The Middle East is the cradle of human civilization and the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The region includes the Arab and Muslim countries – from Morocco in the west to Iran in the east, and from Turkey in the north to Yemen and Sudan in the south. This is the region in which Israel exists, and understanding it has great importance for its existence, security, economic development, and social and cultural prosperity.

The Department of Middle Eastern History is among the first departments to be opened in the University of Haifa, providing extensive interdisciplinary knowledge on the region of the Middle East and on the Muslim World in general.  Understanding the historical, political, diplomatic, economic, social, and cultural processes that underlie the events taking place in this region is vital for policymakers in Israel, academic researchers, public-sector employees, businessmen, teachers, civil organizations, and anyone who seeks to understand the region.  The acquisition of extensive knowledge in the Department is accompanied by a unique learning experience at the University and in the leading multicultural and interreligious city in Israel.

In the Master’s degree program, students have a choice between tracks with or without a thesis, in Middle Eastern History and Islam. It is possible to accomplish an M.A. without a thesis in one single year, during which the students participate in classes concentrated in one day of the week, for three consecutive semesters. The Department’s curriculum offers courses on the region’s classic and modern history, the religion of Islam, Arab nationalism, Palestinian society, women’s status and the family, law and society, media, tourism, and more.