Course summary
Our PhD Middle Eastern Studies programme enables you to carry out a piece of significant, original research under the supervision of our academics. Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at Manchester offers wide-ranging opportunities for research and advanced training in the history, politics, gender studies, literatures, religious traditions and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Training and research supervision in most major cultures and periods of the MENA region are delivered by experts whose publications contribute to their subject on an international level. We regularly organise seminars, workshops and conferences, and offer some specialist training opportunities. Another major research centre, the Centre for Jewish Studies (CJS), brings together a wide range of specialists from across the University, and a large and active body of graduate students working on various aspects of Jewish culture and history, including modern Israeli/Palestinian society. Research specialisms in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies and related subject areas include literature, women and gender, culture and history of the Arab countries ( Salhi, Mostafa, Behar ), Islamic societies and practices, ( Woerner-Powell ), the phenomenon of nationalism and the modern and contemporary history of Israel/Palestine, with special focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict ( Behar ). Other areas of doctoral supervision can be offered or are available through inter-disciplinary collaboration. Manchester's experts in Middle Eastern Studies contribute to the public debate on contemporary cultural-religious issues in the UK, the analysis and contextualisation of current affairs in the Middle East, and the understanding of gender roles and the relations between 'East' and 'West'. Manchester is also the editorial home of the Journal of Semitic Studies (JSS), an internationally renowned academic journal.
Entry requirements
- Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and - Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
For fees for entry in 2025, please view the course listing on our website.
Sponsorship information
There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below. To apply for University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including AHRC NWCDTP and School of Arts, Languages and Cultures studentships is 13 January 2025. All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below. You will need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor for a number of our scholarships. Therefore, we highly recommend you discuss these funding opportunities with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and ensure you meet nomination deadlines. For more funding information, visit our funding page or use our funding database to search for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.
Provider information
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL