Program Requirements

The Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies requires completion of 96 units, which must consist of:

24 units from completion of the Introductory Courses from the following lists:

Arabic
ARAB6102 Introductory Arabic A
ARAB6103 Introductory Arabic B
ARAB6501 Intermediate Arabic A
ARAB6502 Intermediate Arabic B
ARAB6503 Advanced Arabic A
ARAB6504 Advanced Arabic B
ARAB6505 Introductory Course to Arabic Linguistics
ARAB6506 Research Project (Arabic)
ARAB6507 Introductory Course to Arabic Literature
ARAB6508 Special Topics in Arabic
ARAB6509 Directed Study Project (Arabic)
ARAB6510 Arab Current Affairs and Media Arabic
ARAB6511 Applied Arabic

Persian
PERS6001 Introductory Persian A
PERS6002 Introductory Persian B
PERS6003 Intermediate Persian A
PERS6004 Intermediate Persian B
PERS6005 Advanced Persian A
PERS6006 Advanced Persian B

Turkish
TURK6001 Elementary Turkish A
TURK6002 Elementary Turkish B

24 units from completion of the disciplinary courses from the following list:

MEAS6503 Modern Turkey: History, Culture and Regional Relations
MEAS6504 Turkish Politics and Foreign Policy
MEAS8010 Turkish History: Ottoman State to Modern Turkey
MEAS8102 Islamic Radicalism
MEAS8109 Energy and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus
MEAS8111 Islam, the West and International Terrorism
MEAS8112 Dynamics of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
MEAS8113 The Gulf Strategic Environment
MEAS8114 Geopolitics of Central Asia
MEAS8115 Islam in World Politics
MEAS8116 Islam and Democracy
MEAS8117 Islam in Central Asia
MEAS8118 Islam in Australia
MEAS8120 Islam, Faith and Community
MEAS8122 Shiite Islam in World Politics
MEAS8124 Introduction to Islamic Banking

12 units from completion of Research Training courses from the following list: 

POLS8004 Postgraduate Training in Politics and Policy: Research Methods
POLS8042 Research Training: Scope and Methods (12 units)
SOCR8006 Online Research Methods
SOCR8008 Qualitative Social Research

12 units from completion of Research Project courses from the following list: 

ANIP6503 Australian National Internships Program Internship A (Graduate)
MEAS8100 Oil Religion Politics and Conflict in the Middle East
MEAS8105 Special Topic in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies    
MEAS8108 Issues of Development in the Middle East
MEAS8121 Approaches to the Study of Modern Muslim Societies
MEAS8123 Special Topic in Modern Islam
MEAS8126 Contemporary Issues in Islamic Banking

24 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU

Unless otherwise stated, a course used to satisfy the requirements of one list may not be double counted towards satisfying the requirements of another list.
 

Study Options

Admission Requirements

A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit. Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor degree with Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 48 units (one year) of credit.

Cognate Disciplines

Diplomacy, International relations, Modern history; Other social sciences and humanities disciplines and fields where there is significant coverage of a relevant aspect of Middle Eastern, Central Asian or Islamic Studies and where similar approaches and methodologies are used; and modern languages relating to the Middle East and/or Central Asia region such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Russian or French. Politics, Political economy, Political science, Religious studies/Islamic studies; Security studies, Sociology; Strategic studies.

English Language Requirements

All applicants must meet the University’s English Language Admission Requirements for Students.

Assessment of Qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met. Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Employment Opportunities

A MMECAS will advance your career in any professional area requiring a solid understanding of the Middle East and Central Asia, whether in diplomacy, the public service, teaching, journalism, development or business.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the skills and knowledge to:

1. Conduct detailed, sophisticated research on the Middle East and/or Central Asia, synthesize research material and explain the findings clearly and succinctly, and present these findings both in writing and orally;
2. Discuss, explain and analyse major modern events, characteristics and dynamics related to the Middle East and/or Central Asia;
3. Explain and assess the dynamics that shape and influence Middle East and/or Central Asia, including one or more of: the roles of key actors in these regions’ politics, international relations, and political economies; the impacts on the region of modern historical events; and the impacts of societal and cultural forces; and
4. Engage critically with key scholarly debates and controversies related to the study of the Middle East and/or Central Asia, including some that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Further Information

• Interested in writing a thesis? Check out the advanced version of this degree.

• Please be aware that any courses taken as part of the 24 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU list will not count towards the advanced degree should you decide to transfer. This is because the advanced degree has no free electives, as they are in practice replaced by a 24 unit thesis.