Master of Arts Degree in Middle Eastern or South Asian Studies

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Requirements

MESALC’s multi-disciplinary MA degree is intended for students seeking graduate-level training in Middle Eastern or South Asian languages and an in-depth knowledge of the Middle East or South Asia as a region. Students choose either the Middle East or South Asia as their regional focus, and either Arabic, Bengali, Hebrew, Hindi, Persian, Urdu, or Sanskrit as their regional language. Those accepted into the program are required to enter with at least a second-year proficiency in their language (at least a first-year proficiency for Sanskrit). Students may be able to complete this language training through summer coursework at the University of Virginia (depending upon their language and the courses available in any given summer).

Students will attain at least a third-year competency in their regional language, complete a total of 30 course credits, including nine graduate-level courses in their regional concentration (27 credits in courses numbered 5000 or above, selected with the approval of the graduate advisor), and fulfill all the requirements for MESA 8995, a 3-credit research seminar (that students will normally take in the final semester of their program), including a major research paper (on a topic determined in consultation with the graduate advisor). This degree is intended to take two years, but students may be able to complete it in less time, provided they are able to fulfill all stated requirements.

Concentration in Middle Eastern or South Asian Language and Literature

Students who are particularly interested in the languages and literatures of the Middle East or South Asia may opt to complete a “Language and Literature Concentration,” which provides students with advanced training in a particular Middle Eastern or South Asian language, in part through the study of its literature. Students concentrating in Language and Literature complete all the requirements for the MA in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, but, in addition, they attain at least a fourth-year competency in their regional language, and they must include among their 30 graduate credits at least 18 credits of advanced language and literature coursework in MESALC (to be selected with the approval of the graduate advisor).

Admission Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the general admission requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Acceptance into the MA program in MESALC will depend upon the applicant’s undergraduate performance and promise of future success.

Graduation Requirements for the Studies MA Degree

• Successful completion of the third year of the student’s chosen language;
• 27 credits from regional studies courses at the 5000-level or above, selected with the approval of the graduate advisor, and satisfying the following distribution requirements:
   •    3 credits from a course on the history of the region;
   •    3 credits from a course on religion in the region;
   •    3 credits from a course on the politics of the region; and
   •    3 credits from an upper-level literature course related to the region;
• MESA 8995, the MA research seminar, which will involve completion of a major research paper (on a topic to be determined in consultation with the graduate advisor).

Graduation Requirements for the Studies MA with Language and Literature Concentration

• Successful completion of the fourth year of the student’s chosen language;
• 27 credits from regional studies courses at the 5000-level or above to be selected with the approval of the graduate advisor and to satisfy the following distribution requirements:
     o      3 credits from a course on the history of the region;
     o      3 credits from a course on religion in the region;
     o      3 credits from a course on the politics of the region; and
     o      18 credits from advanced language and literature coursework in MESALC (selected with the approval of the graduate advisor);
• MESA 8995, the MA research seminar, which will involve completion of a major research paper (on a topic to be determined in consultation with the graduate advisor).

Students may apply courses toward their Studies degrees from among the graduate-credit courses related to their region that are offered by various departments around the university. For sample lists of relevant courses that have been offered in recent semesters, please see the department home page: www.virginia.edu/mesa.