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Career Paths in Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Introduction
It looks complex from the outside – and it is! The field of “Near and Middle Eastern Studies” combines elements of political and social sciences, economics, history, historical and modern linguistics, cultural and religious studies, and ethnology.
Diverse career paths
Students and graduates of “Near and Middle Eastern Studies” can always draw inspiration from the career paths of neighboring disciplines (cultural studies, political science, peace and conflict studies, linguistics or foreign language philology, and economics), but they also have a very individual, subject-specific career paths available to them.
-Regional Research
-Interregional Communications
-International and Intercultural Education
-Consulting and Mediation
-International Management
-Organization and Administration
-Service Provision
-Other
With its regional focus, it builds on the knowledge that WHAT happens in a region is also related to WHERE and HOW it happens: the physical and political boundaries; the accessibility of natural transport routes; the distribution of resources, human settlements, ethnic, cultural, religious, and political groups in the area... Therefore, it also always finds a home in the field of geography. For this reason, it is not possible to pursue “Near and Middle Eastern Studies” without looking beyond one’s own academic horizons.
Interdisciplinarity
Near and Middle Eastern Studies, especially in Marburg, is the place and haven of lived, supported, and desired interdisciplinarity. Interdisciplinary modules are an integral part of the degree programs. In order to hold this enormous conglomerate of knowledge together, both physically and mentally, the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies was founded in Marburg. And it’s not too far away, physically or mentally, from the Center for Peace and Conflict Research. After all, there’s always the question of why there are so many causes for conflict of various kinds in this region in particular, how we can learn to understand this, and whether we can find approaches to good, lasting peace. The path to expertise in this interdisciplinary field is long, but it starts with a bachelor’s degree. Even the topic of a bachelor’s thesis can provide clues about a future career path. However, experience shows that only a master’s degree brings opportunities across the job market, and that real expertise begins with a doctorate. While elsewhere scholars from the cultural studies have already been celebrated as “heroes of the inter-,” “Near and Middle Eastern Studies” allow their students and graduates a very deep insight into regional phenomena: both “inter-“ and “intra-.” They are the “intra-intellectuals” of the academic job market, if such a word existed.
Career building blocks
People who study the Near and Middle East are readers, learners, thinkers—and speakers. They are mediators and intermediaries, not only in terms of knowledge and culture, but also in terms of politics and economics. When starting a career, it can be crucial to acquire “door openers” for the non-university job market. This is known as “professional development and continuing education,” which many universities now offer during the course of study. Since many of the mediating and facilitating activities today are organized as projects, continuing education courses such as “International Project Management” have become almost standard. If you are more interested in helping, supporting, and advising activities, it makes sense to acquire skills from educational subjects for your portfolio or to study mediation, as it’s known in the field of peace and conflict research.
This information is based on information provided by the BERUFENET of the German Federal Employment Agency and surveys conducted with graduates of Marburg University. We would like to thank Edgar Losse from the Marburg branch of the Federal Employment Agency for the suggestions and support.
