BA & MA Program at YCMES

TEL: 00967 1 270 200

FAX: 00967 1 270 127

P.O. Box 3671

Sana’a – Republic of Yemen

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YCMES BA & MA Program

Note: The BA & MA program are in development and are planned to open as full programs in 4-7 years. Currently, these programs are offered as study abroad, as part of a student's degree at a home institution.

Bachelor's of Arts in Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies

The College plans to have a four-year curriculum, with the option of granting a BA at the end of that time, but this structure will not be in place for another four to seven years. That program will entail the following:

Arabic Study

Four years of Arabic study (regardless of the level at which the student begins)

Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies

First year of basic courses (see below) for students with no or very little background in Middle East studies
Second year of specialized topics courses (see below), with the possibility of taking independent reading courses on such topics with resident faculty
Third year of directed field or library research in Yemen on a topic of the student’s choosing, supervised by one of the faculty;
OR a year of internship in the public or private sector, under the supervision of one of the faculty or another appropriate person in Yemen
Fourth year of writing a senior thesis under the supervision of a faculty member, to be presented and defended publicly;
OR writing a report on the findings from the internship under the supervision of a faculty member or another appropriate person and presenting these publicly for comment and criticism. There will also be a general Arabic exam with a written and conversational component that tests the student’s level of competence after four year’s of study.

Graduate Studies at the YCMES (set to open in 3-5 years)

Graduate students seeking an MA in Middle Eastern Studies may enroll in the college for two years, taking courses in Arabic as well as in the Program in Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies that are appropriate to their level of linguistic competence as well as to their academic and non-academic interests. They will be required to write an MA thesis supervised by one of the faculty or produce an equivalent exercise in whatever internship or development work they pursue as part of their instruction at the College. A diploma will be issued after successful completion of the program.