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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (MEIS) is a doctoral program. Near Eastern Studies (NES) offers a stand-alone master's degree, and three specialized master's degrees. Students in NES and MEIS study with the same faculty and enroll in the same classes (with a few exceptions).

I didn't take any courses on the Middle East as an undergraduate. Am I eligible to apply to the Center's program?
Yes. We value, but do not require, an undergraduate background in Middle Eastern Studies. We are looking for applicants with outstanding academic records, regardless of undergraduate major.

How do I apply?
You can download an application from the Graduate School of Arts and Science website at http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/Admissions/AdmApp.html

In order to receive information about our M.A. Program via postal mail (or to receive an application and bulletin, or to receive a CD-ROM with both) please contact the Graduate Enrollment Services Office by filling out the form posted at their website at http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/Admissions.

What does the application consist of?
The application requires an application fee, plus the completed application form, along with a statement of purpose, résumé, three letters of recommendation from professors, all graduate and undergraduate transcripts and GRE scores.   Applicants to the Joint Journalism MA must provide the supplemental materials required by the Journalism Department, including an essay as described on the application form, and three writing samples.

Students whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL scores. If you received your undergraduate education in English, TOEFL is not required.

For further information about applying to the Graduate School of Arts & Science, go to http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/Admissions/FAQ.html .

International applicants can also visit http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.admissions.international.html

Where can I find out information about GRE and TOEFL?

For information about GRE, go to http://www.ets.org/ .

For TOEFL information, go to http://www.toefl.org/

What is the deadline for application?
Applicants must abide by all deadlines published in the Graduate School bulletin. The suggested deadline for application to GSAS is December 15. The final deadline to submit materials for admission to the Program in Near Eastern Studies is the first business day in January after New Year's Day, for admission into the following Fall semester.

Can I apply for admission in the spring semester?
Applicants for Spring entry are considered only in exceptional circumstances and cannot be considered for financial aid. If you are accepted for fall admission, however, you can defer your admission until the spring semester.

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I have been working for a few years since I got my BA, and some of the professors I might have asked for a recommendation have retired or are unavailable. Can I use work references?
Whenever possible, we prefer to have three academic references. We will accept references from employers, but we require at least one academic reference for admission.

I grew up speaking Arabic (Or Hebrew, Persian, Turkish) at home. Have I met the language requirement?
Not necessarily. You must be proficient at the upper intermediate level of one Middle Eastern language in the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. One of the Language Coordinators can test your abilities and if you are deficient in one or more of these skills, place you in the appropriate level class where you can acquire them.

I am fluent in Urdu (or Armenian, Kurdish, etc.). Can these skills count as meeting my language requirement?
It depends upon on your individual situation. Will the language meet your future research needs? With the approval of the Director, it is possible to use a language other than Arabic, Hebrew, Persian or Turkish to meet your language requirement. It may be necessary to demonstrate proficiency in the language, usually by examination. If you have received your undergraduate education in the language, examination will be waived.

I have never studied a Middle Eastern language. I will need two years, or sixteen credits of language study to meet the requirements. Can I count all these credits towards my degree?
No. You are only allowed to count eight credits of language training towards your MA degree, since they are undergraduate level courses. In that case, you may have to complete 48 credits to get your MA. Advanced level graduate language courses count towards the MA as electives.

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Do you offer summer classes?
Not usually. There are a number of excellent summer language programs in the U.S. and abroad which offer a year's worth of language training over the Summer.

Can I transfer credit from other schools?
You can transfer a maximum of eight credits towards the MA degree, but each request must be reviewed individually for applicability to our Program. If possible, you should supply a syllabus for the courses you request transfer for. If you are thinking of taking courses at another school, you should review them in advance with the Director to make sure that they will be accepted for transfer credit.

I have a medical, personal or financial problem which prevents me from attending school next year. What can I do?
If you are an incoming student, you can request a deferral of admission for up to one year.

Matriculated students can file for a leave of absence (which can be from one semester up to one year) with the department. Such leaves must be documented and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

You should remember that the time you take for a leave of absence will count towards your time-to-degree. A leave of absence is only an exemption from required enrollment; and exempts you from paying maintenance of matriculation fees. You must still complete your degree in five years time from your first semester of enrollment. While on leave of absence, you will not have student privileges, such as use of the library. If you leave the program without a leave of absence, and do not enroll for one year, you will be required to file for readmission.

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Can I enroll part-time?
Yes, unless you are an international student. International students are required to be full-time or full-time equivalency students. A full-time student is enrolled in 12 credits, usually three courses. A full-time equivalency student is enrolled for less than 12 credits, but is engaged in thesis research or an approved internship which is equal to the work for one or more classes.

How do I apply for financial aid?
There are three ways.

At the time of admission, you are considered for NYU fellowship support. The only application for these types of aid is the admissions application (1). Of course, you also need to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) forms (2) to determine your eligibility for Stafford loans, work-study, and other federal programs.

MacCracken multi-year fellowships are awarded competitively across all departments of the Graduate Schools. Each department sends nominations and the final awardees are selected by a committee appointed by the Dean. They are awarded to incoming students and are renewable on condition of maintenance of academic performance standards.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) awards are a separate application (3). You will not be considered for these awards if you only fill out the admission application. FLAS is an annual competition and is renewable only by reapplying. FLAS applications are available from the Center in November, and are due at the end of January for study to begin the following fall.

FLAS awards are given for academic year study at NYU, for dissertation research performed abroad during the academic year, and for summer language study in the U.S. and abroad.

Applicants can find more information about graduate funding at http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/Admissions/Financial.html.

Are international students eligible to apply for financial aid?
International students are eligible for all NYU fellowships and graduate assistantships, but are not eligible for US government-funded programs, including FLAS and all federal aid programs which use the FAFSA application form. International students need only to fill out the NYU application to be considered for financial aid.

Where can I get information about student loans?

See their webpage at http://www.nyu.edu/financial.aid/ . You can reach them by telephone at (212) 998-4444, or visit them at 23 West 4th Street.

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