The University of Edinburgh
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
Programme Proposal for
MSc in Persian Civilisation
1. Programme Strategy
1.1. Rationale and Relevance
The primary aim of establishing an MSc in Persian Civilisation is to attract students
who (a) are interested in the study of Persian civilisation from its ancient past to
contemporary post-revolutionary Iran, (b) have a background in Islamic and/or
Middle Eastern studies or a background in ancient history or Middle Eastern
civilizations and who wish to specialise in a particular region, and (c) heritage
students (second generation immigrants in the West).
This will be a unique programme in the UK, Europe and North America, because
even though many universities in these regions offer programmes on Persian/Iranian
studies, they remain limited to the undergraduate level. Those that offer postgraduate
degrees focus solely on pre-Islamic Persia or Iran after Islam and/or the modern
period. None of them offer the unique range, scope and depth proposed in this
programme, which will begin with ancient Persian civilisations (Elamites,
Achaemenids and Sasanians) and continue until the contemporary period of the
Islamic Republic.
The MSc in Persian Civilisation will thus introduce students to the sweep and
complexity of Persian history and culture from the pre-Islamic period, when the
Achaemenid dynasty ruled the largest land empire up to that time, to the postRevolutionary era when Iran established itself as a theocratic Islamic Republic.
Throughout history, the Persians have exerted a remarkable hold over world
civilisation and this programme will allow students to explore the political, cultural,
religious, and social make-up of this strategically vital area of the Middle East.
Another unique feature of this programme is that unlike other Persian/Iranian studies
programmes, which focus on the history and politics or literatures and languages of
the region, the MSc in Persian Civilisation will go beyond these approaches to
introduce students to the arts and culture of Iran, from the architecture and
iconography of the ancient and medieval periods to the performing arts and film of
contemporary Iran.
The University of Edinburgh is in an unparalleled position to put this programme
together as it houses many of the specialists in the field across the schools of the
College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students will thus have the opportunity to
avail themselves of the expertise of experienced academic supervisors, who are
themselves leaders in their research fields, from both Islamic and Middle Eastern
Programme Proposal for MSc in Persian Civilisation
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Studies (IMES) and School of History and Classics and Archaeology (SHCA).
Iran is a region of central strategic importance politically, economically and in terms
of global peace and security. Indeed, current teaching and research programmes in
Higher Education in the UK, Europe and North America reflect the great interest in
the political, socio-cultural, historical and economic understanding of the Middle
East. In this regard, several universities have established Centres for Persian/Iranian
Studies and many have developed courses with a Persian/Iranian focus in a wide
range of disciplines including history, economics, religion, politics, development,
literature, art, cultural studies, and film and media studies.
1.2. Market Survey and Competitors
Market research indicates that the MSc in Persian Civilisation will be of great appeal
to prospective students. Some of our own undergraduate students at IMES and SHCA
have expressed interest in such a programme. Although several universities in the
UK, Europe and North America offer Persian/Iranian programmes, none of them offer
the civilisational approach covering the range and depth as proposed in this degree.
Indeed, the leading institutions of Persian/Iranian studies in the UK, such as Oxford,
Cambridge, SOAS and Manchester neither offer graduate level programmes in
Persian studies, nor do their undergraduate programmes provide the same scope in the
study of Iran. As such the proposed MSc in Persian Civilisation would be an excellent
programme complementing the studies of those who have already undertaken an
undergraduate degree in a relevant subject. The proposed MSc is structured in such a
way as to also be an attractive programme for those who do hold an undergraduate
degree in Persian/Iranian studies, enabling them both to continue to develop their
expertise in the region and identify specific areas in which to pursue their interests
further.
The MSc in Persian Civilisation will be the first of its kind to bring together various
aspects of pre-Islamic, Medieval and Modern Iran, offering students the opportunity
to extend their knowledge of the history and culture of Persia through a range of core
and option modules. They will utilise a wide range of source materials to further their
comprehension of the historical, literary and artistic wealth of Persian civilisation.
The continuing interest in Iran and the Middle East, (including the interest in
Achaemenid culture and its legacy, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Shi‘ism, and the oil-rich
Persian Gulf generally) to the social sciences makes this programme highly attractive
to prospective students seeking an academic understanding of the region for both
scholarly and professional purposes. The University’s established expertise and
acknowledged proficiency in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and in Classics and
Ancient History as well as the international reputation of the University of Edinburgh
generally as a research-based institution provides us with a strong basis to promote
this proposed programme.
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Below is a list of post graduate programmes in Persian/Iranian Studies on offer in the
UK, Europe and North America:
University
Programme
Focus
Core Courses
University of St
Andrews – Institute
of Iranian Studies.
MLitt Postgraduate
Degree in Iranian
Studies
Modern Iranian
history and politics
Freie Universität
Berlin
M.A. Iranian Studies
(course offered in
German)
Literature and
language
Or
Religion
Literature
Or
Linguistics
Or
History
19th and 20th
century Iran
Iranian History and
Politics
&
Iran and the World
since 1921
Literature and
language or
Religion
The University of
Leiden
MA Persian Studies
University of Austin
– Middle Eastern
Studies
MA Persian Studies
The University of
Washington
MA Persian and
Iranian Studies
Literature
University of
Maryland
Master of
Professional Studies
in Persian
Modern Iran
University of
California – Iranian
Studies
Iranian studies in 2
tracks:
1. Persian
2. Old Iranian
1. Persian
 Post Islamic
Iran
Classical and
Modern Literature,
History,
Linguistics
19th and 20th
centuries with special
attention to the postWorld War II period
&
Pre-modern
Literature
Classical and
Modern Persian
Literature and
Culture from 10th
century onwards.
Language Skills,
Literature,
Film and Popular
Culture
Literature, Language,
History, Islamic
Philosophy and preIslamic Iran.
OR
2. Old Iranian
 Ancient, preIslamic Iran
University of
California, Berkeley
Persian languages
and literatures
Languages and
Literature
Languages and
Literature
Estimates of student numbers depend on a number of variables, significant amongst
them the success of marketing strategies in attracting potential students. We plan to
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do this with a strong online presence both on our own website and other relevant
websites in addition to sending out posters and flyers to relevant universities within
and outside of the UK. The department has already had a meeting with the marketing
officer of the college to identify advertising strategies for this and we will be working
closely with them to ensure that we cover all possible angles.
Since this is a programme that most graduates with a good degree in the social
sciences and humanities can apply to, the intake could easily be substantial enough to
make it viable. We estimate that the first year would start with a smaller number of
students than subsequent years as the programme is established and its uniqueness
comes to be recognised and known across the UK and beyond. As such, the quality
and performance of the programme in the first couple of years is crucial to its success
and growth in the years that follow. We have two unique selling points: (1) we are
the only university to offer such as programme and (2) we have the commitment of
lecturers of international repute in the field across the College (Prof Robert
Hillenbrand in Islamic art, Prof Carole Hillenbrand in Islamic history, Dr Lloyd
Llewellyn-Jones in Ancient History and Dr Andrew Newman in Shi‘ism). Indeed, the
very coming together of these experts on the programme will be a strong incentive for
students to apply. We aim to attract at least 4-6 students in the first year with a view
to gaining 12-15 by the third year, which should place us in an ideal position to
continue the programme. If we do not meet the minimum numbers of students after 3
years, it would be reasonable to revisit the viability of the programme.
1.3. Interdisciplinary Skills
The proposed MSc in Persian Civilisation is interdisciplinary in nature. It builds on a
number of fields of study, including Classics, Ancient History, Middle Eastern
Studies and Islamic Studies. This initiative responds to the growing number of
postgraduate students carrying out research on the Middle East and particularly Iran,
across several Schools, and to the large body of academic expertise in classics,
literature, history, politics, performing arts, film, media and religion within the
College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The programme will train students in the different methodologies and approaches
employed by scholars of Persian/Iranian studies in a variety of contexts, focusing on
the ancient, medieval and modern period. Through a comparative and critical
approach, the programme will examine the value and limitations of theoretical
perspectives offered by related disciplines such as anthropology, political science,
history, cultural studies and literature.
1.4. Educational Aims of the Programme
The taught MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Persian Civilisation is distinctive in its
breadth and diversity, drawing on the extensive expertise across two Schools of the
University in Iranian historical and cultural studies from the period c.800 BCE to the
present day. The programme involves scholars with complementary interests in
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean civilisation within the School of History, Classics
and Archaeology (SHCA) and the School of Literatures, Languages and Culture
(LLC). The programme provides a wide-ranging academic teaching and learning
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experience, one unique in the field of Persian studies, particularly for those who wish
to engage with both the pre-Islamic and Islamic period of Iran, and for those wishing
to combine research projects at postgraduate level with specialist methodological,
theoretical, literary, and historiographical training. It also provides candidates with:
 the opportunity to extend their knowledge of the history and culture of Persia
through a range of core and option modules, with a focus on utilising a wide
range of source materials (artistic, literary, historiographic) to further their
comprehension of the sweep, wealth, and range of Persian civilisation.
 the opportunity to focus in-depth in this field in partnership with experienced
academic supervisors, who are themselves leaders in their research fields.
 the experience of researching a theme in Persian civilisation, using both
primary and secondary sources.
 the opportunity to assess, through their studies and in consultation with their
supervisors, whether they wish to pursue doctoral research.
In addition the taught MSc in Persian Civilisation provides the basis for further
postgraduate study through the following features:
 it provides students with the intellectual environment, background, training
and support which are essential for the conduct of critical historical and sociocultural enquiry.
 it provides students with a specific body of advanced knowledge in the field of
Persian studies and its ancillary fields (Ancient History, Classics, Middle
Eastern Studies)
 it trains students in advanced historical methodology and in the evaluation of
sometimes complex evidence through the close study of relevant primary and
secondary sources.
 it familiarises students with debates in the field of Persian history and culture
 it trains students in the discipline of rigorous argument.
 it trains students to conceive and execute a coherent project in historical and
cultural research and writing.
 it instils in students a range of generic transferable skills: precise oral and
written communication, independent study, problem-solving, e-learning
methods and time management.
1.5. Student Learning Outcomes
Prospective students would achieve the following learning outcomes:

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Develop a specialised knowledge and understanding of the principal trends in
the study of Persian history and culture.
Form a critical and informed understanding of the central historiographical
issues in this field
Obtain a critical and informed understanding of the central literary and artistic
issues in this field
Acquire an understanding of the interaction between original (and diverse)
source materials.
Develop an understanding of contemporary scholarship in this field.
Enhance an appreciation of the historiographical and/or cultural context of the
student's individual area of research within the broader field of Persian studies.
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2. Programme Components and Structure
2.1. Taught Component
Students in Semester 1 will take one core course, The History and Culture of Iran:
From Ancient Persia to Contemporary Iran and in Semester 2 the second core
course, Ruling Iran: Great Kings, Shahs and Imams.
They will also take the established LLC research core course Research Skills and
Methods (Semester 1) and Research Methods and Problems in IMES (semester 2).
They will also take two option courses over the two semesters as well as prepare for
the dissertation.
2.2. Research Component
When students complete the taught component, they will proceed to work on the
dissertation. Students will be allocated a supervisor from IMES or SHCA depending
on their topic. MSc candidates will submit a dissertation of 15, 000 words by the end
of August.
2.3. Programme Structure
Programme Structure
Semester 1
(Core Course) The History and Culture of Iran: From Ancient Persia to
Contemporary Iran
Research Skills and Methods
(CLLC11003)
One Option Course
Semester 2
(Core Course) Ruling Iran: Great Kings, Shahs and Imams
Research Methods and problems in IMES
(IMES11037)
One Option Course
Dissertation
CREDITS TOTAL
20
20
20
20
20
20
60
180
2.4. Degree Programme Table:
List of Relevant and Optional Courses
Students will have the option to choose TWO courses from the following list of
relevant courses. Students may be allowed to take alternative options courses at the
discretion of their advisor.
Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
IMES11020 Cinemas of the Middle East
IMES11032 Christian-Muslim Relations & the Relationship between the World of
Islam and the West
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IMES11030
Literatures
IMES11003
ASST11033
IMES11008
IMES10061
IMES10062
IMES10046
IMES10053
Middle East
IMES11005
IMES11041
IMES11012
IMES11009
The Harem and the Body: Space and Gender in Middle Eastern
Ideology and Political Practice in the Modern Middle East
Studies of Culture and Society in the Modern Middle East
An Introduction to Twelver Shi'ism
Modern Persian Literature and Modern Iran
Iran From the Safavids to the Islamic Republic
Early Islamic Political Thought
Fictions, feminisms, histories: 20th-century novels by women in the
Language and Society in the Middle East
The Umayyad Empire: the Islamic World in its Late Antique Context
Jihad: Theory and Practice
Mystical Islam
History Of Art
HIAR11048 Persian Painting
HIAR11006 Medieval Persian Book Painting: Texts, Images and Patrons
HIAR11067 Interactions of Islamic and Christian Art in the Medieval Islamic
World
HIAR10020 Islam and Art
HIAR11035 Mosques, Palaces and Gardens in the Golden Age of Islam
Classics
ANHI10016
ANHI10055
and Persia
ANHI10053
The Achaemenid Dynasty
Ancient Superpowers: The Armies and Military Monuments of Rome
Persica: Ancient Greek Historians and the Persian Empire
Two new Msc courses planned for 2012/13:
Achaemenid Historiography
Ancient Persia and the Western Imagination, 500 BCE – 2010 CE
School of Social & Political Science
PGSP11237 Gender and International Relations
PGSP11243 Religion and Global Society
PGSP11275 The Middle East in International Relations
PGSP11298 Political Islam in the Middle East
Divinity
REST10044
REST10032
Islam Past and Present: Issues of Gender and Ethics
Islam and the Challenge of Modernity: Critical Issues in Sharia Law
* All courses are 20 credits.
The following relevant language courses would also be available. Postgraduates are
assessed but receive no credit.
IMES08028
Persian 1A for Postgraduates
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IMES08029
IMES09001
IMES09001
IMES08040
IMES08045
IMES08030
IMES08031
IMES08041
IMES08042
Persian 1B for Postgraduates
Persian 2A for Postgraduates
Persian 2B for Postgraduates
Turkish 1A for Postgraduates
Turkish 1B for Postgraduates
Arabic 1A for Postgraduates
Arabic 1B for Postgraduates
Arabic 2A for Postgraduates
Arabic 2B for Postgraduates
2.5. New Courses
Both core courses proposed for this programme are new and will be offered as options
more widely through the University.
2.6. Entry Requirements
Students admitted to this programme will be required to have a First or Upper Second
Class degree or equivalent. We expect that the majority of students will have a
background in the Humanities or Social Sciences and/or Middle Eastern Studies/or
Ancient History or Classics?. Evidence of having successfully studied another
language may enhance the application. Applicants for whom English is not their first
language, a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 600 (with 55 in
each section and 4.0 in TWE) or an International English Testing System (IELTS)
score of 7.0 (with 6.0 in each section) will be required.
3. Resource Information
3.1. Tuition fees:
The University should retain the pricing of the proposed MSc at the standard taught
postgraduate level for LCC, i.e. £5,300 for home/ EU students and £12,200 for
international students.
3.2. Resources
The MSc in Persian Civilisation will draw on expertise across the University, in
particular, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES) and Classics. The core courses
will be convened and taught by IMES and Classics lecturers and beyond, drawing on
their own individual research interests, thereby covering a wide breadth of cases and
disciplines.
The proposed programme is already well-served by the existing collections available
in the library, as well as by a wide range of relevant electronic material.
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MSc in Persian Civilisations
SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
MSc Dissertation Credits 60
Length 15,000
Course Description:
The dissertation is an extended piece of scholarship in which a student is expected to
produce a substantive piece of independent research in Persian Civilisation. The
dissertation will be no longer than 15,000 words on a topic related to Persian
civilisation to be submitted by a date specified in the University Regulations (usually
late August).
The dissertation is expected to tackle a research problem, engage the relevant
literature, and build upon the relevant concepts and theories introduced in the taught
elements of the degree. Students will deploy a range of primary and secondary
sources as well as appropriate data-analytic and bibliographic skills. Each student will
be allocated a research supervisor from either IMES or SHCA during the second
semester to advise on and oversee her or his research progress.
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Students will:
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learn to undertake a sustained piece of independent research within the
disciplinary fields of Middle Eastern studies and/or Classics that demonstrates
the research skills, training and knowledge acquired in the previous
coursework;
refine their abilities to engage critically and analytically with the significant
literature in the field of their specialist interest;
train to formulate a research problem;
utilise relevant theories, theoretical frameworks and concepts in tackling a
research problem;
learn to develop a systematic research design;
demonstrate scrupulous attention to the relevant data-analytical, referencing
and bibliographic conventions.
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