Core Curriculum

The Master of Arts in Arab Studies program is a demanding, full-time curriculum comprised of 36 credit hours (12 three-credit courses), not including acquisition-level Arabic classes. The program is designed for full time students to complete the degree in two years, but depending on the student’s level of proficiency, it is possible to complete the program in a shorter or longer period of time.

Students have considerable flexibility in designing their program in order to meet their academic and professional goals and interests. To complete the program, students must meet the following requirements:

  1. Completion of two foundational courses (6 credits)
    • ARST 500 – 20th c. Middle East History
    • ARST 501- Introduction to the Study of the Arab World
  2. Completion of three core courses (9 credits)
    Students choose from the following:

    • ARST 625: Comparative Politics
    • ARST 619: International Relations
    • ARST 518: Culture & Society
    • ARST 532: Women & Gender
    • ARST 640: Development
    • ARST 564: Political Economy
    • HIST 563: Social and Cultural History of MENA (or other core history seminar)
  3. Completion of seven electives (21 credits)
    • A minimum of three electives should be offered through CCAS, Department of History, or Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
    • A maximum of four electives may be taken from other departments at Georgetown University.
  4. Pass Arabic Language Proficiency Exams
    • Student must pass both the MAAS oral and written exams for Modern Standard Arabic to complete this requirement by the end of the program.
  5. Oral Comprehensive Exam OR Thesis
    • Oral Comprehensive Exam: The oral exam is designed to provide a cross-disciplinary conclusion to the student’s course work and total educational experience in the program. The exam is administered by a panel of three CCAS faculty members. The exam takes place after a student’s coursework has been completed.
    • Thesis Option: Students have the option of writing and defending a thesis in their final semester in lieu of the oral exam. Thesis students must take a methods course and enroll in the three-credit MAAS Thesis Colloquium, both of which count as elective courses.

For additional information about program requirements, please consult the MAAS Student Handbook.