of approved English language tests has been assessed as meeting Home Office requirements under the secure English language testing arrangements. Only those tests and test levels specified are approved. If you intend to use an English language test in your immigration or nationality application you must take one of the tests on the list.
You should make sure the test that you book is the one approved for the SELT.
The course is aimed at graduates from a wide range of backgrounds, including those recently graduated in a related discipline and seeking to deepen their knowledge of the Middle East and/or North Africa or to apply their undergraduate experiences in other fields to the area of Middle Eastern Studies.
It is also intended for graduates already working in various fields and seeking to reskill, upskill, and attain a cultural fluency in the region. It further prepares students for progression to research degrees.
Teaching includes a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and essay writing, allowing students to develop research and writing skills with training in appropriate theoretical and methodological approaches.
The “Empire”, “Antiquity to the Ottomans” and “History and Politics” modules are assessed by 4000-word essays, and by exercises such as multiple choice quizzes (MCQ), learning journals, and/or other appropriate pedagogical instruments.
The other modules are assessed solely by 4000-word essays, but may also include exercises on a formative (i.e. non-assessed) basis.
All written work is submitted via Blackboard, which uses Turnitin to check for plagiarism and allows for feedback to be provided by the lecturer.
To pass the MPhil course as a whole, one must pass the Research Project. For a Distinction, one must get 70 or above in the Research Project and in the average of the other modules, without failing any module. Subject to this, the overall mark for the course is the weighted average of the mark awarded for each module.
Deadline for applications is 31 July 2024.
You should apply directly using the College online application system and your application will usually be assessed within 3 working days. We may contact you to provide further information or to invite you to a short informal interview.
Please make sure you have the following information before starting your application:
We consider all aspects of the application: academic qualifications, personal statement and references.
All correspondence will be sent from admissions@almcollege.ac.uk after an application of study has been submitted and you should direct any questions there.
Students on the MPhil, and students on the Diploma, take four mandatory modules and two optional modules (totalling 60 ECTS). Students on the MPhil also complete a Research Project.
Students on the Postgraduate Certificate take three core modules.
All modules are one Semester long, except for Arabic Language, Advanced Arabic and the Research Project.
Each taught module is worth 10 Credits. The Research Project is worth 30 Credits.
The two Arabic modules are mutually exclusive (you can only take one). The Advanced module presupposes level B2.
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