Middle East

Introduction:

The Middle Eastern field offers instruction in the history of the region stretching from Anatolia and the Eastern Mediterranean in the west to Iran in the east, from Armenia and the Caucasus in the north to the Arabian peninsula in the south, North Africa, the Ottoman Balkans, and Islamic Iberia, from the period of Late Antiquity (fourth-seventh centuries) to the present day. Permanent faculty consists of Michael Morony (pre-modern Middle East), Gabriel Piterberg (early modern Middle East) and James L. Gelvin (modern Middle East). More information about faculty can be obtained from their individual History Department websites. In addition, emeriti who may continue to do some teaching include Professors Richard Hovannisian, Nikki Keddie, and Afaf Marsot. 

Admissions to the PhD Program :

In addition to fulfilling the requirements for admission to the History Department, students should have a background in at least one Middle Eastern language and provide evidence of previous coursework in Middle Eastern history. Students are expected to have an excellent command of spoken and written English.

Requirements for PhD Candidates:

1. Students are required to complete six quarters of seminar work. All students in the Middle Eastern field must complete two of the following seminars: Historiography of the Pre-Modern Middle East, Historiography of the Early-Modern Middle East, Historiography of the Modern Middle East.
2. Languages:
   a. Before students are eligible to advance to candidacy, they must demonstrate to the satisfaction of their faculty advisor competency in two Middle Eastern languages. These languages should be germane to the student's present and future research interests and should be chosen in consultation with his/her faculty advisor.
   b. Before students are eligible to advance to candidacy, they must demonstrate competency in one European language other than English. This language should be germane to the student's present and future research interests and should be chosen in consultation with his/her faculty advisor.
   c. Those students who seek to specialize in Armenian history must demonstrate a competency in Armenian, French, and at least one other language germane to the student's present and future research interests and chosen in consultation with his/her faculty advisor.

1. Before students are eligible to sit for their qualifying examinations, they must have completed all their coursework and language requirements.
2. Students are to choose an examining committee of four members in consultation with their faculty advisor. This committee should include at least three faculty members from the UCLA History Department and may include faculty members outside the Middle Eastern field. Each of the members of this committee will work with the student to prepare him/her for the qualifying examinations. Faculty serving on the examining committee may require students to take those courses they deem necessary to prepare for the qualifying examinations.
3. Students are expected to draft a dissertation prospectus in consultation with their faculty advisor. This prospectus should include (a) a full statement of the dissertation topic; (b) a statement explaining why the study of the chosen topic is warranted; (c) a discussion of earlier works related to the topic; (d) a statement of the methodology to be employed; (e) a research agenda. An annotated bibliography must accompany the dissertation prospectus. The dissertation prospectus must be distributed to the members of the examining committee two weeks before the oral examinations.
4. The examinations consist of two parts: a written examination and an oral examination. The student's faculty advisor will administer the written examination and decide on its content. The written examination will draw from the major field only. The major field might be Pre-Modern Middle Eastern History, Early Modern Middle Eastern History, Modern Middle Eastern History, or Armenian History.
   Once the student passes the written examination, he/she is eligible to sit for the oral examination. The examining committee will administer the oral examination no later than six months after the written examination. The oral examination will include both questions relating to the prospectus and questions relating to each of the four fields.
5. Students will choose, in consultation with the members of the examining committee, their dissertation committee from amongst the examining committee. If all four members of the examining committee are from the History Department, the students must choose, in consultation with their faculty advisor, a faculty member from another department to act as outside reader. This faculty member is to be present at the oral examination.