Management and Middle East Studies

Management and Middle East studies is a combination that brings together the practical analytical tools of management education with deep knowledge of one of the world's most geopolitically and economically significant regions. Management introduces you to how organisations across all sectors of the economy operate and are led, covering marketing, organisational behaviour, financial analysis, and strategy, and developing the interpersonal and analytical skills needed to interrogate evidence and challenge established practices. Middle East studies provides the historical, cultural, political, and linguistic grounding needed to understand a region that spans fifteen centuries of Islamic history, multiple languages and cultures, vast oil and gas wealth, and some of the most consequential geopolitical dynamics of the contemporary world.

At St Andrews this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, which may involve study in a Middle Eastern country or in another environment relevant to your area of specialisation. The management component at St Andrews introduces you to a variety of organisations across all sectors of the economy, teaching specific management techniques including marketing, organisational behaviour, and financial analysis, while developing interpersonal skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and self-reliance. The Middle East studies component gives you training in the history of the Middle East and the skills to engage with primary sources, contemporary policy debates, and the cultural and political complexity of the region.

Graduates find careers in international business, diplomacy, international development, consulting, government, journalism, non-governmental organisations working in the Middle East, and research institutions. The combination of management training and deep regional knowledge is valued by organisations operating in or engaging with the Middle East, whether in energy, finance, infrastructure, humanitarian work, or political analysis. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in international management, Middle Eastern studies, or international relations.