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MA Middle East Politics

MA (NFQ Level 9)
Internships Available

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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The MA Middle East Politics provides students with a rigorous understanding of one of the most important regions in global politics. The Middle East has long been the site of political upheaval with significant impacts within the region and beyond. The long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict, the rise of political Islam, the invasion of Iraq, and, more recently, the popular uprisings of 2011, which challenged autocratic regimes across the region, have transformed the Middle East.

The programme is designed to deepen knowledge and understanding of the domestic and regional politics of the Middle East. It is structured around a set of thematic modules that encourage students to explore political dynamics in the region from a number of different perspectives

The key learning outcomes will be that students have demonstrated specialised, detailed or advanced theoretical and conceptual knowledge and understanding of Middle East Politics, which is based on current debate and controversy at the forefront of the field and that provides a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and/or applying ideas, often within a research contect. 

About This Course

  • develop oral presentation skills
  • develop student's research and professional development skills
  • develop students communication skills
  • enhance group work skills
  • enhance students' learning skills in a continuous and automous manner
  • equip students with the skills necessary to understand and critically assess issues in Middle East politics

Graduates of the programme have found employment with the official Irish aid programme, in Irish and international non-governmental organisations such as Trocaire, Goal, Action Aid and Oxfam, and with agencies of the European Union and the United Nations as well as in journalism, education, local community development, and many other areas including:

  • Public administration
  • Journalism
  •  Media
  • Civil society organisations
  • Voluntary sector
  • Academic institutions

The UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe) has established an internship programme for graduate students undertaking MA programmes in Politics, International Relations, International Political Economy, International Development, Peace and Conflict, MEconSc European Public Affairs and Law, MSc Human Rights and MSc Politics and Data Science. You can either opt for a Masters thesis, or an internship of at least 480 hours, typically undertaken from June to August. 



See this page for more information 


Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL42330 Research Design Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - 1)1 of:
Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module.
POL42300 SPIRe Internship Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - 1)1 of:
Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module.
POL42310 Thesis Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL30730 Political Activism in the Middle East Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40050 Theories of International Relations Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40950 Introduction to Statistics Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40970 Politics of European Governance Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL41020 Politics of Human Rights Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL42040 Gender & the Political System Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 LANG10080 Arabic General Purposes 1(CEFR A1.1) Autumn and Spring (separate)  5
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 LANG10710 Arabic General Purposes 2 Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40100 Politics of Development Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40140 Theories of Global Justice Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40160 Comparative Public Policy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40370 International Political Economy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40540 Comparative European Politics Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Pol. Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL41030 Theory of Human Rights Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL42060 International Security Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)40CR:
Pick 40 credits. If choosing Arabic, both modules must be selected.
 POL42340 Programming for Soc Scientists Spring  10

Fahmi Shihabi

My experience in the Middle East Politics program has been truly enriching and enjoyable. The program's modules are shared with other social science courses and the professors teaching the modules are well immersed in their fields. Three core modules must be taken for this program; the other modules can be chosen depending on the interest and goals of the student. I chose to study Theories of Human Rights, Peace & Conflict Studies and International Security in the second semester. I have no regrets in choosing those modules and the knowledge I have gained is significant and I will put it to good use after graduation.

I stayed on campus for half of the course and I enjoyed my stay. The campus had all my needs from grocery shops, sport clubs, green spaces, etc. The James Joyce library is one of my favourite places to study at.

MA Middle East Politics (W393) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 10100
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MA Middle East Politics (W394) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 6420
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

SPIRe operates a Graduate Scholarship programme, which normally opens in late Spring. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme. Please note that not all programmes are eligible for this Scholarship.

A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1). 2H1 is equivalent to 60 percent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.

Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.

English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 90 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info.

Applicants whose first langauge is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element ) or equivalent. Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the  English language requirements, may enter the programme upon  successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/ 

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No


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General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to MA Middle East Politics:

ROWCLASS Apply to   Application Type  
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt W393
MA Middle East Politics
Master of Arts		 Full-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September		 Graduate Taught Apply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt W394
MA Middle East Politics
Master of Arts		 Part-Time
Commencing 2024/2025 September		 Graduate Taught Apply
* you can change options at the top of the page
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