Near Eastern Studies, Bachelor of Arts

About this programme

The ancient Near East is where history begins. It is where the first crops were sown, the first towns built, and where writing was first invented. The origins of Western culture are to be found in its great civilizations, from the three great monotheistic religions—Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—to everyday aspects of life that are taken for granted, such as the alphabet and marking time by hours and minutes. The Near Eastern studies major can be the focal point of a broad liberal arts education, as well as a basis for graduate study. An undergraduate major can specialize in one of the four main areas of specialization of the department - Egyptology, Assyriology, Northwest Semitic languages and literatures (including the Hebrew Bible), and Near Eastern Archaeology and Art - or in the civilizations of the ancient Near East in general.