The Middle East is a region of critical importance. As its many nations continue to play pivotal roles on the world stage, the need for firm knowledge about Middle Eastern languages and cultures becomes increasingly clear. These languages and cultures are our specialty. Indeed, in MELC one can find experts in Arabic, Hebrew (ancient and modern), Persian, Turkish (Ottoman and Modern), Egyptian (hieroglyphic and Coptic), and the languages of Central Asia. Our courses offer great breadth, in terms of the number of different languages taught, and great depth, in terms of the historical range our courses cover (from ancient to medieval to modern periods). As a MELC graduate student, you will develop a thorough understanding of historical and cultural contexts and skills in critical analysis of texts, research procedures, and integrative thinking.
MELC does not have a Ph.D. program. If you are interested in a Ph.D. program, please refer to the Near and Middle Eastern Studies program of the UW Graduate School for more information on their doctoral program in a closely related field.
About our MA program: