Dual MA MENAS/Public Administration

Students must apply to, and be accepted by, both the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies (MENAS) and the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) to qualify for admission to the dual degree program. An interdisciplinary committee from the two units will review and make a recommendation about any student who has been accepted to both programs.

Unit Requirements

The minimum units required to earn a dual MA in Middle Eastern & North African Studies and Public Administration is 60 (18 from MENAS, 27 from SGPP, and 15 units that are shared between the two disciplines).

MENAS Courses (18 units)

  • MENA 595D: Middle East (3 units)
  • One graduate course in gender or culture in the Middle East (3 units)
  • One graduate course in Islamic Studies (3 units)
  • One graduate course in Middle Eastern History (3 units)
  • MENA/ARB/PRS/TURK elective course (3 units)
  • MENA 909: Master's Report OR MENA 910: Thesis (3 units)

A list of courses that meet the core course requirements can be found here: MENAS Graduate Courses

Public Administration Courses (27 units)

  • PA 500: Economics for Public Policy (3 units)
  • PA 501: Public Organization Theory (3 units)
  • PA 503: Politics, Policy and Public Management (3 units)
  • PA 505: Methods for Program Evaluation (3 units)
  • PA 508: Public and Nonprofit Financial Management (3 units)
  • PA 527: Leadership and Ethics for Nonprofits and Public Management (3 units)
  • PA 550: Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administration (3 units)
  • PA 594: Capstone (3 units)
  • PA 597H: Public and Nonprofit Human Resources Management (3 units)

Shared Courses (15 units)

Students will choose from the following courses:

  • MENA 508A: Islamic Movements in the Contemporary Muslim World (3 units)
  • MENA 584: History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: 1800-Present (3 units)
  • MENA 580: Middle East in the 20th century (3 units)
  • MENA 596S: Colonialism and the Critique of Modernity (3 units)
  • MENA 696Y: Nationalism and Islam (3 units)
  • PA 507: Conflict Management in the Public Sector (3 units)
  • PA 513: Government, Business, and the Nonprofit Sector (3 units)
  • PA 518: Public Management Tools for the 21st Century (3 units)
  • PA 533: Nonprofit Management (3 units)
  • PA 551: Local Economics & Community Development (3 units)
  • PA 565: Public Health Advocacy (3 units)
  • PA 572: Digital Research in Politics & Policy (3 units)
  • PA 581: Environmental Policy (3 units)
  • PA 584: Environmental Management (3 units)
  • PA 597M: Public & Nonprofit Management Information Systems (3 units)
  • PA 597W: Grantwriting (3 units)
  • PA 593: Internship (3 units)

Language Requirement

Students must achieve intermediate proficiency in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Only graduate level language courses can count toward the required 60 units.

Thesis/Master's Report Requirement

Students complete either MENA 909: Master's Report or MENA 910: Thesis. By the end of the second semester of enrollment, students must assemble an MA report or thesis committee of three faculty members, one of whom serves as the MA report or thesis advisor. Two committee members must come from MENAS and one must come from SGPP. Both the MENAS Director of Graduate Studies and the SGPP Director of Graduate Studies must approve the committee.