Course summary

The Classical Islamic History and Culture pathway is designed for highly motivated students who would like to develop their knowledge and understanding of the pre-modern Islamic world, together with the research skills necessary to carry out independent research work to a high academic standard through engagement with Arabic or Persian primary sources. Graduates will be well placed to pursue further research in a PhD programme, to use their skills and knowledge in the heritage sector, in education, or in any other field where cultural understanding, linguistic skills and high level critical thinking, analysis and communication skills are needed. The Educational Aims of the course are: To give students with a relevant undergraduate degree and sufficient subject-language ability training in research skills and methodologies in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; To develop students’ expertise in relevant aspects of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; To give students the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of the MPhil course, students will be able to: · read, interpret and translate primary sources relevant to their research interests in Arabic or Persian; · show a good understanding of more general scholarship on Middle Eastern Studies; · show an in-depth knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subjects of their coursework and dissertation; · formulate original research questions on Classical Islamic History and Culture; · produce a well-constructed argument, based on the use of primary and secondary sources and using the methods of the Humanities and Social Sciences; · communicate their research findings in the form of an independent piece of research; · use independent archival and library- and internet-based research skills concomitant with successful completion of a Masters-level degree in Classical Islamic History and Culture. Continuing All applicants should submit, via the Applicant Portal, a workable and relevant research proposal and demonstrate that they have the required academic knowledge and skills to carry out their project. Those students who are enrolled in an MPhil by Advanced Studies at the University of Cambridge and wish to continue to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies will be required to obtain at least 67 per cent overall in their MPhil by Advanced Studies degree and satisfy any pre-existing requirements also set by the Degree Committee, i.e. English language requirement. Admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each applicant on their own merits and in accordance with its own set of rules and regulations.