To be eligible for admission to the master’s program, you need to fulfil the following requirements:
1. You must hold a first university degree (e.g. a bachelor’s degree) comprising of at least 180 credit points (ECTS) and you
2. you must provide proof of proficiency (at least level B1 CEFR or equivalent) in one of the following languages: Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Kurdish, Ottoman, Persian, Syrian-Aramaic, or Turkish;
3. you must provide proof of excellent English language skills (at least level C1 CEFR) if you have not obtained your first university degree in a program where English is the language of instruction.
For more information, please see the admissions regulations . (Please note that the English version of these regulations is for information purposes. Only the German version is legally binding.)For an explanation of the admission process please visit the program website .
Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME) is a two-year, tuition-free, full-time master’s program taught in English on the campus in Berlin. Freie Universität's expertise in cultural studies of the Middle East – represented by Arabic Studies, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Kurdish Studies, Ottoman Studies, Semitic Studies, and Turcology – comes together for this master's program to offer students the possibility to approach this fascinating and complex region from multi-faceted and interregional perspectives taking into account the diversity of languages, literatures, societies, religions, and cultures of this region. As a consecutive program, it builds on knowledge about the Middle East and skills from the field of humanities, cultural studies, and philologies that have been acquired in the course of a bachelor program or through professional qualification. Possible fields of studies include: Arabic literature, cultural and intellectual history of the Arabic-speaking world, Qur’an–Tafsir–Hadith, Old and Middle Iranian philology, Iranian religions, Iranian history, Iranian literatures and linguistics, Islamic history, Islam in Europe, Judaism and Islam, Jewish history of knowledge, comparative Semitics, Eastern Christianity, Arabic linguistics and dialectology, Aramaic linguistics and dialectology, Turkic literatures and linguistics, etc.
The Master's program is divided into three areas, each composed of several modules which, in turn, comprise two courses – a fourth area being reserved for your Master’s thesis:
The program offers a uniquely rich academic environment, provides you with solid methodological foundation, and allows you to tailor your course of studies to the expertise you wish to acquire.
Go beyond disciplinary borders
The program has a genuine area studies profile: A unique breadth of subjects related to the Middle East comes together under the roof of the Department of History and Cultural Studies. As a student in this program, you gain access to an extensive academic and professional network, connect with fellow students from related master's programs, and network with internationally acclaimed scholars from the six participating disciplines. Furthermore, the program cultivates cooperation across departments and universities in Berlin and beyond, with the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) or the Selma Stern Center for Jewish Studies Berlin-Brandenburg (ZJS), to name just two.
Choose to unlock your potential
The program not only provides you with a solid methodological basis for interdisciplinary work, it distinguishes itself through its flexibility and a broad range of electives in all areas of study. This allows you to tailor your curriculum to your personal interests and career aspirations within an interdisciplinary context.
Gain professional and research experience