MResMiddle East Studies
Source: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/arabislamic/mideastmres/ Parent: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/
MRes Middle East Studies
MRes Middle East Studies
| UCAS code | 1234 |
| Duration | 1 year full time 2 years part time |
| Entry year | 2026 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Typical offer View full entry requirements | We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above (or equivalent). |
| Contextual offers |
Why study MRes Middle East Studies at Exeter?
- You’ll develop your research skills through in-depth study of the recent and social history of the Middle East
- Receive core training in social scientific philosophy and methodology and learn how to apply this to the study of the contemporary Middle East
- You’ll examine how the region has changed and developed over the last 150 years
- Join an active and collaborative research culture that draws together doctoral researchers, staff and students to produce cutting-edge knowledge about the Arab and Islamic worlds
- Learn discipline specific methodology and analytical techniques that lay the basis for you to progress to doctoral study
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Select date of entry Sept 2026
Select programme Full time Part time
Apply for Jan 2026 entry
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Fast Track (current Exeter students)
Contact
Programme Director: Dr Ahmed Dailami
Web: Enquire online
Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72
Play
Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies - Archival resources at the University of Exeter.
4th in the UK for African & Middle Eastern Studies
The Complete University Guide 2026
Top 3 for student satisfaction in six out of seven themes
National Student Survey 2025
Home to Europe's most important research collection on the Arab world
Entry requirements
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above (or equivalent). We welcome students from any academic background.
Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course.
The required IELTS test scores for this course fall under Profile B1.
Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
This masters is designed to develop your research skills within the field of Middle East Studies. Your core training will be in social scientific philosophy and methodology, which you will then learn to apply to the study of the contemporary Middle East.
The programme is designed to develop your understanding of the history and evolution of the Middle East as a region, as well as introducing you to approaches to studying the area, and specialised quantitative and qualitative analytical techniques appropriate to this specialism.
This programme also forms part of the ESRC SWDTP – a hub of world-class social sciences research.
The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
Modules
Please note that the module information displayed here is from a previous year and is subject to change.
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARAM233 | Dissertation skills | 15 |
| SOCM002A | Philosophy of the Social Sciences 1 | 15 |
| POLM063 | Qualitative Methods in Social Research | 15 |
| POLM651 | State and Society in the Middle East | 30 |
| POLM809 | Applied Quantitative Data Analysis | 15 |
| ARAM027 | MA Dissertation | 60 |
Optional modules
You need to choose a 30 credit ARAMxxx option module as part of your 180 total credits for of the programme. \ \
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MRes Middle East Studies Option Modules 2025-6 | ||
| ARAM054 | State and Society in the Middle East | 30 |
| ARAM081 | Advanced Arabic Language | 30 |
| ARAM090 | Energy, Logistics, Infrastructure | 30 |
| ARAM091 | Ecological Struggles | 30 |
| ARAM092 | Capstone Project | 60 |
| ARAM093 | Energy Infrastructure Environment Placement | 15 |
| ARAM103 | New Approaches to Islamic Thought | 30 |
| ARAM112A | Independent Reading Course - Sem 1 | 15 |
| ARAM112B | Independent Reading Course - Sem 2 | 15 |
| ARAM147 | The Kurds: History and Politics | 30 |
| ARAM221 | The Palestine Question: Past and Present | 30 |
| ARAM232 | Theorising the Middle East | 15 |
| ARAM244 | Politics and Economics of the Middle East | 30 |
| ARAM251 | Esotericism and the Magical Tradition | 30 |
| ARAM257 | Philosophising Magic: From Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages | 15 |
| EFPM839 | Transdisciplinary Collaborations for Creative Futures | 30 |
| HASM013 | Mental Health in Social and Historical Context | 30 |
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Fees
2025/26 entry
UK fees per year:
£12,500 full-time; £6,250 part-time
International fees per year:
£25,300 full-time; £12,650 part-time
Scholarships
The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships *. We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship
We are pleased to offer University of Exeter alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship towards the cost of your tuition fees. Full details can be found here.
*Terms and conditions, including deadlines, apply. See our website for details..
Find out more about tuition fees and funding »
Teaching and research
Teaching
- Lectures will give you direct access to the cutting-edge research being carried out by our academic team
- Take responsibility for your own learning and that of your peers by participating in group work, class discussions and student presentations
- Fine tune your critical reading skills and learn how to ask and field incisive questions
- Utilise a range of media from video and audio to articles from newspapers and academic journals
Assessment
The taught modules on this programme are assessed by a combination of essays, presentations and group work. Following completion of these in April, you will then be assessed by a 15,000-word dissertation for submission in September.
Research
Our research is focused on a number of specialist research centres:
- Centre for Gulf Studies
- Centre for Kurdish Studies
- Centre for Persian and Iranian Studies
- European Centre for Palestine Studies
- Centre for the Study of Islam
Our research culture is collaborative and democratic, drawing together doctoral researchers, staff and students to produce cutting-edge new knowledge about the Arab and Islamic worlds.
Facilities
The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including a computerised language lab, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, lounge, satellite TV for viewing Middle Eastern channels and a gallery for Middle Eastern art exhibitions.
The Arab World Documentation Unit based in the Research Commons is a valuable research resource, housing numerous collections of academic textbooks, press cuttings, government papers and reports, periodicals, pamphlets, business yearbooks, and much more, with material in English, Arabic and Hebrew.
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Professor Gareth Stansfield
Al-Qasimi Professor of Arab Gulf Studies, Professor of Middle East Politics
Dr István Kristó-Nagy
Head of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology (SPA)
Professor Gareth Stansfield
Al-Qasimi Professor of Arab Gulf Studies, Professor of Middle East Politics
Gareth has been a regular commentator and adviser on Middle East politics over the last decade. He lived in pre-regime change Iraq between 1996 and 2001, where he was funded by the UK government to advise the Kurdish leadership. He served as a Senior Political Adviser to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and is a member of the Command Advisory Group of the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters.
He has considerable fieldwork experience in a range of countries in the Middle East and Islamic World, including Iraq, Syria, the Kurdish regions, Morocco, the states of the Gulf, and more recently Afghanistan.
Professor Gareth Stansfield
Al-Qasimi Professor of Arab Gulf Studies, Professor of Middle East Politics
Gareth has been a regular commentator and adviser on Middle East politics over the last decade. He lived in pre-regime change Iraq between 1996 and 2001, where he was funded by the UK government to advise the Kurdish leadership. He served as a Senior Political Adviser to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and is a member of the Command Advisory Group of the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters.
He has considerable fieldwork experience in a range of countries in the Middle East and Islamic World, including Iraq, Syria, the Kurdish regions, Morocco, the states of the Gulf, and more recently Afghanistan.
Dr István Kristó-Nagy
Head of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology (SPA)
István teaches on the optional module Islam in Practice. His main scholarly interests lie in comparative and interdisciplinary studies, especially the social and cultural history of Islam as compared and linked to other civilisations.
Transdisciplinary Collaborations for Creative Futures
You are invited to consider taking Transdisciplinary Collaborations for Creative Futures as an optional module in your course. It's available in two formats: 15 credits (EFPM838) or 30 credits (EFPM839).
Our Transdisciplinary Collaborations for Creative Futures module will give you the competitive career advantage of understanding how to bring your disciplinary knowledge into active dialogue with students and staff from other disciplines in order to tackle global sustainability challenges.
This module is taught by staff from across the University of Exeter and is grounded in the University's School of Education research, which shows that the best way to tackle complex real-world challenges is to creatively collaborate across disciplines and with stakeholders.
The challenges will come from external University strategic partners, ensuring issues are current, cutting edge and relevant, whilst supporting employability. The module aims to teach you how to collaboratively, and critically, produce original ideas, and think innovatively about the future through research-based activities, fieldwork and creative workshops that blend the arts, sciences, social sciences, humanities and business.
Using appropriately innovative assessment techniques, the module will equip you to respond to the global complexity and uncertainty that you will inevitably encounter when you graduate. You will be taught using pedagogical innovations, working in transdisciplinary teams with facilitation through cutting edge Creative Pedagogies and Design Thinking.
This module is particularly appropriate for international students seeking insight into UK business, creative industries and cultural contexts and employment possibilities.
Feedback from students who have taken this module highlights its value and the additional skills it helps them develop:
"This module has changed my perspective and transformed my vision. I now have a new understanding of how educational processes and practices should be designed so that learners can acquire skills such as problem-solving, collaborative working, critical and creative thinking in a transdisciplinary way." - Canan, MEd TESOL
"This module has made me more deeply understand the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation. This diversity is also a key reason why I chose this course. I hope to interact with people who have different viewpoints and come from different fields to help me look at problems from various perspectives." - Joey, MA Creative Arts in Education
"Taking this module is one of the best things I've done as part of my studies at Exeter. This is the most exciting and creative course I have ever attended." - Linh Le, MEd TESOL
"I would definitely recommend this module, not only can students learn by means of interdisciplinary cooperation through group cooperation, but also can expand the scope of communication, promote international students to know more about local culture, and promote the communication between international students and other students, which is really very good." - Sherry, MA Creative Arts in Education
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Careers
Graduates from this programme may find professional employment in a wide range of sectors both in the UK and internationally. A comprehensive background in Islamic Studies is relevant to careers in:
- Academia and education
- International agencies such as the United Nations or the European Union
- International development
- Print and broadcast media
- Politics
- Private sector companies with interests in Islamic countries
Employment and professional development
Our excellent Employability and Graduate Development Service provides invaluable support, advice and access to graduate employers. Visit the employment and professional development pages for more information, including podcasts and profiles, about the range of support available.
Further study
The academic skills developed on the MRes Middle East Studies will enable to you to pursue doctoral study. The Institute has an international profile for our pioneering regional focus on the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula and expertise in Islamic Studies providing an ideal place in which to undertake an MPhil/PhD.
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Related courses
[Middle East Studies MA
Streatham Campus](https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/arabislamic/middleeaststudiesma/)