Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University

What Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University does

The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University is the oldest academic center in the United States focusing exclusively on the Arab world, founded in 1975 at the Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC. CCAS operates as a non-profit academic unit within the private Jesuit university, with a core staff of 18 and the mission of producing scholarship grounded in perspectives from within the Arab world and providing rigorous training in Arabic language, history, politics, economics, and anthropology.

Its flagship offering is the Master of Arts in Arab Studies (MAAS), a 36-credit, two-year full-time graduate program averaging 25 students per cohort that targets students seeking interdisciplinary expertise and Arabic language proficiency for careers in diplomacy, journalism, development, academia, and policy. Supporting programs include a Graduate Certificate in Arab Studies for cross-disciplinary Georgetown students, an Undergraduate Certificate, two funded postdoctoral fellowships (Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellowship and American Druze Foundation Fellowship), and the signature K-14 Education Outreach program that has served thousands of U.S. teachers. Public-facing assets include the CCAS Newsmagazine, the Shu Kaman? Podcast, and a January 2026-launched digital archive documenting the Center's five-decade history.

Revenue is generated through tuition routed via Georgetown's graduate admissions, Title VI National Resource Center grants from the U.S. Department of Education, four endowed chairs funded by the UAE, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Maksoud family, and donations from corporate (Aramco, Investcorp) and foundation sources (American Druze Foundation, Embassy of Qatar). Distribution is primarily in-person on Georgetown's Washington, DC campus, with digital extensions (website, archive, podcast) and a national K-12 educator channel expanding reach.

Name

Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University

Legal name

Center for Contemporary Arab Studies

Website

https://ccas.georgetown.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CCAS is the oldest U.S. academic center focused exclusively on the Arab world, operating within Georgetown University to offer the Master of Arts in Arab Studies, certificate programs, K-14 outreach, postdoctoral fellowships, and public programming on Arab studies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Graduate Education (Tuition): CCAS operates as Georgetown University's academic center, generating revenue through tuition for its Master of Arts in Arab Studies (MAAS) program and associated certificate programs. The program structure includes foundational, core, and elective credits with tuition rates set by Georgetown University.
2. Endowed Chairs and Donations: The center receives support through endowed chairs (Seif Ghobash Chair, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah Chair, Sultanate of Oman Chair, Clovis and Hala Salaam Maksoud Chair) and donations from supporters including Aramco, Investcorp ($2 million), and individual donors. These provide faculty positions and program funding.
3. Government Grants: CCAS receives Title VI grants from the Department of Education designating Georgetown as a National Resource Center on the Middle East and North Africa (NRC-MENA), supporting language instruction and library resources.
4. Fellowship Programs: Postdoctoral fellowship programs including Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellowship (supported by Embassy of Qatar) and American Druze Foundation Fellowship bring external funding for scholars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CCAS is an academic center within Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service that offers graduate-level education focused exclusively on the contemporary Arab world. Its core offering is the Master of Arts in Arab Studies (MAAS) program, supplemented by graduate and undergraduate certificates, postdoctoral fellowships, K-14 educator outreach, and public programming such as lectures, symposia, a newsmagazine, a podcast, and a digital archive.

Product overview

CCAS offers a portfolio of academic programs and public engagement initiatives centered on the study of the Arab world. The core offering is the Master of Arts in Arab Studies (MAAS), an interdisciplinary graduate program launched in 1977 that provides rigorous training in Arabic language, history, culture, politics, and economics. Supporting this flagship program are graduate and undergraduate certificate programs, postdoctoral fellowships (Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellowship and American Druze Foundation Fellowship), K-14 Education Outreach services, the CCAS Newsmagazine, the Shu Kaman? Podcast, and a comprehensive Digital Archive documenting the Center's fifty-year history. The portfolio also includes public lectures, symposia, and community events that bridge academic scholarship with public understanding of the Arab world.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Master of Arts in Arab Studies (MAAS): Flagship graduate degree program training students in the contemporary Arab world's language, history, culture, society, politics and economics
• CCAS Education Outreach
• CCAS Newsmagazine
• CCAS Digital Archive
• Shu Kaman? Podcast

Products and services

• Master of Arts in Arab Studies (MAAS) A two-year, full-time interdisciplinary graduate degree program (36 credits) that provides rigorous training in Arabic language, history, culture, society, politics, and economics of the contemporary Arab world, preparing students for careers in diplomacy, policy, journalism, academia, and development.
• Graduate Certificate in Arab Studies A graduate-level certificate program providing specialized coursework in Arab studies for students enrolled in other Georgetown graduate programs.
• Undergraduate Certificate in Arab Studies An undergraduate certificate program offering foundational coursework in Arab studies for students completing bachelor's degrees at Georgetown.
• CCAS Education Outreach (K-14) A K-14 education outreach program that helps primary and secondary teachers bring accurate, nuanced teaching about the Arab world into classrooms through curriculum resources, professional development, workshops, and study tours.
• CCAS Newsmagazine A periodical publication featuring news, faculty reflections, alumni stories, and scholarly commentary on Arab studies topics.
• Shu Kaman? Podcast A student-led podcast that explores topics related to the Arab world through conversations with scholars and students.
• CCAS Digital Archive An interactive, multimedia digital archive documenting CCAS's fifty years of teaching, research, and public engagement with the Arab world, featuring a timeline and digitized materials.
• Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellowship A postdoctoral fellowship program established in partnership with the Embassy of the State of Qatar to support emerging scholarship in Arab studies, often through the Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund.
• American Druze Foundation (ADF) Fellowship A postdoctoral fellowship established in partnership with the American Druze Foundation to support scholarship on the Druze community. Has brought eleven fellows to CCAS since 2012.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of MAAS graduates employed within six months of graduation (five-year career outcomes, classes of 2021-2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Georgetown University Library (Lauinger Library)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Partnership with Georgetown's Lauinger Library and the Booth Family Special Collections to create a physical exhibit titled '50 Years of Arab Studies at Georgetown University' on the 5th floor of the library. Library's Middle East Studies Librarian Ryan Zohar coordinated the Library's role on the digital archive project.
• Middle East Studies Association (MESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MESA, the field's leading professional association, moved its headquarters to CCAS in 2024, formalizing ties that had long existed between the Center and the broader field of Middle East studies. Three CCAS faculty members have served as MESA president.
• National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020CCAS partners with NCUSAR to host undergraduate interns from both the United States and partner institutions, working with CCAS faculty on research and programs.
• American Druze FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership to support scholarship on the Druze through the American Druze Foundation Fellowship at CCAS. The fellowship has brought eleven fellows to CCAS since its establishment in 2012. Also supports the Druze Student Paper Prize launched in 2025.
• Embassy of the State of QatarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellowship at CCAS, enabling scholars to continue their work in safety and dignity through the Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund partnership.
• Unity Productions Foundation (UPF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAS collaborated on the updated interactive website on Islamic Spain built in partnership with UPF, serving as a companion to UPF productions.
• Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAS Education Outreach program received support from ACMCU for producing teaching units on Islam and politics for K-14 educators.
• Institute for Palestine StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAAS student Layth Malhis collaborated with the Institute for Palestine Studies on a publication exploring unchilding and the political nature of health in the context of Gaza.
• Qatar UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative relationship between CCAS and Qatar University enabling American students to study Arabic at Qatar University through scholarship programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Middle East Institute: A Washington-based non-partisan think tank focused on Middle East policy, education, and arts programming. Comparable as a DC-based MENA knowledge institution with public programming, though operating via policy research and convenings rather than degree-granting graduate education.
• Brookings Center for Middle East Policy: A Washington-based think tank producing policy research and convening expert dialogue on the Middle East, sharing CCAS's DC positioning and MENA focus but operating as a non-degree policy research shop rather than an academic degree-granting center.

Direct peers

• UC Berkeley Center for Middle Eastern Studies: A federally designated Title VI National Resource Center and multidisciplinary degree-granting unit at Berkeley with similar graduate training, public programming, and K-14 outreach as CCAS. Directly comparable in scope, mission, and federal funding model.
• Yale Council on Middle East Studies: Yale's interdisciplinary council supporting faculty research, graduate training, and programming on the Middle East. Directly comparable as a peer Ivy League area-studies center with graduate education and event-driven public engagement.
• University of Michigan Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies: A Title VI National Resource Center offering graduate certificates, undergraduate programs, and educator outreach on the MENA region. Directly comparable to CCAS in mission, federal designation status, and K-14 outreach focus.
• Columbia University Middle East Institute: Columbia's hub for Middle East studies combining graduate-level academic programming with policy engagement. Directly competes with CCAS for graduate students interested in MENA studies and serves an overlapping policy/academic audience.
• Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies: Harvard's primary academic center for Middle East studies, offering graduate training, faculty research, and public programming. Directly comparable to CCAS as a peer university-based area studies center targeting similar graduate student and policy-audience segments.
• Princeton Department of Near Eastern Studies: Princeton's academic unit covering the languages, history, and politics of the Arab world with graduate training and public events. Closely comparable to CCAS in curriculum, target students, and elite-university positioning.
• Johns Hopkins SAIS Middle East Studies Program: SAIS's area-studies program offering graduate degrees with a policy-oriented approach to the Middle East. Comparable to CCAS as an elite policy school with MENA regional specialization focused on preparing students for government and policy careers.

Broad incumbents

• Georgetown Walsh School of Foreign Service: CCAS's parent school offering broader international affairs graduate degrees (MA, MSFS) covering all world regions. As the broader incumbent that houses CCAS, SFS shares infrastructure, faculty, and admissions but operates a much wider scope beyond Arab/MENA studies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccasGU
• Facebookfacebook.com/ccasGU
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccasgu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-contemporary-arab-studies-ccas-at-georgetown-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University