Master of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies (MECAS)

If you’re fascinated by the Middle East and Central Asia, transform your passion into a specialised qualification at Australia’s premier institute for international studies. Through this program, you'll gain a deep regional grounding from multiple interdisciplinary perspectives, including contemporary politics, international relations, modern history, political economy, development studies, sociology, and religious and cultural studies. The degree includes intensive options for busy professionals, and online options* for those based remotely, alongside traditional face-to-face seminars with leading global experts on the Middle East and Central Asia.

*Note that student visa holders [subclass 500] cannot study more than one-third of this program online.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5/7.

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 24 units (one semester) of credit.

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Cognate Disciplines: Diplomacy, International relations, Modern history; Other social sciences and humanities disciplines and fields where there is significant coverage of a relevant aspect of Middle Eastern, Central Asian or Islamic Studies and where similar approaches and methodologies are used; and modern languages relating to the Middle East and/or Central Asia region such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Russian or French. Politics, Political economy, Political science, Religious studies/Islamic studies; Security studies, Sociology; Strategic studies.

Ranking and English Proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry.

In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Employment Opportunities

A MMECAS will advance your career in any professional area requiring a solid understanding of the Middle East and Central Asia, whether in diplomacy, the public service, teaching, journalism, development or business. Alongside in-depth study of these geopolitically significant regions, the degree includes options for training in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish languages, and experiential courses that develop leadership and problem-solving skills.