Program Requirements

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

A maximum of 18 units from completion of the following Introductory Language Courses:

Arabic

ARAB1002 Introductory Arabic 1

ARAB1003 Introductory Arabic 2

ARAB2011 Intermediate Arabic 1

ARAB2012 Intermediate Arabic 2

ARAB3001 Advanced Arabic 1

ARAB3002 Advanced Arabic 2

ARAB3010 Applied Arabic

Persian

PERS1001 Introductory Persian A

PERS1002 Introductory Persian B

PERS2003 Intermediate Persian A

PERS2004 Intermediate Persian B

PERS3005 Advanced Persian A

PERS3006 Advanced Persian B

Turkish

TURK1001 Elementary Turkish A

TURK1002 Elementary Turkish B

TURK2001 Intermediate Turkish A

TURK2002 Intermediate Turkish B

A minimum of 6 units from completion of the following Introductory Disciplinary Courses:

MEAS6003 Critical Perspectives on Arabic Culture

MEAS6004 Iran in World Politics

MEAS6005 Modern Iraq: State, Politics and Society 

MEAS6006 Turkish History: Ottoman State to Modern Turkey

MEAS6007 Syria in the Levant: State, Society, and the Current Turmoil

MEAS6008 Egypt: Social and Political Dynamics in a Changing Middle East

12 units from completion of the following compulsory Research Training course:

MEAS8001 Critical Approaches and Methods in the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia

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

MEAS8113 The Gulf Strategic Environment

MEAS8114 Geopolitics of Central Asia

MEAS8109 Energy and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus

MEAS8115 Islam in World Politics

A minimum of 18 units from completion of Advanced Disciplinary Courses from the following list:

IDEC8034 Middle Eastern Economies

IDEC8035 Islamic Economies in Practice

MEAS8102 Islamic Radicalism

MEAS8105 Special Topic in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies 

MEAS8108 Issues of Development in the Middle East

MEAS8111 Drivers of Violent Extremism: The Local and the Global in the Middle East

MEAS8116 Authoritarianism, Democratisation and Protest in the Muslim Middle East

MEAS8117 Islam in Central Asia

MEAS8124 Islamic Banking: Debates and Development

A maximum of 6 units of experiential courses from the following list:

ANIP6503 Australian National Internships Program A

HUMN8027 Critical Issues in Heritage and Museum Studies

MGMT7165 Innovation

MUSC8012 Understanding Learning in Museums and Heritage

VCPG6001 Unravelling Complexity

VCPG6003 Leadership and Influence in a Complex World

24 units from completion of THES8103 Thesis

Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis in a specified semester one calendar year in advance of the start date of that semester.

Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one calendar year in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies.

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.

A maximum of 18 units from completion of the following Introductory Language Courses:

Arabic

ARAB1002 Introductory Arabic 1

ARAB1003 Introductory Arabic 2

ARAB2011 Intermediate Arabic 1

ARAB2012 Intermediate Arabic 2

ARAB3001 Advanced Arabic 1

ARAB3002 Advanced Arabic 2

ARAB3010 Applied Arabic

Persian

PERS1001 Introductory Persian A

PERS1002 Introductory Persian B

PERS2003 Intermediate Persian A

PERS2004 Intermediate Persian B

PERS3005 Advanced Persian A

PERS3006 Advanced Persian B

Turkish

TURK1001 Elementary Turkish A

TURK1002 Elementary Turkish B

TURK2001 Intermediate Turkish A

TURK2002 Intermediate Turkish B

A minimum of 6 units from completion of the following Introductory Disciplinary Courses:

MEAS6003 Critical Perspectives on Arabic Culture

MEAS6004 Iran in World Politics

MEAS6005 Modern Iraq: State, Politics and Society 

MEAS6006 Turkish History: Ottoman State to Modern Turkey

MEAS6007 Syria in the Levant: State, Society, and the Current Turmoil

MEAS6008 Egypt: Social and Political Dynamics in a Changing Middle East

12 units from completion of the following compulsory Research Training course:

MEAS8001 Critical Approaches and Methods in the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia

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

MEAS8113 The Gulf Strategic Environment

MEAS8114 Geopolitics of Central Asia

MEAS8109 Energy and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus

MEAS8115 Islam in World Politics

A minimum of 18 units from completion of Advanced Disciplinary Courses from the following list:

MEAS8102 Islamic Radicalism

MEAS8105 Special Topic in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies 

MEAS8108 Issues of Development in the Middle East

MEAS8111 Islam, the West and International Terrorism

MEAS8112 Dynamics of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

MEAS8116 Authoritarianism, Democratisation and Protest in the Muslim Middle East

MEAS8117 Islam in Central Asia

MEAS8121 Approaches to the Study of Modern Muslim Societies

MEAS8124 Islamic Banking: Debates and Development

MEAS8127 'Sectarianism' in the Middle East: Theology, Politics and Identity

A maximum of 6 units of experiential courses from the following list:

ANIP6503 Australian National Internships Program A

HUMN8027 Critical Issues in Heritage and Museum Studies

MGMT7165 Innovation

MUSC8012 Understanding Learning in Museums and Heritage

VCPG6001 Unravelling Complexity

VCPG6003 Leadership and Influence in a Complex World

VCPG6004 Creating Impact

24 units from completion of THES8103 Thesis

Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis in a specified semester one calendar year in advance of the start date of that semester.

Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one calendar year in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies.

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.

Master Research

The program includes the advanced thesis course THES8103. Students produce an original piece of research with guidance from a supervisor. The length of the thesis is a maximum of 20,000 words.

Master Research Training

The program includes 12 units from completion of the following compulsory Research Training course - MEAS8001 Critical Approaches and Methods in the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia

Study Options

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present one of the following:

• A cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis
• A Bachelor degree or international equivalent AND a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis
• A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 5/7 AND a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Additional information: Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis one semester in advance of the start date of the Thesis semester. Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one semester in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies.

Ranking and English Proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. 

In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of: 

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

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.

Applications for course credit: Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit. 

Alternate Admin Requirements

A cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis. OR

A Bachelor degree or international equivalent AND a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis. OR

A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with GPA 5/7 AND a minimum of 3 years full-time equivalent work experience at ANZSCO Skill Level 1 in a field related to the program and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis.

Applications for course credit

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

Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis one semester in advance of the start date of the Thesis semester.

Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one semester in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies.

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.

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

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 VMECA 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. Alongside in-depth study of these geopolitically significant regions and the development of an original research thesis, the degree includes options for training in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish languages, and experiential courses that develop leadership and problem-solving skills.

Learning Outcomes

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;
4. engage critically with key scholarly debates and controversies related to the study of the Middle East and/or Central Asia, including those that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries; and
5. demonstrate the ability to complete a major piece of scholarly research in the field of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, presenting the findings and arguments of this work in a scholarly/thesis format.

Research Strengths

The program includes the advanced thesis course THES8103. Students produce an original piece of research with guidance from a supervisor. The length of the thesis is a maximum of 20,000 words.

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirements is currently not available for this program.

Further Information

Students enter the Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies (Advanced) by transfer from the Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies.