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Im looking at the following universities. I plan to major in Middle Eastern Studies/Languages, and my criteria for looking at the schools was that they offer at least Turkish, Persian and Arabic and that they offer a study abroad program to the middle east.

University of Durham
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Exeter University
University of Manchester

And, in the US I found
Rutgers University
Ohio State University
University of Washington

Im trying to keep the cost under 30,000 year w/o scholarships, preferably around 15-20000. Id also like a pretty campus-I haven't been to any so im not sure what theyre like

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 12:41 pm: Edit

U dub ( UW ) is in Seattle where I live, gorgeous if a little expensive city on with several lakes and Puget Sound. Two mountain ranges within a few hours drive and these are actuall mountains not those hills on the east coast. The campus itself is humoungous, as befits a large university, but attractive with your ivy and your limestone and brick.
HOusing can suck, best bet is to share a house off campus.
Its a public school, so not sure what out of state is but under $30K im sure, lots of merit aid.

By Bluegurl813 (Bluegurl813) on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 01:34 pm: Edit

University of Chicago has a Middle Eastern language program (something that I'm interested in myself lol). I'm having trouble finding colleges that offer something besides Spanish, French and German, its actually more difficult than people might think. From my (very little) research, Chicago seems to offer the most languages (somewhere around 30 or more I believe). Well, good luck.

By Ughstinkysocks (Ughstinkysocks) on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 03:32 pm: Edit

agnes scott... its an all girls school but does stuff with emory and georgia tech... studies abroad program and international type programs are great.... hands on... one of my friends just got back from turkey... their financial aid is GREAT....

By Arealtexan (Arealtexan) on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 03:50 pm: Edit

SOAS is a very good school, especially if you are interested in the subject that you are interested in. Be warned that UK undergrad is quite a step up from the average US highschool.

By Alita (Alita) on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 02:27 pm: Edit

bump

By Arealtexan (Arealtexan) on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 03:44 pm: Edit

Okay, seeing as you're bumping I'll put some more stuff up here about the schools that I know of that you listed.

Durham - this is a very good undergraduate university. It is tough to get into, as it tends to be a haven for Oxbridge rejects. It's collegiate, although the colleges don't have as much autonomy as at Oxbridge, they all still handle admissions separately so choose your college carefully. The city itself is a world heritage site with one of the finest gothic cathedrals in Europe and some of the student accomodation is spectacular. If you get into University College you are accomodated inside an actual castle. The downsides to such a lovely city are that it is quite a distance from the capital, and the nearest major cities are Edinburgh and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. There is also quite a lot of town vs gown tension, even more than in Oxford if that can be believed.

It has tough entry standards, around 25.4 A-level points per student. That's around ABB, and is the 11th highest in the UK. There are only a relatively small number of international students, at 5% of the student body. This is because of Durham's relative isolation which leads to long travel times and an incomprehensible local accent.

It is a good university for Middle Eastern languages. It has an excellent oriental museum in the grounds, and it scored highly on the teaching quality assessment (22/24). Other pluses are that teaching takes place in very small groups and is quite traditional in its ethos. It's got a name that is recognised in the UK and Commonwealth, but I don't think it gets much recognition in the US - although this point is more a criticism of the US than of Durham. The completion rate is 94%. Its age places it firmly in the category of the 19th-century metropoles, which means that there is a lot of prestige attached to it.

SOAS - this is the best of the bunch of UK universities that you picked. It is in London, there are loads of foreign students (26.6%) as well as the opportunity to participate in activities across the whole of the University of London. The University of London is very much recognised in Europe and the Commonwealth, and SOAS is one of the biggest names in Middle Eastern studies worldwide. MI6 and MI5 used to recruit from here as well as Oxbridge, and the Army Intelligence Corps sends officers here for degree study quite regularly.

Entry standards aren't as high as Durham, but that is because of some 'thickos' joint honours degrees that have crept into the university in the last few years. Entry standards are 22.7 A-level points per student, or BBC. This places it 25th in the UK.

It offers a huge variety of languages and opportunities to do research work. There is a fairly even undergrad/postgrad mix. The Sultan of Brunei donated an extravagant oriental museum, which has to be seen to be believed. It is to Oriental Studies what the Ashmolean and Fitzwilliam are to Classics. Plus, you have access to the best library facilities outside of Oxbridge (in the UL library and British Library, as well as access to each of the constitutent college's libraries). You can cross-register courses at other universities within the UL, which is a bonus. The completion rate is alarmingly low for a British non-polytechnic at 83%, and I can't find an explanation for it being so atrocious.

Exeter University - is one of Britain's most popular universities, with 7.3 applicants per place, but a dismal 5% international students. This is because like Durham it is in an isolated area where the locals drink cider and say "oo arr". It is even more isolated than Durham, and the nearest major cities are Bristol and Cardiff. The Arabic and Islamic studies departments have benefited from considerable investment coming from the Middle East, and the links to business that Exeter has are one of the reasons it is so popular. The campus is ugly, but that is because it is a relatively young university (although not so young that it would fall into the dreadful category of "former polytechnic").

Entry standards are okay, at 23 points at A-level. This is slightly more than BBC, and is the 21st highest in the UK.

It rates moderately well for Middle Eastern languages, although it is not in the top half of the table (of 9) universities that offer it in the UK. There is a lot of accomodation, so no shopping around for flats after the second year although you may have to go off campus for the third year. It has a respectable 94% completion rate.

University of Manchester - is one of the giants of education in the world, with 22 Nobel prizewinners. It is a huge (by UK standards) university of 16,400 undergrads and 3,360 postgrads in a city that is seeing something of a cultural rejuvenation. The campus is nice, although not a patch on Durham, and Manchester itself is a beautiful city (if you ignore Moss Side). There is quite a good nightlife there, and it is where a lot of 'brit indie rock' bands come from. Overseas students make up 9% of the student population.

The entry standards are 23.5 points at A-level, higher than BBC. This is 20th in the UK. The university will be expanding in 2004, when it amalgamates with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).

As far as Middle Eastern languages go, it is rated the lowest of all the UK universities you mentioned. It doesn't score very highly on the teaching quality assessment, so it may be one to avoid. The city of Manchester also has a reputation for violent crime, although this is probably overblown.

UK in general - I'll just say some stuff about the advantages of studying in the UK. It is much cheaper than in the United States, with overseas students spending around £10,000 ($16,000) a year on tuition fees. The structure of courses also allows you to focus specifically on an area of study that you love, without distractions. Be warned that the reasons for this specialisation are because UK students finish general ed requirements at 16 and schooling from 17-18 is the equivalent of the first couple of years of undergrad in the US. They will also not be too interested in SATs, preferring to look at your AP class grades.

If you're looking for beautiful campuses, you might want to take a look at Oxbridge as well. They offer years abroad in their Oriental Studies degrees and have the best looking campuses in the UK (Durham is a close second).

Hope all of this helps, if you want any more info, just ask.

By Alita (Alita) on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 08:05 pm: Edit

thanks-that helped a lot

By Emma (Emma) on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 09:13 am: Edit

Ok, this wont be as long and amazing as arealtexans response, but hopefully it might help a little.

I have been to both Durham and Manchester and they are both VERY different. It would really have to be your preference between those too. Manchester would be easier to get into by the way.

When i visited Manchester i went up on a Friday to sample the nightlife which my friend loved and i thought was ok/good (but a lack of hip hop!). The actual uni was nice and although wrong department, the woman giving the psychology talk was lovely. The students there seemed very happy and theres a good range of accomodation.

Durham i have been to a few time but not as uni visits. It's too small for me personally but everyone who goes there LOVES it (my friends brother does). It a 15 train ride away from Newcastle which is a really nice up and coming city (been there a billion times). The academics is good too!

Don't know about the others really.

But for these two, choose between big city and small town.