Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Egyptology at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA by Research in Egyptology is a research degree pursued over one year full-time or two years part-time. This MA allows students to study in depth a topic related to the history, archaeology, religion, languages (all stages of the ancient Egyptian language, including Demotic and the hieroglyphic Graeco-Roman temple texts), literature, and culture of ancient Egypt, including the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
The MA by Research in Egyptology is ideal for those who would like to do an initial research degree, either as a stand-alone culmination to their studies or with a view to further, subsequent research, e.g. in form of a PhD.
Research proposals are invited on any topic for which staff can provide supervision.
For informal enquiries regarding the MA by Research in Egyptology please contact: Dr Fritz-Gregor Herrmann ([email protected]).
Students enrolled on the MA by Research in Egyptology study a topic of their own devising and complete an independent, original research thesis of 40,000 words on an Egyptological topic. Egyptology students are encouraged to develop a methodological awareness and are introduced to key concepts and interpretative techniques that shape the study of ancient Egypt. This Egyptology programme develops research skills needed for high-level work in any field of Egyptology. Students enrolled on the MA by Research in Egyptology will benefit from an invaluable, unique resource is the Egypt Centre located adjacent to the College of Arts and Humanities on the Park Campus (http://www.egypt.swan.ac.uk/).
The research of our staff and postgraduates is integral to the life of the Department of History and Classics, and it means that Swansea is a dynamic, exciting, and stimulating place to study. History and Classics is part of the Research Institute for the Arts and Humanities (RIAH: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/riah/), which organises a large number of seminars, conferences, and other research activities. Students have access to skills and training programmes offered by the College of Arts and Humanities and the University.
The Antiquity MA: Egyptology pathway provides training in archaeological and historical approaches to the study of Ancient Egyptian civilisation across its long history, as well as in Egyptian language.
Working with leading experts in the field, you will study the history, culture, religion and evolving thought-systems of Ancient Egypt, with a strong focus on the interpretation of primary evidence, both textual and archaeological. This is one of several pathways available on the Antiquity MA.
Times Higher Education ranked us among the top five departments of Classics in the country for our performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise.
You will choose two core language modules.
Normally this will be two modules of Egyptian, but you may take one module of Egyptian and one from the following languages:
You will also study a third core module in Research and Scholarship, an introduction to the general craft of researching, developing and communicating your ideas within and beyond the postgraduate community.
You will also choose three optional modules, at least two of which should relate to the Egyptology pathway. Egyptology options available may include:
Other options offered may include:
Further module information is available below.
Assessment
Modules are typically assessed by written assignment, exam or presentation, or a combination of these methods. You will also complete a 15,000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice.
The course is delivered through a range of teaching and learning methods, including lectures and seminars. You will also receive one-to-one supervision to support you in the development of your dissertation.
Support with academic writing
As a postgraduate student in the College of Arts and Law, you have access to the Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) which aims to help your transition from undergraduate to taught Masters level, or back into academia after time away. The service offers guidance on writing assignments and dissertations for your MA/MSc programme with individual support from an academic writing advisor via tutorials, email and the provision of online materials.
International students can access support for English Language development and skills through the Birmingham International Academy (BIA).
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for employment and this will be further enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University.
The University's Careers Network provides advice and information specifically for postgraduates that will help you to develop an effective career and skills development strategy, and to make the most of your time with us at the University. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team to deliver tailored programmes of careers events and local support.
You will have opportunities to: meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs; attend employer presentations and skills workshops; receive individual guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique; and access to comprehensive listings of hundreds of graduate jobs and work experience opportunities.
You will also be able to access our full range of careers support for up to two years after graduation.
Postgraduate employability: Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology
Birmingham's Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology graduates develop a broad range of transferable skills including: familiarity with research methods; the ability to manage large quantities of information from diverse sources; the ability to organise information in a logical and coherent manner; the expertise to write clearly and concisely and to tight deadlines; critical and analytical ability; the capacity for argument, debate and speculation; and the ability to base conclusions on statistical research.
Many of our postgraduates enter roles for which their programme has especially prepared them, such as museum and heritage activities and archaeological posts. Elsewhere, a range of professions are undertaken by our graduates, from librarianship and teaching to accountancy. Employers that our graduates have gone on to work for include: AC archaeology; University of Birmingham; National Trust; and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
Over the past five years, 91% of MA Antiquity postgraduates were in work and/or further study six months after graduation.
This programme offers an opportunity to deepen and develop expertise in Egyptology. This may be as preparation for doctoral study, to undertake scholarly research as an enrichment of undergraduate study or for career development purposes.
It comprises a major individual research project, supervised by a specialist in the field of study, and taught modules designed to equip you for research in this subject.
Times Higher Education ranked us among the top five departments of Classics in the country for our performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise.
The programme is made up of 60 credits of taught modules (see the modules section) and 120 credits achieved through a 20,000-word supervised research thesis on a topic of your choice.
We recommend that you discuss your proposed research project with a potential supervisor before making your application.
You will also become part of, and contribute to, the lively international community of the College of Arts and Law Graduate School, which offers dedicated research resources and a supportive working environment. Our team of academic and operational staff are on hand to offer support and advice to all postgraduate students within the College.
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for employment and this will be further enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University.
The University's Careers Network provides advice and information specifically for postgraduates that will help you to develop an effective career and skills development strategy, and to make the most of your time with us at the University. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team to deliver tailored programmes of careers events and local support.
You will have opportunities to: meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs; attend employer presentations and skills workshops; receive individual guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique; and access to comprehensive listings of hundreds of graduate jobs and work experience opportunities.
You will also be able to access our full range of careers support for up to two years after graduation.
Postgraduate employability: Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology
Birmingham's Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology graduates develop a broad range of transferable skills including: familiarity with research methods; the ability to manage large quantities of information from diverse sources; the ability to organise information in a logical and coherent manner; the expertise to write clearly and concisely and to tight deadlines; critical and analytical ability; the capacity for argument, debate and speculation; and the ability to base conclusions on statistical research.
Many of our postgraduates enter roles for which their programme has especially prepared them, such as museum and heritage activities and archaeological posts. Elsewhere, a range of professions are undertaken by our graduates, from librarianship and teaching to accountancy. Employers that our graduates have gone on to work for include: AC archaeology; University of Birmingham; National Trust; and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Ancient Egyptian Culture at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA in Ancient Egyptian Culture is a distinct programme focussing on ancient Egyptian history, language and material culture offered by specialist international researchers.
Egyptology at Swansea University enjoys an invaluable asset in its purpose-built Egypt Centre, which houses about 3,000 objects from Ancient Egypt. This impressive and important collection from Ancient Egypt illustrates more than 4,000 years of human development from the prehistoric to the early Christian era and plays an integral role in our teaching.
The University Library is particularly well stocked with original texts, literary and documentary, with basic works of reference and with secondary material of all kinds. It subscribes to a wide range of general and specialist periodicals.
Online access to external bibliographies and citation indexes is available. Resources include JSTOR Dyabola, TLG, Patrologia Latina and Teubner Latin texts online, and the Gnomon database.
Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology also has a thriving postgraduate seminar, which meets weekly.
Students of the MA Ancient Egyptian Culture can take advantage of the College of Arts and Humanities' Graduate Centre which fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.
Modules on the MA Ancient Egyptian Culture course typically include:
• Understanding Ancient Egyptian Culture
• Reaching the Public: Museums and Object-Handling
• Reading Academic German
• Middle Egyptian I
• Advanced Egyptian language modules
• Private Life in Ancient Egypt
• The Reign of Ramesses III
The full-time Ancient Egyptian Culture course structure is split across the year with three modules offered in each academic semester (a total of six modules in part one) and then a dissertation over the summer (part two). Students study three compulsory modules and three optional modules. The dissertation component is written on a specialist research topic of your choosing.
Part-time students of the Ancient Egyptian Culture course normally take one compulsory and two optional modules in the first and second years and write their dissertation in the third year.
“I completed the Masters program in Ancient Egyptian Culture at Swansea University. During my time in the program, I was taught by experts in the field and I was encouraged to attend many conferences where I met other Egyptologists. I was also given the fantastic opportunity to do research at the British Museum for my Masters dissertation which involved working with a Nubian skeletal collection, thought to be the world’s first evidence of warfare (circa 12,000 BC). As a result of this research, I was offered two internships at the museum and I plan on applying for a PhD in Physical Anthropology in the near future. I have no doubt that I am well equipped to find a position in this field because of the excellent education and opportunities made available to me through the Masters program at Swansea University”.
Casey Kirkpatrick
The master’s programme in Classics and Ancient Civilizations at Leiden University covers the entire range of present-day research on the civilisations of Greece and Rome, Egypt and the Ancient Near East.
This master's programme distinguishes itself from similar programmes by consistently integrating Greek and Roman Antiquity, the world of the Hebrew Bible, ancient Judaism, emerging Christianity, Egypt (ancient, antique and late-antique) and the cuneiform cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia, into their broader context. The number of specialisations on offer at Leiden University is unparalleled.
The programme makes creative use of a wide range of research methods, all of them well-represented at Leiden University. Traditional philology with its intimate knowledge of languages and texts, while still indispensable, is enriched by literary studies, cultural history, and the analysis of material culture.
At Leiden, our master’s students are considered valued members of a close-knit academic community. Small classes, regular individual mentoring, and an informal, open-door policy create an environment that is ideal for the exchange of ideas and the development of your knowledge and intellectual abilities.
An important goal of the programme is to develop your ability to conduct high-quality scientific research using a wide variety of research methods. This is a particularly exciting field in which to conduct research, with different research sources opening up the possibility of completely fresh interpretations of the past. Many students conduct field research in a country abroad, visiting excavation sites, or participate in one of our department’s own research projects including excavations at Saqqara and the Dakhla Oasis.
The Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) programme at Leiden University covers the entire range of present-day research on the civilisations of Greece and Rome, Egypt and the Ancient Near East.
The research master's programme distinguishes itself from other similar master's programmes by consistently integrating Greek and Roman Antiquity, the world of the Hebrew Bible, ancient Judaism, emerging Christianity, Egypt (ancient, antique and late-antique) and the cuneiform cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia, within their broader context. The number of specialisations offered by the Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) programme is unparalleled.
The programme makes creative use of a wide range of research methods, all of them well-represented at Leiden University. Traditional philology with its intimate knowledge of languages and texts, while still indispensable, is enriched by literary studies, cultural history, and the analysis of material culture.
You will be able to tailor your study programme to your personal interests by creating your own combination of courses within the specialisation of your choice from other research master’s programmes within the Faculties of Humanities.
