Degrees & Majors
Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
About
Doctoral students in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC) pursue an academic discipline grounded in a cultural and linguistic study of the Middle East.
The Ph.D. requirements include:
- Five years of a primary Middle Eastern language;
- Three years of a second MiddleEastern language;
- A European research language, usually French or German; and
- A minor in another department, usually a disciplinary field.
Our distinguished and world-renowned faculty teaches diverse courses on languages, literatures, religions, history, and cultures of the Arab world and the Middle East. Signature strengths of the department are in the classical and medieval periods of Islam – in classical Arabic cultures and language, Islamic studies, philosophical and religious thought, and intellectual history.
In addition, students can acquire a dual Ph.D. in MELC and another department.