About us Welcome to Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh.We were established in 1980 by bringing together the University's departments of Arabic, Turkish and Persian; all founded in the early years of the twentieth century.Arabic has been taught at our university as far back as the middle of the 18th century, and continuously since 1880.Today, we teach undergraduate programmes in Arabic, Persian, Islamic Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. We also offer taught and research-led postgraduate programmes in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.The University holds over 23,000 resources in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. These include the Serjeant & Watt Collections and some of the world’s most precious Islamic manuscripts. Undergraduate study Choose from a range of four-year MA (Master of Arts) honours degrees in:ArabicIslamic StudiesMiddle Eastern StudiesPersianMultiple degree programmes are available, including single and joint honours combinations. Many include study abroad in Year 3. We also teach Turkish to intermediate level. Postgraduate study Take a taught or research programme, with degrees ranging from a one-year masters in the Globalised Muslim World to our PhD in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. Beginners Arabic for everyone Open Language courses in Arabic, together with Japanese and a range of European languages, are free to all University of Edinburgh students. You can take one at any stage of your undergraduate or postgraduate programme. Each course lasts one semester and can be taken for 20 credits or for extra credit, depending on your other study commitments. Classes are suitable for complete beginners.Find out more about Open Language courses The Alwaleed Centre Promoting a better understanding of Islam and Islamic culture through ground-breaking research and innovative outreach projects.Visit the Alwaleed Centre website In memoriam: Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila With heavy hearts, we share the sad news of the passing of our esteemed colleague, Professor Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila, on 18 December 2023 in Edinburgh. Jaakko was a cherished member of the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies community. He leaves an indelible mark as a scholar of Arabic, Persian, and Islamic culture and his absence is deeply felt within our department. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss, expressing profound shock and sorrow, as we remember and honour his contribution and legacy.Read our reflections on Jaakko's passing News and events News and featuresWhat's on in IMESFacebookFlickrTwitter QS World Rankings by Subject 2025 The University of Edinburgh is ranked 3rd in the UK for Modern Languages and Arts & Humanities.Globally, we’re in the World Top 15: Arts & Humanities (10) and Modern Languages (13).The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings are based on research citations and the results of major global surveys of employers and academics.They are International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) approved.The Complete University Guide 2025The University of Edinburgh is ranked 5th for African & Middle Eastern Studies in The Complete University Guide - Subject League Table 2025.This subject area includes Modern Middle Eastern Languages and Modern Middle Eastern Studies.The Complete University Guide ranks the best 130 universities in the UK on measures such as:student satisfaction on undergraduate programmes research quality graduate prospects Research Excellence Framework The University of Edinburgh is ranked Top 3 in the UK for research in Modern Languages.As reported in Times Higher Education, the rankings are based on the quality and breadth of our research in Modern Languages.They come from the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) – the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.In addition to Modern Languages, research in IMES was submitted to REF 2021 in the categories of Politics, Sociology, History and Theology. This article was published on 2024-08-12