Academics

The program comprises 36 credit hours, as follows:

The Program Seminar (4 semester hours; 2nd semester)

Historiography and Research Methods (4 semester hours; 1st Semester)

Elective master’s-level seminars (28 semester hours) – see below for a full

list of seminar elective topics.

The program also emphasizes a strong experiential component consisting of extracurricular activities such as a structured internship, a monthly movie night, a bi-weekly practitioner lecture series, and educational study tours as part of selected courses.

Two educational tours will take place within Israel over the course of the program, focusing on historical, political, security, and cultural themes examined in the program’s coursework. In addition, special efforts will be made to enable students to participate in a study tour to a country in the region, providing opportunities to engage with local students, scholars, decision-makers, former officials, and intellectuals. Students will also have the opportunity to begin learning Arabic and Hebrew and may be able to study other Middle Eastern languages, as well.

Seminar long papers must be submitted in two courses, while short papers or other written assignments will be specifically designated in the remaining courses.

Final Grade: The final grade will be calculated according to the following weighting: Seminars 45%; Referees / Written Assignments 45%; The Program Seminar (course no. 2.a. below) 10%.

*TENTATIVE* SCHEDULE OF COURSES – 2026-2027

(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Fall 2026

Course Name: Lecturer: Credits:

Historiography and Research Methods

(Compulsory) Dr. Brandon Friedman 4

Islam and Politics Dr. Rachel Kantz-Feder 4

Middle East Geoeconomics Prof. Amos Nadan 4

Spring 2027

Course Name: Lecturer: Credits:

Program Seminar: Scholarship in Action

(Compulsory) Prof. Amos Nadan 4