Middle Eastern Studies Program at the Ibn Haldun University’s History Department offers, at the Postgraduate level, an in-depth and historically focused study of one of the world’s most dynamic and culturally diverse regions. Centered on the rich and complex histories of the Middle East, this program is designed for students who seek advanced understanding of the region's current affairs in political, cultural and traditional dimensions. Drawing on interdisciplinary methods while maintaining a strong foundation in historical analysis, the program equips graduates with the critical tools and research skills needed to research on historical narratives, archival sources, and historiographical debates. The program will include but not limited to the impact of colonialism, nationalism, nation state building, military take-overs and contemporary transformations. Students participating in the program benefit from access to leading historians, where available, some courses are taught online by academics from the region, such as Qatar, Syria… In addition, specialized research resources, and opportunities for original scholarship will be integral part of the program. This rigorous training prepares graduates for careers in academia, NGO’s, diplomacy, and cultural institutions, or for further doctoral research.
Esteemed Academics
One-on-One Education
Boutique University
Student-Centered Approach
On-Campus Dormitories for Female and Male Students
Sports Center
Supportive Research and Project Ecosystem
Assist. Prof. İbrahim Vehbi Baysan
The Middle Eastern Studies Program at Ibn Haldun University’s History Department provides postgraduate students with a comprehensive and historically grounded examination of the Middle East, focusing on the region’s political, cultural, and intellectual development. The program spans a broad temporal and thematic range, encompassing key historical processes such as colonialism, nationalism, the formation of nation-states, military interventions, and ongoing contemporary transformations. While anchored in historical analysis, the curriculum incorporates interdisciplinary approaches to enable a nuanced understanding of the region’s current affairs.
Students will engage deeply with research, historiographical debates, and academic sources, and will receive methodological training in historical inquiry, critical theory, and comparative regional analysis. Thus, they will be gaining the critical tools necessary their research. Courses are enriched by contributions from regional scholars, with some instruction delivered online by academics based in countries such as Qatar and Syria. Access to specialized research resources and opportunities for original scholarship further enhance the academic experience. The program ultimately prepares graduates for diverse career paths in academia, diplomacy, NGOs, cultural institutions, or continued doctoral studies.
This program is intended for students and professionals with a strong interest in the historical evolution of the Middle East and a desire to develop specialized regional expertise. It is particularly suited for graduates of history, political science, international relations, religious studies, and Middle Eastern languages who wish to pursue advanced academic research or professional careers requiring extensive knowledge of the region. The program also welcomes practitioners working in government, cultural heritage, journalism, and international organizations who seek to enhance their analytical and research capabilities within a historically grounded framework. A commitment to critical inquiry, cultural understanding, and scholarly rigor is expected of all applicants.
| IBN HALDUN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES MIDDLE EAST STUDIES (IN ENGLISH) WITH THESIS PROGRAM COURSE PLAN |
|||||
| I. Semester | |||||
| Course Code | Course Name | Hours | Credit | ECTS | |
| T | U | ||||
| MES 500 | MA Pro-Seminar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| HIST 511 | Early Islamic History: A Survey (to AD 1100) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 515 | History of the Modern Middle East (to the 1920s) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST/ ECON/SOC/POLS |
Departmental Elective | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST/ ECON/SOC/POLS |
Departmental Elective | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Dil Dersleri | |||||
| Total Credit | 12 | 35 | |||
| II. Semester | |||||
| Course Code | Course Name | Hours | Credit | ECTS | |
| T | U | ||||
| MES 501 | Academic Research Methods and Publishing Ethics | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| HIST 512 | Islamic History: The Middle Period (c.945-1500) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 516 | History of the Contemporary Middle East (from the 1920s) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST/ ECON/SOC/POLS |
Departmental Elective | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST/ ECON/SOC/POLS |
Departmental Elective | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Dil Dersleri | |||||
| Total Credit | 12 | 35 | |||
| III. Semester | |||||
| Course Code | Course Name | Hours | Credit | ECTS | |
| T | U | ||||
| MES 599 | Master's Thesis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Total Credit | 0 | 30 | |||
| IV. Semester | |||||
| Course Code | Course Name | Hours | Credit | ECTS | |
| T | U | ||||
| MES 599 | Master's Thesis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Total Credit | 0 | 30 | |||
| Overall Total Credit | 24 | 130 | |||
| COMPULSORY COURSES | |||||
| Course Code | Course Name | Hours | Credit | ECTS | |
| T | U | ||||
| MES 500 | MA Pro-Seminar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| MES 501 | Academic Research Methods and Publishing Ethics | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| HIST 511 | Early Islamic History: A Survey (to AD 1100) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 512 | Islamic History: The Middle Period (c.945-1500) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 515 | History of the Modern Middle East (to the 1920s) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 516 | History of the Contemporary Middle East (from the 1920s) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| DEPARTMENTAL ELECTIVE COURSES | |||||
| Course Code | Course Name | Hours | Credit | ECTS | |
| T | U | ||||
| MES 522 | The Middle East in Modern World Politics | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| MES 524 | Media, Politics, and Socio-Cultural Change in the Middle East | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| MES 526 | Memoirs of Arabs in Ottoman Lands: Narratives of Identity, Power, and Change | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Economics | |||||
| ECON 523 | Islamic Economics and Finance | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| ECON 525 | Islam and Political Economy | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| History | |||||
| HIST 503 | World History I | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 504 | World History II | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 514 | Three Gunpowder Empires | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 519 | Mediterranean Cities | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 532 | History of Ottoman Political Thought | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 533 | Religion in the Ottoman Empire | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 536 | History of a City II: Ottoman Istanbul, 1450-1900 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 537 | History of Education in Islam | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 538 | Introduction to Islamic and Ottoman Material Culture | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 539 | Reading Evliya Çelebi | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 541 | Ottoman History I, 1300-1600 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 551 | Ottoman History II, 1600-1800 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 561 | Ottoman History III, 1789-1908 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 562 | Modernization and Reform in the Ottoman Empire | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 572 | From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Nation-State | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 574 | Sources and Methods for the History of Modern Turkey I (1908-1950) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| HIST 581 | Environmental History | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Philosophy | |||||
| PHIL 510 | Islamic Philosophy I: Advanced Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| PHIL 511 | Theories of Knowledge in the First Classical Period | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| PHIL 512 | Theories of Knowledge in the Second Classical Period | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| PHIL 534 | Islamic Philosophy II: Advanced Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Political Science and International Relations | |||||
| POLS 526 | Islam and Politics | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| POLS 527 | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| POLS 528 | International Politics of the Middle East | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Sociology | |||||
| ANTH 509 | Ethnography of Muslim Societies | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| ANTH 611 | Ethnography of Space and Place | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| ANTH 512 | Ethnography of Turkey | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| ANTH 613 | Anthropology of Islam | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| ANTH 618 | Anthropology of the Political | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| ANTH 520 | Political Border and Border Regions | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| CULT 510 | Readings in Orientalism | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| SOC 505 | Political Sociology | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| SOC 607 | Sociology of Religion | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| SOC 508 | Religion in Modern Turkey | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| SOC 510 | Gender and Society | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
history@ihu.edu.tr