Arabic, Persian and Turkish Languages and Cultures

First year

More info

Objectives
Programme
Structure
Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

2009-2010

Objectives

The multidisciplinary approach to a geographical area, the Middle East and North Africa,
throughout history is characteristic of this programme. Using the rich collections of the
University Library and other institutions the programme incorporates both the long
textual tradition of Leiden University and the most up-to-date theories and approaches
of history, literature, linguistics and the social sciences.
Graduates of this master’s programme are expected to have acquired a sound overview
of the conceptual tools and current state of scholarship in the field of Arabic, Persian
or Turkish languages and cultures. In their master’s thesis the students should also be
able to demonstrate that they have an adequate command of the research methods of
either linguistics, literature or history of their region of choice, and that they are able to
work with Arabic, Persian or Turkish source materials. Moreover, the programme aims
to raise students to a level of knowledge and skills that allows them to proceed to PhD
research. Alternatively, graduates qualify for positions outside the university that require
an academic level of thinking.
Moreover, after completing this programme, students of Turkish will have the knowledge
and competence required to train for an upper secondary teaching qualification

Please note: if you have completed an Educational Minor as your optional subject, you
are allowed to follow a fast-track Educational MA (30 ects instead of 60 ects). Please see:
iclon.leidenuniv.nl

Programme

Sector Plan
The master’s programme in Arabic Studies is part of the Sector Plan and is offered in
close collaboration with the University of Amsterdam . Each student is obliged to
take at least one elective course of 10 ects at the UvA.

Structure

The master’s programme in Arabic, Persian and Turkish Languages and Cultures consists
of two semesters, each consisting of 30 ects. In the first semester students follow three
courses of 10 ects each. In the second semester students take one more 10 ects (or 2×5 in
case of Turkish Studies) course and write their thesis for 20 ects.
In the first semester all students take the course ‘Sources and Methods of Middle East
Studies: History and Social Theory’ (semester I) . In this course the emphasis lies on the
relevance (or lack thereof) of contemporary theories, concepts and models from the
social sciences for the study of the Middle East. Students are familiarised with a variety
of methods to obtain and interpret information from different types of sources. In
addition to this common course, students take two seminars within a language specific
programme. Students who specialize in Arabic studies take one seminar at the UvA,
according to the Sector Plan.

In the second semester students of Arabic and Persian Studies continue their studies at
Leiden University. Students of Turkish Studies spend the second semester at a partner
university in Turkey or complete their coursework at Leiden University. If they opt
for the Central Asian specialisation, they attend two courses on Soviet and Post-Soviet
Central Asia and the EU and the Turkic world, respectively. The master’s programme is
concluded with a thesis (20 ects).

Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

In order to graduate, students must have successfully completed the 60 ects programme
including their final thesis as a component of that programme. The thesis carries 20
ects, and as a rule should not exceed a maximum of 17,000 words including notes,
bibliography and appendices. The thesis is supervised by a lecturer of the Department
of Arabic, Persian and Turkish Languages and Cultures who possesses the appropriate
expertise in the field addressed in the thesis. The Department ensures that students
are put in contact with a lecturer from their own department for thesis supervision,
preferably at the start of the programme.
Also see: http://www.hum.leiden.edu/students/regulations.jsp.