King's College London - Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy
MA in Politics and Economics of the Middle East
London, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 31,600 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* first application deadline
** International students | UK students: £16,950 per year
Key Summary
Our Politics and Economics of the Middle East MA explores the intersection of politics and economics in one of the most vital and interesting regions in the world. You will develop solid regional expertise in addition to the theoretical and methodological skills necessary for a career in political and economic analysis.
Key benefits
- Unique in combining political economy and comparative politics with the study of the Middle East
- Enables students to analyse the politics and economics of the Middle East from a variety of different perspectives
- Located in one of the globally leading Departments in the study of politics and economics
- Provides a strong theoretical and methodological foundation in the social sciences
- Develop your critical and communication skills by presenting and disseminating research in written and oral forms, to classmates, tutors, and the wider academic community
- Opportunity to study regional languages through King’s Language Centre
- Enables students to explore political economy themes through specialist modules in the Department of Political Economy
- Vibrant Middle East research community at King's College London
- Located in the heart of London, the Department of Political Economy has a strong reputation for research-led teaching and links to industry
Duration: One year full-time, September to September, two years part-time
Structure
Required modules
You are required to take the following modules:
- Politics and Economics of the Middle East (30 credits)
- Dissertation (60 Credits)
If you are a part-time student, you will usually take Politics and Economics of the Middle East and three optional modules in your first year. In your second year, you will take your dissertation module, MA Dissertation – Politics and Economics of the Middle East, and a further three optional modules.
However, part-time students can decide how to distribute their 90 credits of optional modules over the two years of the programme, as long as they ensure that by the end of the programme they have completed the required number of credits. Please note that part-time students should feel free to discuss this decision with the Programme Director, should they wish to do so.
Optional modules
In addition, you are required to take modules totalling 90 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:
- The Political Economy of Authoritarianism in the Middle East (15 credits)
- People, Protest and Mobilisation: Exploring Social Movement Theory (15 credits)
- Islam, Politics and Society (15 credits)
- Cities and Social Transformation in the Middle East (15 credits)
- The US & the Middle East: Intervention & Mediation Since 1945 (15 credits)
- Decoding Sectarianism in the Middle East (15 credits)
- Internship (15 credits)
- Comparative Political Economy (15 credits)
- Gender, Politics and Public Policy (15 credits)
- The Political Economy of Corruption (15 credits)
- The New Political Economy of the Media (15 credits)
- Institutions and Economic Development (15 credits)
- Business and Politics (15 credits)
- Quantitative Methods in Political Economy (15 credits)
- Media, Elections and Campaigning (15 credits)
- The Media and Public Policy (15 credits)
- Theories of Politics (15 credits)
- Law and Politics of Regulation (15 credits)
- Liberty, Equality and Justice: Political Theory and Public Policy (15 credits)
- Economic History (15 credits)
- Climate policy and global energy transitions (15 credits)
- The Political Effects of Climate Change (15 credits)
- Development Economics (15 credits)
- Evaluating Public Policy (15 credits)
- Ethics and Public Policy (15 credits)
- The Political Economy of Organised Crime (15 credits)
- Political Economy of Discrimination (15 credits)
- Experimental Economics (15 credits)
- The Political Economy of Economic Policy (15 credits)
- Climate Change Economics and Policy (15 credits)
- Policymaking in Non-Democracies (15 credits)
- Democracy in the United Kingdom (15 credits)
- African Crisis and Opportunity (15 credits)
- Topics in Applied Microeconomics (15 credits)
Up to 30 credits (out of the 90 credits of optional modules) from modules offered across the university, subject to approvals.
Students may also take modules in a foreign language at level 6 or 7, up to a maximum of 15 credits.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered regularly to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, the modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place for all students who elect to study this module.
This course provides you with the enhanced skills and qualifications which will allow you to excel in future employment and research in an increasingly important field. Our students have transferred the skills they have developed to careers in development organisations, the corporate or financial sector, the diplomatic service, international NGOs, civil society organisations or journalism. Some students have gone on to further research at King’s College.