DUAL Master's Program

Journalism and Near Eastern Studies

University of Arizona  
UA Graduate College MA Requirements

This web last updated 02/01/2008

This exciting new program was planned by faculty and administrators in both Near Eastern Studies and the Journalism departments, and in consultation with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. The dual degrees present an important new element in the interdisciplinary International Journalism program. 

During the past decade, the U.S. public and policy makers have increasingly become aware of the profound effects that events and issues in other countries have on the lives of people in the United States . During the same period, the emergence of transnational satellite and Web-based news organizations around the world have demonstrated that the knowledge, experience, and language skills of journalists have a major impact on the ways in which news is gathered, presented, and perceived. These perceptions, in turn, influence decisions at all levels of government. This synergistic relationship among information, perception, and policy formation in a global information environment is the principal reason why a dual degree in Journalism and Near Eastern Studies is of such compelling significance. 

The Middle East is an area of great importance for the United States , because of the current conflicts in which the United States is involved, and the great strategic, cultural, and economic importance of the region. The Journalism-Near Eastern Studies dual-degree program would provide students with an intellectual foundation in regional studies, language, and advanced research techniques, and an opportunity to build on this foundation with applied field work. Well-trained journalists with language competency and regional experience would be able to make crucial contributions to the understanding of these issues and their impact on the people and government of the United States .

Unit Requirements

The minimum number of units required to earn dual master’s degrees in Journalism and Near Eastern Studies is 51 (18 from NES, 18 from Journalism, and 15 units which are shared between the two disciplines, including the thesis). The table below shows the required courses.

Curriculum for Dual Master's Degrees in Near Eastern Studies and Journalism  

Admission to the Dual Degree Program

Students must apply to and be accepted by both the Department of Near Eastern Studies and the Department of Journalism to qualify for the dual degree program. An interdepartmental committee from the two departments will review and make a recommendation about any student who has been accepted by both departments and has indicated that he or she wishes to earn the dual degree.

Students are advised to have completed the equivalent of NES 277A (History of the Middle East 600-1453) and NES 277B (History of the Middle East : Modern Middle East) and NES 334 (Islamic Thought) prior to enrollment in the dual degree program.  Any deficiencies in preparation should be addressed during the student’s first year of graduate work. No graduate credit will be given for these courses.

Students entering the dual degree program without a bachelor’s degree in journalism or significant professional experience must take JOUR 205-Reporting the News, JOUR 206-Advanced Reporting, and JOUR 208-Law of the Press, before they can take any graduate-level skills classes. No graduate credit is given for these 200-level courses. These students may take other graduate courses, such as seminars and language courses

Transfer Credit

A request to transfer must be submitted to the Graduate College , in consultation with the Graduate Advisors of both departments, by the end of the first year. Many of these transfer units may be applicable to requirements in either degree program, or may count toward the additional units required of the student.

Languages

Students must achieve third-year language proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Third-year language proficiency is achieved through successful completion of six semesters of the focus language or its equivalency.

Students entering the program with proficiency in one Middle Eastern language at the third-year level must take either 6 graduate units of that language above the third-year level, or 6 graduate units of a second Middle Eastern language. Graduate courses in Colloquial or Media Arabic can be used for the 6 units of language if the third-year level of Arabic proficiency has been attained.

Thesis

By the end of the second semester of enrollment, students must form a thesis committee of at least three faculty members, one of whom serves as the thesis advisor. At least one member of this committee must be a tenured or tenure-eligible faculty member in the Department of Near Eastern Studies, and at least one must be a faculty member in the Department of Journalism. The committee must be approved by the Graduate Advisor in each department.