Our faculty has been training graduate students at the MA and PhD levels since the 1980s. Our very diverse students and alumni come to Tucson from all regions of the United States as well as the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Applicants for graduate study should have strong standardized test scores, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 or the equivalent,  a background in Middle East related undergraduate coursework or life experience, experience with a Middle Eastern language, and a set of well developed but flexible academic and professional goals.

We consider each applicant holistically and encourage non-traditional or returning students to apply.  Our MA programs are designed to be completed in four semesters and to encompass interdisciplinary breadth and the focused depth of a concentration and final paper or thesis. Our doctoral programs give students disciplinary grounding as well as a regional research focus requiring rigorous primary research.

A limited amount of funding is available for our doctoral and some MA students each year through internal competition.

Our graduates go on to positions in government, NGOs, academia, journalism, military, business and teaching.