Middle East in a Global Context (M.Phil.)

NFQ Level 9
MPhil: 1 year full-time or 3 years part time; PG Dip: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time; PG Cert: 1 year part-time 
20 Places

Overview

Applications for this course are accepted via Trinity College webpage or Al-Maktoum College Dundee webpage.
Data sharing: information provided in the application may be shared with the Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education, Dundee. 

Course Overview

The M.Phil. in Middle East in a Global Context is an online course in the study of the Middle East, its histories, cultures, politics, and language.

  • You will acquire cultural fluency and critical understanding vis-à-vis the cultures, societies and peoples of the Middle East and North Africa, analyse minority groups and identities in the region, and examine Islam and its cultures wherever they are to be found across the globe.
  • You will study the wider socio-economic-cultural sphere of the Middle East, in terms of both current and future directions.
  • You will study Middle Eastern history from antiquity to the present, Arab intellectual history, and history of Western interventions in the region, especially from the 19th Century onwards. 
  • You will explore key societal challenges in the regions, analyse current issues affecting the Middle East and North Africa in a historical perspective and study the role of Western representation of the region.

Course Structure

The Master’s programme (90 ECTS) can be studied as full-time over 1 year (90 ECTS) or part-time over 2 - 3 years (30-60 ECTS per year). We also offer the option of a Postgraduate Certificate (30 ECTS, 1 year part- time) and Postgraduate Diploma (60 ECTS, 1 year full- time or 2 years part- time). 

  • Postgraduate Certificate (30 ECTS total) - students complete three core modules to develop a basic understanding of and fluency with the methods and contexts of the field of Middle Eastern Studies. 
  • Postgraduate Diploma (60 ECTS total) - students complete four core modules and two optional modules, gaining a thorough grounding in both the theory and the practice underpinning current research in Middle Eastern studies. 
  • Masters/M.Phil. (90 ECTS total/full time or part time) - students complete four core modules, two optional modules, and build on the knowledge and skills gained through the modules by applying them to the research project (which is worth 30 ECTS).

Career Opportunities  

This course will give you the cultural fluency and competence widely sought by employers, including in the fields of journalism, business, enterprise and industry, education, NGOs, political and diplomatic career pathways, international relations, and social policy making. 


You will also acquire research, critical analysis skills that you will apply in essay writing and independent academic research throughout your study and in your career. You may also choose to study Arabic Language as part of your programme - advanced linguistics abilities and intercultural communications skills will give you a competitive advantage in the job market. It may also be possible to study Introduction to Turkish language (this option is confirmed annually).

Click Here for further information on modules/subjects.

 

Postgraduate studies in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies at Trinity

An introduction to the postgraduate programmes in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies at Trinity College Dublin.

Course Details

Awards

NFQ Level 9

Number of Places

20 Places

Next Intake

September 2025

Course Director

Professor Anne Fitzpatrick

Closing Date

30th June 2025

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Admission Requirements

No prior languages knowledge is required, and Arabic can be studied ab initio. Applicants should normally have a second class (2.1) Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent. Applicants are asked to submit a writing sample for assessment, and may be invited for online interviews.  For candidates who are not native English speakers and have not completed a degree through the medium of English language, see the Trinity foreign language requirement.

English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements. For more details of qualifications that meet Band B, see the English Language Requirements page here.

Course Fees

Click here for a full list of postgraduate fees

Register Your Interest

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