Bridging the theory and practice of international affairs, the Ph.D. program includes a range of courses covering the history, politics, economics, international relations and cultures of the societies and nations of the Middle East.

After gaining a broad overview of the region through a set of core courses, each student will develop a program of study in a more specialized field based on the student's specific academic and career interests.

Students are expected to develop Middle Eastern language skills (in Arabic, Hebrew or Persian) that will enable them to work at the highest levels of scholarship and teaching in their chosen field.  In addition, completion of the Ph.D. requires demonstrated oral and reading proficiency in a language of the Middle East region.