Middle Eastern Studies at UT
The Middle Eastern Studies program at the University of Texas at Austin consists of two entities that work closely together: the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and the Department of Middle Eastern Studies. The Arabic Flagship Program is part of the Department.
Center for Middle Eastern Studies
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies, established in 1960, is one of the largest and most respected National Resource Centers designated by the United States Department of Education under the Title VI Strategic Area Studies program. The Center offers an interdisciplinary program in Middle Eastern Studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Center provides a supportive environment for faculty researching and teaching on the Middle East throughout the University. The Center also has an extensive publications program, an active community and educational outreach program, and coordinates a number of public events.
Department of Middle Eastern Studies
The Department of Middle Eastern Studies houses faculty specializing in Middle Eastern cultures and languages. The Department offers specialized academic programs at all levels in Arabic Studies, Hebrew Studies, Islamic Studies, Persian Studies, and Turkish Studies. The Department also houses the CASA program (Center for Arabic Studies Abroad) and joint programs with ROTC and DLI.
The Language of Arabic—Spanning the Globe
Over 300 million Arabic speakers exist in the world today. The countries and regions where the language is spoken continues to expand and includes the following: Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara and Yemen.
Help us bridge the gap between the Middle East and the United States with knowledge and understanding. This is a goal of our generation and fluency in Arabic is essential to making this connection.
