In looking for a Masters in International Relations for my wife, I have noticed that all available programs have a concentration(or at least several courses) in Homeland or National Security. It is also possible to find many courses on Terrorism/Counterterrorism, Strategic Studies, etc. However, I have yet to come accross a Masters Degree in Middle Eastern Studies, despite its obvious relevance after 9/11 and the subsequent measures taking by the US and most of its allies. I have also read that such a degree would be a great asset to people entering the police force at the federal level. Is there really an abscence of such an online program, or is it just that I have not seen any? Is someone in this forum enrolled in a program dealing with the Middle East? Can you comment on the content, cost, and your experience with it so far? Thank you very much. joi
You might check whether American Military University's www.apus.edu MA in History and/or MA in Political Science program(s) have/has (a) concentration(s) in Middle Eastern Studies.
The University of South Africa has a Department of Near and Far Eastern Studies that might be of interest to you. http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=148 Good luck. Jack
Thank you, Ted and Jack. Nice to share a thread with you both again. Jack, I notice you regularly answer threads on South African institutions. What can you tell me of UNISA? Are their courses of high quality? Can assignments be ermailed? Is there good rapport between professors and students? Ted, were you not currently studying at APUS again? What was your experience with them? How long might it take them to be RA? Thanks again for your help. joi
For better or worse, I have never been a student at UNISA and so I can not give you that sort of inside information. There are several people on this forum who are students at UNISA and they might respond to such questions if you started a new thread aimed at them specifically. All I can tell you is that the school is generally well accepted and that they utilize regional testing centers for exams. They offer research-based graduate degrees (they have some taught Masters degree programs) and are rather affordable. Good luck. Jack
Gosh! Let me see if I can say this in a way that remains strictly factual (non-emotional). I was a student at American Military University from Spring 2001 till, I believe, Spring 2003. I initially accumulated 18 credits with a 3.23 GPA. Due to personal crises, my GPA went into a tailspin to 2.15 with 27 hours attempted (still only 18 earned). I was readmitted to AMU in April 2005 and registered for CW 522: Reconstruction and Post-Civil War America. In July 2005, before the midterm, I received an email from the Registrar's Office at AMU stating that my re-admission was in error. So, presently, I'm not in the program. I might file an appeal. Not sure. Anyhow, that's why AMU was taken off my signature line. And, in the future, no schools go on my signature line until I've actually graduated. My experience with their coursework, while I was in their program, was that it was very demanding but also quite enjoyable. Classes typically required 1000 or so pages of reading and 25-30 pages of writing, plus the midterm and final. There's an old thread called "Questions for Ted Heiks" that addresses this in detail. Notwithstanding my difficulties with the AMU administration, I think that they have very good programs and I'm guessing that they have a very good chance of receiving RA. By the way, I checked their website and there is indeed a Middle Eastern Studies concentration through their MA in History. The Department of Political Science also offers a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies, but that's to be found under some alternate rubric like International Relations or National Security Studies.
Thanks Jack. I'll open a new thread on Unisa. They offer an intersting variety of courses (including Chinese, a language of personal interest to me). Sorry to hear about your problems, Ted. I hope you can work them out. The info you provided me with is very useful. joi
The major reason why this lady in the Registrar's Office deemed my re-admission in error is that AMU's policy on academic probation for grad students allows one class to raise one's GPA above 3.0, whereas most schools allow one year. Statistically, that's undoable.
The University of Wales at Lampeter is a small campus that historically grew out of a theological school and it retains a reputation in religious studies. They are currently in the process of rolling out a new distance learning MA in Islamic Studies. http://www.lamp.ac.uk/cis/CIS_MA_04.htm They have several other fascinating masters programs, some of which seem to be DL while others apparently aren't. Here's what looks like a short-residency MA in Religion, Politics and International Relations: http://www.lamp.ac.uk/trs/Postgraduate/MA_rel_pol_inter.htm Personally, I really like their masters programs in Religious Experience and in Indic Spiritual Traditions. But it isn't clear to me how much residency in Wales is required.
Many years ago I considered the Cal State San Bernadino MA in National Security Studies. This degree requires that the student take 12 units in a specific field – the Middle East is an option. Unfortunately this degree is not by DL. Here are some programs that might be of interest to you The University of Portsmouth has a MS in International Police Science by DL http://www.port.ac.uk/courses/coursetypes/postgraduate/MScInternationalPoliceScience/ Leeds has an online MA in Asia Pacific studies by DL. 12 units are in SE Asia studies. http://www.smlc.leeds.ac.uk/eas/eas_content/postgraduate/distance-learning_degrees.asp Troy offers an MS International Relations by DL. http://www.troy.edu/ecampus/onlinegraduateprograms/programs/msir/msir.htm You might want to search for a Political Science degree that includes ME studies.
