1. General Characteristics of the Master's Program

 

The Master’s Degree in Contemporary Studies on the Arab World and Muslim Communities: Social Mediation and Conflict Management (RUCT 431827), launched in 2023, is a 100% in-person program, lasting one academic year (unless taken part-time), and is taught in Spanish.

It is an interfaculty program, offered at the Faculty of Philology (main coordinating center), the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology, and the Faculty of Social Work. It originates from the Area of Arab and Islamic Studies within the Department of General Linguistics, Arab, Hebrew, and East Asian Studies, and it supports other academic programs at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) that include subjects on the Arab-Islamic world but do not offer specific training focused on this region. Therefore, it is an interdisciplinary master’s program, providing comprehensive training on the sociopolitical and linguistic-cultural reality of the contemporary Arab and Islamic world, as well as Muslim communities in Spain and the European Union, through disciplines such as Arab and Islamic Studies, Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology.

This master’s is original in both its orientation and subject matter, as well as its approach:

1. First, because its curriculum focuses on the analysis and study of the contemporary sociopolitical, cultural, and linguistic reality of the Arab and Islamic world, and of Muslim communities in transnational and cross-cultural contexts, specifically in Spain and the EU.

2. Second, because it has a strong professional orientation, aiming to meet labor market demands by focusing on two areas with clear professional relevance: intercultural mediation and conflict management. At the same time, it also allows students who wish to pursue an academic research path to do so.

3. Third, due to its interfaculty nature, which encourages collaboration between faculty members from various departments, as well as between existing research groups dedicated to this area of study: the Analysis Group on Islam and Arab-Islamic Cultures in Transnational Contexts (GRAIS) and the Complutense Research Group on the Maghreb and the Middle East (GICMOM). Thus, one of the defining features of this master's is its interdisciplinarity, with teaching staff from the faculties of Philology, Political Science and Sociology, and Social Work. This interdisciplinary character allows it to attract students from a variety of undergraduate programs such as Semitic and Islamic Studies, Modern Languages and Literatures, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Social Work, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Law, and Information Sciences, from both Madrid-based universities and others across Spain.

4. Finally, because it includes internships at various institutions, such as NGOs focused on intercultural mediation and think tanks specializing in international politics and conflict resolution.

In addition, the program is offered at one of Spain’s top universities, with two campuses located within the city of Madrid, offering excellent accessibility and well-equipped educational, cultural, and sports facilities.

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2. Structure of the Master's Program

The Master’s Degree in Contemporary Studies on the Arab World and Muslim Communities: Social Mediation and Conflict Management is in-person and is structured to be completed in one academic year.

It consists of four modules, distributed over the two semesters of the academic year:

• The first module is core and is taught by the Area of Arab and Islamic Studies.

• The second module includes two elective subjects, chosen from various master's programs with a focus on social sciences, political science, international relations, social work, or anthropology.

• The third module consists of mandatory external internships.

• The fourth module is the Master’s Thesis (TFM).

Teaching guides and faculty information are provided for each subject.

3. Student Profile

The program is intended for graduates seeking to develop professional and/or research skills related to social and cultural mediation activities involving the Arab-Islamic world and Muslim communities in Spain, conflict resolution, and diversity management. While open to a broad range of students, the master’s program is primarily aimed at graduates from:

• Degrees in the field of Philology: Semitic and Islamic Studies, Modern Languages, Translation, and Linguistics.

• Degrees in the field of Social Sciences: Social Work, Labor Relations and Human Resources, Sociology, Political Science, International Relations, History, Law, Journalism, and Communication.

 

Graduate Student Profiles

Graduates of the program may pursue professional careers in a variety of roles, including:

• Sociocultural mediators;

• Socio-educational mediators;

• Mediators in international conflicts;

• Social workers;

• Employees in non-governmental organizations;

• Teaching professionals;

• Public administration staff;

• Communication professionals or legal experts specializing in migration management and/or international conflict resolution;

• Academic researchers.

The research lines related to the degree include:

• Politics and society in the contemporary Arab world;

• Islam and Muslim communities in Spain;

• Languages, communication, and sociopolitical dynamics in the contemporary Arab and Islamic world;

• International relations with the Arab and Islamic world;

• Geopolitics and conflict management;

• Social, cultural, and intercommunal mediation;

• Cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity in migratory contexts.

The Complutense University of Madrid offers several PhD programs in Philology, Social Sciences, and Social Work that graduates may pursue if they wish to obtain a doctorate. These include:

• Theoretical and Applied Linguistics;

• Religious Studies;

• Political Science and Public Administration and International Relations;

• Sociology and Anthropology;

• Social Work;

• Law.