| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year full time 2 years part time |
| Entry year | September 2025 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Arab and Islamic Studies |
| Contact | Programme Director Professor Sajjad Rizvi |
| Typical offer | 2:2 Honours degree |
|---|---|
Overview
- Advanced study of Islam with leading scholars in the field
- A broad and flexible programme which you can tailor to your particular interests and conduct independent research
- You will investigate key issues and debates in Islamic studies and receive training in the methologies of Islamic studies research
- IAIS is one of the foremost academic departments in Middle East, Islamic Studies and Arabic. Get involved in a variety of IAIS activities and join our vibrant research community
- Your advanced knowledge and expertise in Islam and contemporary debates in Islamic Studies will be valued by public and private sector employers and open doors to further academic study
2nd in the UK for African & Middle Eastern Studies
The Complete University Guide 2025
3rd for Middle Eastern and African Studies
The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
Home to Europe's most important research collection on the Arab world
Masters Excellence Scholarships available
2nd in the UK for African & Middle Eastern Studies
The Complete University Guide 2025
3rd for Middle Eastern and African Studies
The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
Home to Europe's most important research collection on the Arab world
Masters Excellence Scholarships available
I enjoy having the freedom to explore a huge range of topics and areas - – there are modules offered on literature, politics, gender studies, language, media and specific conflicts, but with the flexibility to apply those studies to different situations around the world.
Joanne
Arab and Islamic Studies Masters student
Entry requirements
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree with 53% or above in a social sciences or humanities discipline. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.
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 test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
The MA Islamic Studies will equip you with the general research skills, sources and tools relevant to the study of the Middle East, North Africa and the Muslim world in general, and introduce you to a broad range of key theorists whose work has underpinned scholarship in several key fields of study.
You will learn how to make self-conscious choices around your own work and promote forms of theoretically-aware and interdisciplinary work found in some of the most successful research in Arab, Islamic and Middle East Studies.
135 credits of compulsory modules, 45 credits of option modules
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARAM103 | New Approaches to Islamic Thought | 30 |
| ARAM232 | Theorising the Middle East | 15 |
| ARAM233 | Dissertation skills | 15 |
| ARAM027 | MA Dissertation | 60 |
Optional modules
Option modules can be viewed via the URL below
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=arabislamicstudies
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| IAIS PGT 25.26 | ||
| ARAM054 | State and Society in the Middle East | 30 |
| ARAM055 | Iranian History, 1500 - the Present | 15 |
| ARAM102 | Islam in Practice | 30 |
| ARAM112A | Independent Reading Course - Sem 1 | 15 |
| ARAM112B | Independent Reading Course - Sem 2 | 15 |
| ARAM131 | Nationalisms in the Middle East | 15 |
| ARAM186A | International Relations of the Middle East | 15 |
| ARAM221 | The Palestine Question: Past and Present | 30 |
| ARAM225 | Gender and Politics in the Middle East | 30 |
| ARAM227 | Oral History: Principles and Practice | 30 |
| ARAM230 | Gender, Sexuality and Violence in Palestine/Israel | 15 |
| ARAM235 | Contemporary History and Politics of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula | 30 |
| ARAM236 | Sociology and Anthropology of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula | 15 |
| ARAM244 | Politics and Economics of the Middle East | 30 |
| ARAM246 | Critical Readings in Kurdish Studies | 15 |
| ARAM247 | Rethinking Palestine: Critical Readings | 15 |
| ARAM249 | Theorising Islam | 15 |
| ARAM250 | The Sovereign, the Good, and Society in Islamic Thought | 15 |
| ARAM251 | Esotericism and the Magical Tradition | 30 |
| ARAM248 | Texts and Traditions in Islamic Intellectual History | 15 |
| ARAM147 | The Kurds: History and Politics | 30 |
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 has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships*.
For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
*Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.
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
As a Masters student you can attend regular research seminars held across the College of Social Sciences and International Studies and organised by our research centres. These are given by academics from Exeter and other Universities in the UK and overseas, as well as guest speakers from the private, public and charity sectors.
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.
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.
Read more from Professor Gareth Stansfield
Professor Gareth Stansfield
Al-Qasimi Professor of Arab Gulf Studies, Professor of Middle East Politics
Careers
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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
- business and risk analysts
Further study
The academic skills developed on the MA 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.
Employment and professional development
Our excellent Career Zone 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.
In addition, the location of this programme within a hub of renowned academia will offer you the possibility of connections, networking opportunities, advice and guidance from others with extensive academic and career-related experience in this field.
