Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies
Multilingual
Courses
Common Core
DIS535Foreign Policy Analysis
3 credits
This seminar focuses on the comparative study of foreign policy. It addresses the foreign policies of great powers, medium-sized powers and regional powers. It starts with a theoretical and empirical analysis of the decision making system in these countries, as well as the patterns of foreign policies.
The comparative analysis is also focused on the elements shaping decision making and conduct of foreign policy (the different components of the external and internal factors shaping decision making). Particular emphasis will be put on their foreign policies in the Middle East.
DIS560Diplomatic Management of Energy Security in the Middle East
3 credits
This course focuses on oil and gas policies in the region and the role these sources of energy and others played in shaping and influencing the regional agenda, the configuration of power in the region and the international politics of the Middle East. It also addresses the different impact on the oil producing states, mainly the emergence of rentier economies.
MES600Regional Dynamics and Current Issues in the Middle East
3 credits
This course provides an analysis of the major changes and emerging trends, focusing particularly on the post Arab Spring period in terms of the threats facing the state, the emerging role of non-state actors of all kinds in shaping the regional agenda, the role of non-Arab regional powers such as Turkey and Iran, and the interplay between domestic and external factors in the ongoing crises.
POL505Methodology of Writing and Research in Political Science
RIN548Multilateral Diplomacy in International and Regional Organizations
3 credits
International organizations, mainly the UN and regional organizations like the League of Arab States and the European Union among others, play an increasingly important role in the world and in different regions. This course offers students insights into and practical knowledge about the conduct of multilateral diplomacy in different fields with particular focus on the Middle East.
Specialization
MES605The Middle East and Europe: Issues and Challenges in Trans-Mediterranean Relations
3 credits
After reviewing the key structures and forms of multilateral cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean, students will be drawing the lessons of such forums and structures of cooperation. The course focuses on the emerging joint challenges, like fighting terrorism, dealing with immigration, the need for cultural dialogue for better understanding and the need for new forms of economic cooperation.
MES610Comparative Study of Political Systems in the Middle East
3 credits
This course addresses the typology of political systems in the region: the structure of power and the issue of legitimacy; its sources and its future, the evolution of the relations of the regime and the state and the issue of regime stability and its performance.
MES615Contemporary History of the Middle East
3 credits
This course addresses the politics of state building in the Middle East and its repercussions on the current issues in the region. It also addresses the wars and crises that shaped the emergence and the development of the Middle East order and the role of external as well as regional actors in these developments.
MES620Political Thought and Ideologies in the Middle East
3 credits
The course traces the formation, development and influence of the main ideologies from nationalism to Islamism that shaped and influenced the history of the Middle East as well as the role of these ideologies in current regional politics.
MES625Economic and Development Issues in the Middle East
3 credits
This course offers an insight into the key economic and developmental challenges facing the states in the region and their political and other repercussions on Middle Eastern societies. It offers a perspective on the different obstacles facing the many proposals for economic integration in the region.
Capstone
Mission
The Higher Institute of Political and Administrative Sciences aims to train future officials in public administration and civil society, who are mindful of community spirit and ethics. The Institute contains three multidisciplinary educational fields, those of political sciences, international relations and public administration. These aim to:
- Provide students with a specialized education in political sciences, thus giving them access to a professional life.
-Develop the students’ analytical and synthesis spirit, thus enabling them to understand national and international issues.
- Prepare students to follow a specialized higher education curriculum.
Program Educational Objectives
1. Graduates will formulate original, critical responses to the arguments/theses advanced by the instructor during the lectures, their fellow students’ presentations, and the assigned readings.
2. Graduates will structure these responses in their own original research paper with proper argumentation.
3. Graduates will evaluate different arguments and independently assess their merits and shortcomings.
4. Graduates will enhance both their oral and written skills and conduct autonomous research drawing from a plethora of sources.
Program Outcomes
a. Students will understand the main determinants of regional powers’ and great powers’ foreign policies toward the Middle East.
b. Students will understand the historical roots of controversial issues and ongoing debates, including Arab-Israeli conflict and power competition.
c. Students will assess the political economy of Arab states and the impact of rentierism on their sociopolitical structure.
d. Students will understand new dynamics at play in the post-Arab revolutions Middle East, including the role of NGOs, civil society and the media, the rise of transnational non-state actors like Daech and the Kurds, and the return of the “deep state”.