Moderate · Master's

Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME)

Technische Universität Berlin · Berlin, Europe

Duration

24 mo

Tuition

No tuition fee

sourced

Intake

Winter semester

English

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Winter semester intake. Most universities admit on a rolling basis — we confirm the exact application deadline for your profile, free.

Course details verified 10 Sep 2026 — intakes, entry requirements and course facts · official source

Fee sourced Taken from the university's published fees page, not re-checked since — confirm it before you budget. See the university fees page.

About this programme

Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME) is a two-year, tuition-free, full-time Master’s programme taught in English on campus in Berlin. Freie Universität's expertise in cultural studies of the Middle East – represented by Arabic Studies, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Kurdish Studies, Ottoman Studies, Semitic Studies, and Turcology – comes together for this Master's programme to offer students the possibility to approach this fascinating and complex region from multi-faceted and interregional perspectives, taking into account the diversity of languages, literatures, societies, religions, and cultures of this region. As a consecutive programme, it builds on knowledge about the Middle East and skills from the fields of humanities, cultural studies, and philologies that have been acquired in the course of a Bachelor's programme or through professional qualification. Are you curious about cultures of the Middle East? Are you eager to explore new areas of interest and to study independently? Can you prove excellent English language skills (level C1 CEFR or equivalent)? Do you hold a Bachelor's degree with at least 60 ECTS in ISME-related courses? Are you proficient in at least one of the following programme-related languages: Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Kurdish, Ottoman, Persian, Syriac-Aramaic, or Turkish (level B1 CEFR or equivalent)? Then our Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East Master's programme may be of interest to you. The Master's programme is divided into three areas, each composed of several modules which, in turn, comprise two courses – a fourth area being reserved for your Master’s thesis. See this table. PDF Download

Intakes & deadlines

Winter semester

Dates confirmed for your profile · Open

Entry requirements

English
E.G. PTE Academic: 76 UNIcert® English: UNIcert® III Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced TOEFL iBT (before 2026): 95 Reading: 24 Listening: 22 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 TOEFL iBT (since 2026): 5 Reading: 5 Listening: 5 Speaking: 5 Writing: 5 IELTS Academic: 7
Prerequisites
To be eligible for admission to the Master’s programme, you need to fulfil the following requirements: 1. You must hold a first university degree (e.g. a Bachelor’s degree) comprising at least 180 credit points (ECTS) and you must have EITHER earned 60 ECTS or more of this first degree in courses that are relevant to interdisciplinary studies of the Middle East in the sense of cultural studies in fields such as Arabic Studies, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Semitic Studies, or Turkish and Ottoman Studies OR acquired equivalent qualifications in addition to the first university degree (e.g. education other than a university programme, professional experience, knowledge of relevant languages). 2. You must provide proof of proficiency (at least level B1 CEFR or equivalent) in one of the following languages: Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Kurdish, Ottoman, Persian, Syrian-Aramaic, or Turkish. This requirement pertains to native speakers, too; being subject to a specific state (i.e. being a national of any country) is NOT equivalent to an academic language proof. 3. You must provide proof of excellent English language skills. See details below. For an explanation of the admission process, please visit the programme website or refer to the detailed admission regulations.
Documents
SOP, LOR & Resume — generate them free in 2 minutes.

Fees & scholarships

No tuition fee tuition (sourced). We confirm the exact costs and the scholarships you qualify for at Technische Universität Berlin — free, for your profile.

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Campus photos on this page: TU Berlin/Pressestelle/Ulrich Dahl (Copyrighted free use) — via Wikimedia Commons.

Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME) — FAQs

5 questions

How much does Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME) at Technische Universität Berlin cost?

Tuition is No tuition fee. Taken from the university's published fees page, not re-checked since — confirm it before you budget. We confirm the current fee and the scholarships you qualify for — free.

When does Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME) start?

The main intake is Winter semester. Most universities admit on a rolling basis — we confirm the exact deadline for your profile, free.

What are the entry requirements for Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME)?

To be eligible for admission to the Master’s programme, you need to fulfil the following requirements: 1. You must hold a first university degree (e.g. a Bachelor’s degree) comprising at least 180 credit points (ECTS) and you must have EITHER earned 60 ECTS or more of this first degree in courses that are relevant to interdisciplinary studies of the Middle East in the sense of cultural studies in fields such as Arabic Studies, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Semitic Studies, or Turkish and Ottoman Studies OR acquired equivalent qualifications in addition to the first university degree (e.g. education other than a university programme, professional experience, knowledge of relevant languages). 2. You must provide proof of proficiency (at least level B1 CEFR or equivalent) in one of the following languages: Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Kurdish, Ottoman, Persian, Syrian-Aramaic, or Turkish. This requirement pertains to native speakers, too; being subject to a specific state (i.e. being a national of any country) is NOT equivalent to an academic language proof. 3. You must provide proof of excellent English language skills. See details below. For an explanation of the admission process, please visit the programme website or refer to the detailed admission regulations. English: E.G. PTE Academic: 76 UNIcert® English: UNIcert® III Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced TOEFL iBT (before 2026): 95 Reading: 24 Listening: 22 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 TOEFL iBT (since 2026): 5 Reading: 5 Listening: 5 Speaking: 5 Writing: 5 IELTS Academic: 7.

How long is Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME)?

The programme runs about 24 months full-time.

Can Vibedu help me apply to Interdisciplinary Studies of the Middle East (ISME)?

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