Our Politics and Economics of the Middle East MA explores the intersection of politics and economics in one of the most vital and interesting regions in the world. You will develop solid regional expertise in addition to the theoretical and methodological skills necessary for a career in political and economic analysis.

Key benefits

• Unique in combining political economy and comparative politics with the study of the Middle East.
• Enables students to analyse the politics and economics of the Middle East from a variety of different perspectives.
• Located in one of the globally leading Departments on the study of politics and economics.
• Provides a strong theoretical and methodological foundation in the social sciences.
• Develop your critical and communication skills by presenting and disseminating research in written and oral forms, to classmates, tutors, and the wider academic community.
• Opportunity to study regional languages through King’s Language Centre.
• Enables students to explore political economy themes through specialist modules in the Department of Political Economy.
• Vibrant Middle East research community at King's College London.
• Located in the heart of London, the Department of Political Economy has a strong reputation for research-led teaching and links to industry.

Course essentials

See the Teaching & Structure tab above for more information on this course

Base campus

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry requirements

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

Minimum 2:1 honours undergraduate degree in such an appropriate subject as politics, economics, international relations, political economy and Middle Eastern studies. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered. Mature candidates will be considered favourably.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a countrySelect a country

English language requirements

English language band:

B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Personal Statement	Yes	A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). In your personal statement you should explain fully your motivation for applying to the MA Political Economy of the Middle East at King's, and how you believe it will contribute to your own intellectual and professional development. You should also explain how you believe your own experience and qualifications would make you well placed to benefit from this MA programme. If you have identified a likely dissertation topic at the time of applying, you may also use part of the personal statement to briefly outline your research ideas.
Previous Academic Study	Yes	A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References	Yes	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
Other	Optional	Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application.

Teaching & structure

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Self-Study

Check out further information about our Politics and Economics of the Middle East course including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	The total contact time for each 15-credit taught module is 20 hours. These sessions will include lectures, teacher-led and student-led group discussions based on the main areas of study	Each 15-credit taught module has 130 hours
Dissertation module	A set of dissertation workshops plus one-to-one dissertation consultations	Approximately 592 hours self-study and project work

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Location

This course will be primarily taught at the King’s College Strand Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by essays, examinations, and Q&As. Assessment patterns will vary across modules, but examples of typical assessments for 15-credit modules would be a 3,000-word essay or a 2-hour unseen examination. The assessment of the dissertation module will be by a 10,000- word dissertation (100%).

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Required modules

You are required to take the following modules:

Politics and Economics of the Middle East (30 credits)

Dissertation (60 Credits)

If you are a part-time student, you will usually take Politics and Economics of the Middle East and three optional modules in your first year. In your second year, you will take your dissertation module,MA Dissertation – Politics and Economics of the Middle East, and a further three optional modules.

However, part-time students can decide how to distribute their 90 credits of optional modules over the two years of the programme, as long as they ensure that by the end of the programme they have completed the required number of credits. Please note that part-time students should feel free to discuss this decision with the Programme Director, should they wish to do so.

Optional modules

In addition, you are required to take modules totalling 90 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:

The Political Economy of Authoritarianism in the Middle East (15 credits)

People, Protest and Mobilisation: Exploring Social Movement Theory (15 credits)

Islam, Politics and Society (15 credits)

Cities and Social Transformation in the Middle East (15 credits)

The US & the Middle East: Intervention & Mediation Since 1945 (15 credits)

Decoding Sectarianism in the Middle East (15 credits)

Internship (15 credits)

Comparative Political Economy (15 credits)

Gender, Politics and Public Policy (15 credits)

The Political Economy of Corruption (15 credits)

The New Political Economy of the Media (15 credits)

Institutions and Economic Development (15 credits)

Business and Politics (15 credits)

Quantitative Methods in Political Economy (15 credits)

Media, Elections and Campaigning (15 credits)

The Media and Public Policy (15 credits)

Theories of Politics (15 credits)

Law and Politics of Regulation (15 credits)

Liberty, Equality and Justice: Political Theory and Public Policy (15 credits)

Economic History (15 credits)

Climate Policy and Global Energy Transitions (15 credits)

The Political Effects of Climate Change (15 credits)

Evaluating Public Policy (15 credits)

Ethics and Public Policy (15 credits)

The Political Economy of Organised Crime (15 credits)

Political Economy of Discrimination (15 credits)

The Political Economy of Economic Policy (15 credits)

Climate Change Economics and Policy (15 credits)

Policymaking in Non-Democracies (15 credits)

Democracy in the United Kingdom (15 credits)

African Crisis and Opportunity (15 credits)

Constitutional Political Economy (15 credits)

Political Economy of Violence (15 credits)

• Up to 30 credits (out of the 90 credits of optional modules) from modules offered across the university, subject to approvals

Students may take an additional non-assessed credit language module for free. This option is available in addition to the required 180 credits.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Careers

Employability

This course provides you with the enhanced skills and qualifications which will allow you to excel in future employment and research in an increasingly important field. Our students have transferred the skills they have developed to careers in development organisations, the corporate or financial sector, the diplomatic service, international NGOs, civil society organisations or journalism. Some students have gone on to further research at King’s College.

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £16,950 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £8,425 per year (2025/26)

International:

Full time: £31,600 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £15,800 per year (2025/26)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.

• If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
• If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions.
• Library fees and fines.
• Personal photocopies.
• Printing course handouts.
• Society membership fees.
• Stationery.
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
• Graduation costs.

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

• Course essentials
• Entry requirements
• Teaching & structure
• Careers
• Fees & Funding

See the Teaching & Structure tab above for more information on this course

Base campus

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

Minimum 2:1 honours undergraduate degree in such an appropriate subject as politics, economics, international relations, political economy and Middle Eastern studies. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered. Mature candidates will be considered favourably.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a countrySelect a country

English language requirements

English language band:

B

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Personal Statement	Yes	A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). In your personal statement you should explain fully your motivation for applying to the MA Political Economy of the Middle East at King's, and how you believe it will contribute to your own intellectual and professional development. You should also explain how you believe your own experience and qualifications would make you well placed to benefit from this MA programme. If you have identified a likely dissertation topic at the time of applying, you may also use part of the personal statement to briefly outline your research ideas.
Previous Academic Study	Yes	A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References	Yes	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
Other	Optional	Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application.

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Seminars

Self-Study

Check out further information about our Politics and Economics of the Middle East course including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.

Module	Lectures, seminars and feedback	Self-study
Per 15-credit taught module	The total contact time for each 15-credit taught module is 20 hours. These sessions will include lectures, teacher-led and student-led group discussions based on the main areas of study	Each 15-credit taught module has 130 hours
Dissertation module	A set of dissertation workshops plus one-to-one dissertation consultations	Approximately 592 hours self-study and project work

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Location

This course will be primarily taught at the King’s College Strand Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by essays, examinations, and Q&As. Assessment patterns will vary across modules, but examples of typical assessments for 15-credit modules would be a 3,000-word essay or a 2-hour unseen examination. The assessment of the dissertation module will be by a 10,000- word dissertation (100%).

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Required modules

You are required to take the following modules:

Politics and Economics of the Middle East (30 credits)

Dissertation (60 Credits)

If you are a part-time student, you will usually take Politics and Economics of the Middle East and three optional modules in your first year. In your second year, you will take your dissertation module,MA Dissertation – Politics and Economics of the Middle East, and a further three optional modules.

However, part-time students can decide how to distribute their 90 credits of optional modules over the two years of the programme, as long as they ensure that by the end of the programme they have completed the required number of credits. Please note that part-time students should feel free to discuss this decision with the Programme Director, should they wish to do so.

Optional modules

In addition, you are required to take modules totalling 90 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:

The Political Economy of Authoritarianism in the Middle East (15 credits)

People, Protest and Mobilisation: Exploring Social Movement Theory (15 credits)

Islam, Politics and Society (15 credits)

Cities and Social Transformation in the Middle East (15 credits)

The US & the Middle East: Intervention & Mediation Since 1945 (15 credits)

Decoding Sectarianism in the Middle East (15 credits)

Internship (15 credits)

Comparative Political Economy (15 credits)

Gender, Politics and Public Policy (15 credits)

The Political Economy of Corruption (15 credits)

The New Political Economy of the Media (15 credits)

Institutions and Economic Development (15 credits)

Business and Politics (15 credits)

Quantitative Methods in Political Economy (15 credits)

Media, Elections and Campaigning (15 credits)

The Media and Public Policy (15 credits)

Theories of Politics (15 credits)

Law and Politics of Regulation (15 credits)

Liberty, Equality and Justice: Political Theory and Public Policy (15 credits)

Economic History (15 credits)

Climate Policy and Global Energy Transitions (15 credits)

The Political Effects of Climate Change (15 credits)

Evaluating Public Policy (15 credits)

Ethics and Public Policy (15 credits)

The Political Economy of Organised Crime (15 credits)

Political Economy of Discrimination (15 credits)

The Political Economy of Economic Policy (15 credits)

Climate Change Economics and Policy (15 credits)

Policymaking in Non-Democracies (15 credits)

Democracy in the United Kingdom (15 credits)

African Crisis and Opportunity (15 credits)

Constitutional Political Economy (15 credits)

Political Economy of Violence (15 credits)

• Up to 30 credits (out of the 90 credits of optional modules) from modules offered across the university, subject to approvals

Students may take an additional non-assessed credit language module for free. This option is available in addition to the required 180 credits.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

This course provides you with the enhanced skills and qualifications which will allow you to excel in future employment and research in an increasingly important field. Our students have transferred the skills they have developed to careers in development organisations, the corporate or financial sector, the diplomatic service, international NGOs, civil society organisations or journalism. Some students have gone on to further research at King’s College.

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £16,950 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £8,425 per year (2025/26)

International:

Full time: £31,600 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £15,800 per year (2025/26)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.

• If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
• If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions.
• Library fees and fines.
• Personal photocopies.
• Printing course handouts.
• Society membership fees.
• Stationery.
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
• Graduation costs.

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

Application closing date guidance

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