The Department of Middle Eastern History upholds researching and teaching the history of the region from Morocco in the west to Iran in the east, from the birth of Islam in the 7th century to present day.
The development of Islam and the political, military, economic and demographic history of the people of the region are examined in the context of three periods: The Middle Ages, the Ottoman Era and the new era. Our students are introduced to a variety of historical sources and obtain comprehensive skills in the languages of the region, first and foremost with Arabic. In addition, they obtain skills in the usage of varying research tools.
Studies at the department aim at broadening the students’ knowledge of the Middle East’s past and its place in Western and Jewish history, as well as equipping them with a critical historical approach. Students also attain the necessary tools for understanding recent regional processes.

The department of Middle Eastern History is one of the University of Haifa’s oldest departments. Students receive a broad inter-disciplinary view of the Middle East and Muslim world, with its one and a half billion people across the globe. It is vital for Israeli policymakers, academics, government employees, public-sector employees, business people, teachers, educators, activists and civil organizations, and everyone wishing to understand the region, to grasp the historical, political, diplomatic, economic, social, and cultural processes which underlie its developments. The department offer a unique academic experience in Israel’s most diverse, multicultural university, whose student body includes Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

The department awards a double major B.A. degree, thesis and non-thesis masters degrees, and a Ph.D. in the History of the Middle East and Islam. The curriculum includes courses on the region’s ancient and modern history, Islam, Arab nationalism, Palestinian society, women’s status in the family, society, and law, media, tourism, and more. Part of the degree involves studying one of the region’s languages: literary Arabic, spoken Arabic, Farsi, or Turkish.

The department also accepts students for spring semester.

Due to the update in the admission requirements followed COVID-19 outbreak, please check the Hebrew website here.

• General university admission requirements, see  website
• For spring 2020: a weighted grade of 540 or the special admission requirements of the Faculty of Humanities.
• For fall 2020-2021: a weighted grade of 560 or the special admission requirements of the Faculty of Humanities.
• Hebrew evaluation test score 105 for candidates from non-Hebrew schools.

• Double major program
• Option to start studying in the second semester.
• The Digital Humanities Program combined with the Information Systems Department—the admission requirements for both apartments must be met (see departments’ websites)

Excelling B.A. graduates may continue their studies at our Advanced degree programs, including the M.A. and Ph.D. Tracks. Several of our graduates have joined our staff and that of other leading institutions and universities in Israel and throughout the world. Others have joined the public and administrative sectors, including the Ministry of Education, the Foreign Office, economic and military institutions.