Master Histoire - Parcours Afrique, Monde arabe, Mondes musulmans

The history of Africa, the Arab world, and the Muslim worlds presents specific features related both to the past and present of these non-European regions, to the languages and typology of the documentation used to shed light on their dynamics, and to the development of academic knowledge in the fields of Orientalism and African studies. The area studies approach fully takes these specificities into account. This track is supported by the exceptional documentary resources available in Aix-en-Provence: the Archives Nationales d'Outre-Mer (ANOM), the specialized collection of the BiAA on ancient Africa, the Arabic collection of the MMSH media library, and the specialized collection of the BU Fenouillères on the Ottoman Near East and the history of colonial empires. The various languages relevant to these cultural areas are taught at AMU and can be studied as part of the master's program; their acquisition constitutes a fundamental aspect of the proposed track.

Students holding a BA degree in history or another diploma with substantial coursework in history, and who wish to pursue research training in the history of African, Arab and Muslim societies.

Applicants with a bachelor's degree are authorised to register for a master's degree. Holders of other qualifications: https://allsh.univ-amu.fr/fr/formation/scolarite

A solid academic background throughout the undergraduate program. Excellent proficiency in written and oral expression in the French language. Strong writing skills and adaptability to various communication contexts. Ability to present arguments effectively in both written and oral forms. The command of an African or Oriental language is not mandatory

To be interested in studying the history of Africa, the Arab world, and the Muslim worlds. To begin learning an African and/or Oriental language.

Students in Track 1 prepare a research thesis in both M1 and M2 on a specialized topic in the history of Africa, the Arab world, and/or the Muslim worlds, under the supervision of a faculty member from the History Department. They also take the courses of the History Master's program in parallel.

These courses are organized into three knowledge and skills units (BCC). BCC1, which is common to all tracks, aims to provide a foundational understanding in foreign languages and thesis methodology. BCC1 also includes attending to a research seminar related to the thesis topic. The seminar is primarily chosen from the seminars of IREMAM or IMAF, research laboratories hosted by the MMSH. BCC2 includes courses by historical period, shared by students in all three thematic tracks. BCC3 includes specialized transchronological courses related to the track's theme.

The specialized courses of BCC3 are:

• Semester 1: a research workshop during the pre-entry week to facilitate the integration of the cohort; a historiography course on the history of Orientalist and Africanist research fields; Specialization Course 1.
• Semester 2: Specialization Course 2.
• Semester 3: Specialization Course 3 and the research workshop for M2 thesis supervision.

Semester 2 is dedicated to attending courses and writing the M1 research thesis. Semester 4 is devoted to an internship or international research mobility, as well as writing the M2 research thesis.

The MA degree in History trains students in research through research, drawing on the fields and research work of the faculty members in the Department of History specialised in the history of Africa, the Arab World and the Muslim Worlds.

The training offered in the context of Track 1 covers the entire African continent, as well as the Middle East in its Arab, Turkish, and Persian regions, from the Levant to Central Asia. The history of the concerned cultural areas is approached from Antiquity or the Middle Ages to the present day, including the age of colonization and the period of independence. The training in the history of African, Arab, and/or Muslim societies fully takes into account their cultural, religious, and confessional diversity – for example, the historical trajectory of African and Eastern Christianities. Great importance is placed on the study of documentary corpora, in their linguistic but also typological diversity (archaeological and epigraphic sources, literary and pragmatic writings, oral sources). The parallel learning of an African and/or Oriental language, for example, through a diploma at AMU, is strongly recommended.

Track 1 of the Master's degree in History reinforces skills that were initially developed during the Bachelor's degree.

1- Ability to analyse and synthesise. Learning to:

·       Gather and analyse information from different sources

·       Analyse complex situations from multiple points of view

·       Use their knowledge to identify and solve a problem

·       Propose new solutions

·       Gather and summarise relevant information

2- Reasoning and writing skills:

·       Developing a command of rhetoric and argumentative discourse, useful in various professions, competitions and examinations

·       Development of the ability to exchange argumentative ideas

·       Ability to construct (both orally and in writing) an argumentative discourse

3- Ability to work independently and in groups:

·       Ability to further research by oneself and for oneself, and thus to develop one's aptitudes throughout life

·       Taste for enquiry and intellectual curiosity

·       Ability to organise one's own work;

·       Critical mind;

Ability to work as part of a team

Students complete an individual research thesis in both M1 and M2 and work on a collective research project during the 3rd semester. They undertake in the 4th semester a professional observation internship or a research stay abroad related to their thesis' topic.

• E1103 Communication (fr)
• K1401 Conception et pilotage de la politique des pouvoirs publics (fr)
• K2107 Enseignement général du second degré (fr)
• K2402 Recherche en sciences de l'univers, de la matière et du vivant (fr)

• 325T Gestion et mise à disposition de ressources documentaires, conservation des archives (fr)
• 321P Journalisme et communication (organisation-gestion) (fr)
• 333P Organisation et administration de services et de centres de formation (fr)

The career opportunities for the Master's in History are diverse:

·       Teaching

·       Administration

·       Journalism

·       Culture and heritage

·       Documentation and cultural mediation

·       Historical research

·       Careers with an international perspective, especially in relation with the African, Arab and Muslim Worlds

All careers that require good command of writing and writing and synthesis skills

The professional observation internship in M2 has to be designed with a view to further studies or professional integration

The thematic track 1 of the Master's in history can be followed within the framework of an international degree partnership (DPI): the TübAix Master's in partnership with the University of Tübingen; the MIFI Master's in partnership with the University of La Sapienza (Rome), the University of La Statale (Milan), or the University of Genoa. The History Master's in DPI requires spending one year at each of the two partner universities.

An Erasmus mobility in one of the partner universities of the history department or in one of the universities within the CIVIS network is possible during M1 or M2 in thematic tracks 1, 3, and 4. It must be planned in agreement with the thesis supervisor, in relation to the chosen research topic and the professional project.