The Master’s Degree Program in Near & Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Basel deals with historical, cultural, social and political topics concerning the eastern Mediterranean area «from Sarajevo to Cairo», which is strongly influenced by Islam. Accordingly, a key feature of the master's program is the inclusion of Southeast Europe, the present-day Republic of Turkey, and the Eastern Arab world (including Egypt). Compared with similar programs of study in Switzerland and at German-speaking universities in general, the focus in Basel is therefore on «Near Eastern Studies». Study focuses on developments from the early modern period, starting around 1500, to the present day. The philology of modern Arabic and/or Turkish serves as the starting point for a historical and sociological approach to Islamic culture and religion.

In Basel, the historical geographical term «Near East» was deliberately chosen as a descriptive complement to the regional research field of «Middle Eastern Studies» in order to reestablish teaching and research on the connections between Southeast Europe, Turkey and the eastern Arab world in the eastern Mediterranean that broke down at the end of World War I.

The focus is on the political and intellectual history of the Middle East in the 19^th and 20^thcenturies. The master’s program deals with the primary political and ideological currents of this period, such as nationalism, Islamism and confessionalism, as well as the rise of modern nation-states in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. The program also includes modern cultural and social studies of the region, as well as current politics and international relations in the Middle East. 

Study is based on methods, models and theories from the social sciences, which are combined with the working methods of humanities disciplines such as history, philosophy and literature.

An example of the research agenda of the Master’s Degree Program in Near & Middle Eastern Studies is the topic «Islam in Southeast Europe»: In light of the accession of Southeast European countries with Muslim populations to the European Union, Islam is set to attract increased attention in Southeast Europe in the future. A large portion of Muslims living in Switzerland already originate from countries in Southeast Europe.

The department is involved in numerous collaborations at the University of Basel, such as the «Cultural Topographies». It has close ties with the departments of Eastern European Studies, Religious Studies and Political Science, as well as the Faculty of Theology.

A master’s is a second degree that a person can earn after completing a bachelor’s. The master’s program requires a total of 120 credit points (CP). The Master's Degree Program in Near & Middle Eastern Studies is combined with a second degree subject, each worth 35 CP. The subject in which students write their master’s thesis (30 CP) is considered to be their major; the other subject is their minor. Free electives (20 CP) are also included. One ECTS credit point equates to approximately 30 hours of work.

The Master’s Degree Program in Near & Middle Eastern Studies allows many interesting combinations with other fields of study in terms of content, methodology and future professional activity in the Middle East region. Students are free to select a second master’s degree subject that meets their specific interests. Students can choose a subject offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences or a subject from another faculty. 

Students are free to choose any free elective. These courses allow students to deepen their knowledge of their degree subjects, gain an insight into other degree subjects offered by the University of Basel, or acquire language skills.

The Master’s Degree Program in Near & Middle Eastern Studies differs clearly from the bachelor's degree in terms of academic level. The advanced academic instruction provided by this program qualifies students for work in science, research and teaching, or prepares them for subsequent doctoral studies or a career as a Middle East expert in political or journalistic institutions. 

The extensive linguistic, historical and cultural knowledge provided by the program, often combined with experience abroad, opens up excellent employment opportunities in numerous non-university areas, although such opportunities often require practical training in the respective professional field. Prospects include careers in the following fields: intercultural cooperation, integration/migration, aid agencies and international organizations (International Red Cross, Caritas, etc.), diplomatic service, journalism (newspapers, media), civil service, business and banking, museums, the publishing sector, libraries, archives, documentaries, or translation/interpreting (additional training required).