Developed in the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) - a ground breaking UK government initiative established here at Edinburgh - and housed in the department of Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies (IMES), this two-year programme offers a unique opportunity for in-depth study of Arabic language and region-specific culture, history and politics. Formed with the aim of creating the UK's leading resource for Arab world expertise, the resources and high profile of CASAW and IMES will see you graduate with a strong and prestigious qualification. You will have access to some of the UK's leading experts in the field of Arab-world social and political sciences, arts and humanities, and will experience a four-month immersion in language and culture in an Arab country. By the end of this programme you will have gained the opportunity to learn the Arabic language ab initio and to experience Arab culture through a period of immersion in the Arab world; developed knowledge of the historical and contemporary Arab World from a range of disciplinary perspectives; achieved a thorough grounding in modern critical theoretical approaches to Arab World Studies, Middle Eastern Politics and Area Studies; been introduced to the study of the literature, history, politics and culture of Arabic-speaking countries; become familiar with key primary texts either in the original language or in translation; become fully conversant with the methods of scholarly research in a humanities discipline and with the resources necessary for such research.