MSc by Research in IMES
Develop your research skills and join a thriving and diverse community of research students in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES).
What to do before you apply for an MSc by Research in IMES
Before you formally apply for an MSc by Research in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES) through the University of Edinburgh’s online system, you are advised to acquaint yourself with the department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies so that you are confident we are the best place for you to undertake your research.
We would usually expect candidates to take the following steps before applying for an MSc by Research:
Step one
Have a look at the research interests and expertise of our staff under Who can supervise your MSc by Research. While you do not need to find a member of staff willing to supervise your project before applying, please do take some time to read over staff members’ profiles, research interests, and publications, to ensure that your project is something we can effectively supervise. We are much more likely to supervise a project if it closely relates to our own expertise and research interests, and often have to reject candidates with strong applications because their proposed project falls outside our areas of specialisation.
The following members of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies staff supervise MSc by Research and PhD students. Follow the links to find out more about their research interests and expertise.
|
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Lecturer in Arabic and Middle Eastern Cultures | |
| Lecturer in Contemporary Islam and the Middle East | |
| Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies | |
| Senior Lecturer in Modern Middle Eastern History | |
|
Lecturer in Islamic History |
|
| Lecturer in Muslims in Europe | |
| Lecturer in Gender and Media in the Arab World | |
| Personal Chair of Islamic Studies and Persian | |
| Professor of Cinema and Iran | |
| Chair in Politics of the Muslim World |
Step two
Following our guidelines, write a draft MScR proposal detailing your research project. This will enable us to evaluate the general and specific areas of your research interests, the originality and importance of your topic, and the feasibility of the proposed project within the given timescale.
The research proposal is an important element of your application for the MSc by Research. It helps us understand the general and specific areas of your research interests, the originality and importance of your topic, and the feasibility of the proposed project within the given timescale.
Your research proposal should be around 1,000 words long. It should outline the project that you want to complete as part of your MSc by Research by addressing the following questions:
- What is already known about this topic? What are the key works and who are the prominent scholars in the field? As you have only got a limited amount of time for your project, it is crucial that you have already identified some relevant of scholarship on the topic.
- Which aspects of the topic do you propose to investigate? How does your project relate to previous scholarship and what is new and original in your research?
- What are the main primary sources you want to use for your research? What methodologies will you use in your research project?
Your proposal should also include an indicative bibliography of primary and secondary sources which you have already identified as relevant to your research.
Step three
Download and complete our personal information form and email it, together with the research proposal (see step 3) and transcripts of your degrees, to the LLG Postgraduate Research Office.
Please note that these documents are not assessed. We request them so that we can offer useful comments on your proposed topic and research outline, and so that you do not have to send us a full Curriculum Vitae (CV). We strongly encourage you to incorporate our feedback into your final application, which you submit to the University via its online system. We value your privacy and will hold your information in line with the University of Edinburgh’s Privacy Policy for Applicants.
Formal application
You can find out more about language requirements, facilities, fees, funding opportunities and application deadlines for this MSc by Research programme, and formally apply to study on it, on the University of Edinburgh’s online Degree Finder.
Get in touch
For further information, or if you have any queries, please contact Dr Ebtihal Mahadeen