Typically, the tutor is a member of the teaching staff who meets with students in the tutor's office individually or in pairs for a teaching session of up to one hour's duration. The student is required to present an essay based on a set of readings and an essay question arranged with the tutor in advance. Attendance and completion of the assignment are strictly required. Classes are interactive groups in which a member of the teaching staff instructs between 3-10 students. Most language training is done in classes.
Attendance is required, and all assignments are to be handed in to the instructor for assessment.
Lectures are open to the University public. Normally, a member of the teaching staff presents a series of eight weekly lectures grouped around a topic of relevance to one of the course options, e.g. 'The Politics of the Middle East' or 'The Economic History of the Middle East in the Nineteenth Century'. They tend not to be interactive, though some lecturers invite questions at the end of their presentation. Attendance is optional, and there are no required readings or assignments. However, students are strongly encouraged to attend all of the lectures in a series to broaden their general knowledge of the subject.