Arab Studies, MA and Government, PHD (Joint program)
Modality
On Campus
Program URL
https://grad.georgetown.edu/arab-studies/#about-the-program
https://government.georgetown.edu/ph-d-in-government/
The joint program in Arab Studies and Government provides students with the analytical skills and substantive knowledge needed to generate and evaluate research focused on the Arab Middle East and North Africa.
Academic Policies
Students in the joint program in Government and Arab Studies are expected to comply with the polices outlined in the program handbooks and the Graduate Bulletin.
Arab Studies
Students have considerable flexibility in designing their program in order to meet their academic and professional goals and interests. To complete the program, students must meet the following requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARST 500 | ||
| ARST 501 | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| ARST 625 | ||
| ARST 619 | ||
| ARST 518 | ||
| ARST 532 | ||
| ARST 640 | ||
| ARST 564 | ||
| HIST 563 | ||
| 7 Electives | ||
| A minimum of three electives should be offered through the Arab Studies Program, Department of History, or the Department of Arabic & Islamic Studies. | ||
| A maximum of four electives may be taken from other departments within the university. | ||
| Pass the oral and written Arabic Language Proficiency Examinations | ||
| Pass the Oral Comprehensive Exam or Complete a Thesis | ||
Government
Students in the joint program follow the course requirements for the Comparative Government Field of Study. The course requirements are outlined below.
Major Field Requirements (12 credits)
- Four 8000-level GOVT classes (12 credits) in major field
- Pass a Comprehensive Exam in the major field, typically within the spring semesterof the second year of study.
Distribution Requirements (9 credits)
- GOVT 8800: Fundamentals of Political Theory (3 credits) in the first semester of study
- Two additional 8000-level GOVT classes in one or more substantive fields other than the major field of study.
Methods Requirements (6 credits)
- GOVT 8001: Quantitative Methods I (3 credits) or an approved equivalent quantitative methods class.
- One additional methods class (3 credits)
Electives (21 credits)
- 7 graduate-level courses in any field. At least one elective must be in a field that is neither the student’s major field nor methods. Electives taken to satisfy the Master of Arts in Arab Studies requirements may be used to satisfy the elective requirement for the Ph.D. in Government, per the approval of the Department.
Required Examinations
Arab Studies
Students must pass the program’s oral and written exams for Modern Standard Arabic by the end of their tenure in the program.
Additionally, students have the option of taking an oral comprehensive examination in lieu of a thesis. The exam is designed to provide a cross-disciplinary conclusion to the student’s coursework and total educational experience in the program. The exam is administered by a panel of three faculty members and takes place after the student as completed all course requirements.
Government
The Comparative Government Comprehensive Exam is offered over eight hours in one day. Part I of the exam addresses political methodology. Students select one question and provide a written response. Part II covers topics in Comparative Government, and students select three questions to answer.
Thesis Requirements
Arab Studies
Students may opt to write a master’s thesis I lieu of the oral comprehensive examination. The thesis is written in the final semester of the program. Students are required to take a methods course and enroll in the three-credit Thesis Colloquium. Both courses count as electives.
Government
Once students have completed the comprehensive exams, they must form a Dissertation Committee who have special competence in the area or topic and who collectively can help with the theoretical, methodological, and empirical dimensions of the student’s research.
Once the dissertation prospectus is written and students have received approval from their committee members, students will present their prospectus at a 90-minute colloquium that is open to Government Department faculty and students.
Students will spend at least two years researching and writing the dissertation. Results of the research will be presented at a public dissertation defense where anyone in attendance may ask the candidate questions. At the conclusion of the defense, the committee will vote in private to determine whether the student may proceed with submitting the dissertation to the Graduate School and ultimately graduating.