Asian and Middle Eastern Studies MA

The Master of Arts in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (MAAMES) is a two-year degree with a flexible program of study for students who desire advanced training in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, languages, and/or language pedagogy. Placing an emphasis on the development of strong language proficiency and relevant cultural knowledge, this degree indicates proficiency in one Asian or Middle Eastern language and knowledge of the relevant histories, literatures, and cultures of the region. Students must designate a language of concentration on their MA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies program application form. Currently, students may select Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, or Urdu for their language of concentration.

The focus of Plan A and Plan B is primarily humanistic, based in the traditions of philological, literary, visual, and philosophical scholarship. The plans also encourage investigations in the interpretive social sciences—such as anthropology, history, and the sociology of class, gender, and race.

Plan C focuses on language pedagogy and provides extensive training to teach one of our department’s languages at a postsecondary institution. It also incorporates some of the humanistic scholarship of the other two plans in its core courses.