Doctor of Philosophy in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies - Literature

New York University

The doctoral program of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies provides training in fields relating to the history, cultures, languages, literatures and religions of the Middle East, focusing on the period from the rise of Islam to the present. Members of the department are drawn from different disciplines and specializations (including history, anthropology, literature, Islamic studies, language instruction, sociology, and political science) and are committed to providing students with a solid disciplinary grounding at the same time, the department fosters innovative interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to the study of the Middle East. Several of the department’s faculty have joint appointments with other academic units at NYU. MEIS offers a program of coursework and supervised research leading to the doctorate in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Students in the MEIS doctoral program concentrate their studies in one of three tracks: Islamic Studies, Literature or Culture and Representation. In collaboration with the History Department, department also offers a Joint PhD Program in History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. MEIS seeks prospective graduate students who are academically well-prepared and strongly committed to pursuing the PhD as noted above, it has no MA program and does not offer that degree. Students who are interested in obtaining the MA. should apply to the Kevorkian Center’s Program in Near Eastern Studies, which offers a terminal MA in Near Eastern Studies.The Literature track builds on the strengths of its area studies home department and expands them by offering theoretical training that enables both the study of a single given Middle East literature and comparatist projects. The track’s departmental base makes for sound linguistic competence that supports comparatism between the literatures of the Middle East, or between literatures of the region and those of other parts of the world. Projects that address Translation Studies or the theoretical and intellectual production of the Global South are particularly welcome. Ample resources are in place for interdisciplinary approaches to the study of literature, both modern and pre-modern. Students in the track will, in consultation with their advisor(s), craft a program of coursework and supervised training in a range of areas, as well as other departments.

Graduate School of Arts and Science