which american universities have prestige in the field of history? which one should i go to if i want to add prestige to my name?

 

@Marhabbal: My uni is the best on Medieval Studies in the country, and yet I do not have to learn any languages exept English (which you have to be able to read to even get into uni). Anything else is optional. I do not see how not being forced to learn 5 languages at my uni makes them unprofessional? Yes, it is very useful, I agree, but to judge a whole uni by that is really a bit crass.

Languages are dead useful, true. But your studies only last a couple of years. Better spend that time on learning history... After that you can spend a lifetime leanrning new languages... I never planned on becoming a historian, chances are minimal anyway. There are plenty of other jobs one can get with a MA, no matter what direction you studied. I study history because I rather spend my time doing something I like than doing something that might earn me a lot of money later on. But I am planning on learning anguages, after I finish my study...  I need to improve my German and I'd like to have enough of French and Italian, and perhaps Swedish, to be able to communicate in them. As yet I can only dechipher the easiest of sentences.

 

I do not want to argue against learning languages. I just do not think that languages should influence anyones decision on studying History or not, as it is a relatively small and very solveable problem. And, once more, it does depend a lot on what speciality you would want to study... I chose one that does not require much language skills, but Middle Eastern studies probably do. I'd say go for it Earl Aster, do not let language skills deter you from it!

studies and classical studies (historical and political)?

 

i want to specialise in the entire history of anatolia, from the hittites to the republic of turkey.

 

i am concerned with all three matters.

 

while studying history i want to simultaneously study philosophy. once i've got diplomas for both history and philosophy i want to study anthropology and political science in turkey. after that, i want to become a professor of history, and give lectures at universities in turkey and participate in discussions and arguments including topics like the armenian "genocide".

 

is that unrealistic planning? should i alter my plans? and in light of the information i have just provided you which universities would you recommend, assuming that my finances could afford them?

 

But that was to study the subject at undergraduate level, when as Aelgifu says pretty well everything has been translated already. What hasn't however is probably available in French, German or Spanish (even if it is not concerned with those specific countries).

 

If you want to get into postgraduate work and research then what Maharbbal says becomes more important. In fact he seemed to me to have that in mind. If it means reading original documents, it can mean effectively learning a foreign language even in order to study the history of your own country (consider an Englishman studying the Anglo-Saxon period).

 

[1] In that paper. You had to have pre-qualified in Latin to get into Oxbridge in those days to read any subject, including the sciences.

 

then I'd advise you to go to places where they have good middle eastern studies coupled with good history and political sciences studies. A natural pick would be Princeton but first I'd advise you to integrate a good turkish uni such as Bosphorus uni or the Middle East Institute in Ankara.
 

Well many unis are specialiased in one or the  other it is always useful to know a lot about theory in one of the three.
 

I must say I'm not mad about studying philosophy and I'd advise you to pick a social science instead (eco, socio, anthropo). Political sciences and anthropology are interesting by themselves but I'm not convinced of the interest to study them formally if you have a good degree in history and economics for instance.
 

is that unrealistic planning?
not at all

should i alter my plans?
you will at one point (if you are interested in Anatolian history it is always useful to go and study in say Greece, Armenia, whereever else it gives you more assets and a lifesaving different perspective).

and in light of the information i have just provided you which universities would you recommend, assuming that my finances could afford them?
One of the top Turkish universities, Institut des Langues Orientales (Paris), I guess you should ask to our German friend there must be good places to study there, UCL (London), Princeton (but later on).