Near Eastern Studies

As a Near Eastern studies major, you’ll have the opportunity to acquire language skills as well as familiarity with the history, cultures, literatures and religions of the Near East/Middle East from antiquity to the modern day. You’ll become acquainted broadly with the region – which extends from Turkey east through Iran and Afghanistan, south through the Arabian Pennisula to Yemen and across north Africa from Egypt to Morocco — and its cultures and be able to study a particular subfield in depth. Special focus is given to the ancient east Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions and to the Levant and Egypt.

Sample classes

  • Holy War, Crusade and Jihad
  • Education of Princes: Medieval Advice Literature of Rulership and Counsel
  • Women in the Modern Middle East
  • Ancient Egyptian Civilization

Outcomes

All information below is based on the 2014-2018 First-Destination Post-Graduate Survey. Lists are not exhaustive, rather they are a sampling of the data. "Other" includes time off, travel, volunteer experiences, and/or preparing for graduate school. If you would like more information, please email as_careers@cornell.edu

More than 4/5 of 2014-2018 Near Eastern Studies graduates reported being Employed or Attending Graduate School, with the majority being Employed.

65% of the Class of 2014-2018 Near Eastern Studies graduates completed the survey. n = 28

Below, you will find:

  • Top Employment Sectors
  • Where Graduates Work
  • Top Graduate Fields
  • Where Graduates Study

Top Employment Sectors

  • Consulting/Prof. Practice
  • Financial Services
  • Government
  • Other Nonprofit Organization
  • Education
  • Biotech/Pharma/Life Sciences
  • Law

Where 2014-2018 Near Eastern Studies Graduates Work

Employer Job Titles
AlphaSights Associate
Andrews & Cole LLC Talent Acquisition Associate
Berkshire School English Teacher
Booz Allen Hamilton Defense Analyst
Deloitte Consulting Strategy & Operations Federal Analyst
Business Analyst-Consultant
Eon Aligner Marketing Coordinator
Fulbright Student Programs English Teaching Assistant
JPMorgan Chase & Co

Investment Banking Analyst

NJ Public Interest Research Group Fellow
Nomura Sales & Trading Analyst
Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience PULSE Fellow
Third Bridge Group Limited Analyst-Consulting
United States Department of Defense National Security Intern
United States Marine Corps Second Lieutenant
Weitz & Luxenberg PC Legal Assistant

Top Graduate Fields Pursued

  • Law
  • Near Eastern Studies
  • History
  • Divinity

Graduate Degrees Pursued

  • JD
  • PhD
  • MA/MSC
  • MDiv

Where 2014-2018 Near Eastern Studies Graduates Study

  • Columbia University in the City of New York
  • Cornell University
  • Georgetown University
  • Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • University of Chicago