Masters Degrees (Near East)

This is a programme geared towards preparing students for higher research into the interaction of the classical world with the Near East - partly through direct research training, and partly through modules taught by experts in their field in small-group seminars.

The relationship between the classical world and neighbouring civilisations is among the most important and most rapidly expanding areas of classical scholarship, and we have particular strength in this field: we offer tuition in Akkadian, and can draw on the resources of the Oriental Museum in Durham and the expertise pooled in the recently inaugurated Centre for the Study of the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East. The programme lasts for one year (two years part-time), and centres around a core module on cultural contact in the Ancient World.

Other key elements of the course include a core research training module, a 15,000 word dissertation, and one elective module, which is offered in the areas of current research interests of members of staff.

Course Structure

Information on the structure of the course.
Core Modules:
-Dissertation
-Classical Research Methods and Resources
-Compulsory language module (Latin for research/Ancient Greek for research/another ancient language/modern language)
-Religious Life in the Roman Near East or Akkadian

Optional Modules:
In previous years, optional modules available included:
-Forms After Plato
-Latin Text Seminar
-Greek Text Seminar
-Akkadian
-Latin Love Elegy
-Religious Life in The Roman Near East
-Monumental Architecture of The Roman East
-Vitruvius, On Architecture: The First Treatise On Architecture, Its Significance and Legacy
-Greek Sacred Regulations
-Ancient Philosophers On Necessity, Fate and Free Will
-The Classical Tradition: Art, Literature, Thought
-Comparative Approaches to Homeric Epic
-Greek Text Seminar On Homeric Epic
-Latin Text Seminar On Roman Epic
-Life and Death On Roman Sarcophagi
-Juvenal's Satires in Context
-Ancient Philosophers On Origins
-Animals in Graeco-roman Antiquity
-The Queen of The Desert: Rise and Decline of Palmyra's Civilization
-The Roman Republic: Debates and Approaches
-Rewriting empire: Eusebius of Caesarea and the First Christian History

Not all modules will be offered every year, and new modules (both elective and core) are added regularly. Students may also substitute modules offered in other departments, such as Theology, Philosophy, English, Archaeology, or History.

Learning and Teaching

The MA in Greece, Rome and the Near East is principally conceived as a research training programme which aims to build on the skills in independent learning acquired in the course of the student’s first degree and enable them to undertake fully independent research at a higher level. Contact time with tutors for taught modules is typically a total of 5 hours per week (rising to 7 for someone beginning Latin or ancient Greek at this level), with an emphasis on small group teaching, and a structure that maximises the value of this time, and best encourages and focuses the student’s own independent study and preparation. On average, around 2 hours a week of other relevant academic contact (research seminars, dissertation supervision) is also available.

At the heart of the course is a module focused on the range of research methods and resources available to someone working in the field of Classics. This is run as a weekly class, with a mixture of lectures and student-led discussions. Four further elective modules deal with particular specialised subjects. Students must choose one module involving work with a relevant foreign language (ancient or modern), and one dealing directly with research on interaction between the ancient Mediterranean and the ancient Near East. All those offered will form part of the current research activity of the tutor taking the module. Numbers for each module are typically very small (there are rarely more than five in a class). Typically, classes are two hours long and held fortnightly, and discussion is based on student presentations. (Modules for those beginning ancient Latin or Greek are typically more heavily subscribed, but their classes also meet more often: 3 hours per week.) All students write a 15,000-word dissertation, for which they receive an additional five hours of supervisory contact with an expert in their field of interest.

All staff teaching on the MA are available for consultation by students, and advertise office hours when their presence can be guaranteed. The MA Director acts as academic adviser to MA students, and is available as an additional point of contact, especially for matters concerning academic progress. MA students are strongly encouraged to attend the Department’s two research seminar series. Although not a formal (assessed) part of the MA, we aim to instil the message that engagement with these seminars across a range of subjects is part of the students’ development as researchers and ought to be viewed as essential to their programme. In addition, MA students are welcomed to attend and present at the ‘Junior Work-in-Progress’ seminar series organised by the PhD students in the Department. Finally, the student-run Classics Society regularly organises guest speakers – often very high-profile scholars from outside Durham.

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UCL is a world-leading centre for research and teaching in the archaeology of Egypt and the Near East. The programme is ideally suited to students seeking to combine advanced study of these regions with new technical and interpretative skills, and offers an ideal grounding for doctoral research.

Degree information

UCL’s wide range of archaeological expertise provides a unique opportunity to study Egypt and the Near East in a truly comparative context, and for students to develop a programme and research dissertation tailored to individual interests. These may include the application of new skills in archaeological science, exploring new theoretical perspectives, or the significance of archaeology for the wider cultural heritage of these regions.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), two or three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation.

Core modules - all students must take the following:
-Archaeology of Egypt and the Near East: A Comparative Approach
-Themes, Thought and Theory in World Archaeology: Foundations

Optional modules
-Ancient Cyprus: Colonisations, Copper and City-States (by arrangement with King's College London)
-Archaeologies of Asia
-Aegean Prehistory: major themes and debates
-Beyond Chiefdoms: Archaeologies of African Political Complexity
-Egyptian Archaeology: An Object-Based Theoretical Approached
-Intangible Dimensions of Museum Objects from Egypt
-Introductory Akkadian (by arrangement with SOAS)
-Mediterranean Dynamics
-Mediterranean Prehistory
-Middle Egyptian Language
-Society and Culture in Ancient Egypt
-The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of the Near East: The emergence of villages and urban societies
-Subject to approval a third module can be taken from the overall options available at the Institute of Archaeology or more widely within UCL and the University of London.

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project, with guidance from an assigned supervisor, which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words.

Teaching and learning
Teaching at the Institute of Archaeology is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars to support student interaction, and examination is primarily through module-based essays and the individual dissertation. Depending on the options taken, teaching may also include object handling, museum work, and laboratory practicals.

Careers

The first cohort of students on the Archaeology of Egypt and the Near East MA is due to graduate in 2018, therefore no specific career destinations are currently available.

Previous UCL graduates in these areas have regularly gone on to undertake doctoral research, or found employment in related areas of the public, museum and heritage sector.

Employability
In addition to receiving advanced training in their chosen subject areas, students will have the opportunity to acquire a strong combination of general research skills, communication skills, skills in teamwork and networking and overall personal effectiveness.

Why study this degree at UCL?

Your instructors on this degree will be world-class scholars whose research is at the cutting-edge of their disciplines. Students will also benefit from the first-class institutions located within walking distance of the Institute of Archaeology, including the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, the British Museum, and the Egypt Exploration Society, and from the institute’s own collections, including the Petrie Palestinian Collection.

Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology at UCL are embedded in the vibrant research environment of the Bloomsbury Campus, in the centre of one of the most exciting cities in the world. Our institute includes over twenty researchers with regional expertise in these areas, including both prehistory and the historical periods.

With its international staff and student body, the Institute of Archaeology (IoA) is well known for its welcoming atmosphere, challenging intellectual climate, and supportive feedback structure. It is regularly rated in first place among UK archaeology departments for student experience.

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Our programmes cover a range of classical subjects. They include material culture and history, language and literature, philosophy and the history of science and medicine. We have strong links with related disciplines such as history, archaeology and modern languages. We welcome postgraduates in any of our areas of research expertise.

Classics and Ancient History at Newcastle has a long and distinguished international reputation. We deliver quality research and teaching. We have taught Latin and Greek since 1874. We have taught Ancient History since 1910 and Classical Archaeology since 1931.

Our staff include scholars of outstanding international reputation. Our research covers all major aspects of the study of the ancient world, with research strengths in:
-Rhetoric and historiography
-Ancient philosophy, science and medicine
-Reception and recreation of ancient texts
-Ancient concepts of divinity

Our research specialities include:
-The ancient Near East
-Greco-Roman culture and religion
-Early Christianity and patristics
-Greek art and archaeology
-Greek ethnography
-History and archaeology of Roman Italy
-Greek and Roman music
-Greek language and literature, including Homer, tragedy, historiography and rhetoric
-Latin language and literature, including historiography, rhetoric and Augustan poetry
-Reception of the classical tradition
-Ancient science and medicine
-Ancient Greek and Roman patristics and philosophy

MPhil supervision is usually available in:

Ancient history and classical archaeology

-The history and archaeology of pre-Roman and Roman Italy
-The late Roman Republic
-Greco–Roman religion
-The social and cultural history of the Roman Empire
-Roman Greece
-Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
-History of the Jews
-Greek art and archaeology
-The history and archaeology of the ancient Near East

Classical language and literature

-Latin language and literature
-Ancient oratory and rhetoric
-Latin poetry
-Ancient historiography
-Greek tragedy
-Greek influence on later literature
-Greek and Roman music

Philosophy and science

-Ancient and early Christian philosophy
-The history of Greek and Roman medicine
-Greek and Roman music
-The exact sciences in Graeco-Roman antiquity

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This programme studies the ancient Greek and Roman worlds from the Iron Age to the late Roman and early Christian period through their material remains including sculpture, funerary art, topography and visual cultures.

Focusing on the ancient Mediterranean world, broadly defined, you’ll explore not simply the archaeology of Greece and Rome but also the near east and north-western Europe.

Through our interdisciplinary approach, you’ll also be able to work with staff from all areas of the School. Several members of classics have ongoing excavations in Italy, Georgia and Macedonia, which students are welcome to attend.

The programme aims to familiarise you with the various methods used in the study of classics, enabling you to work in a manner that is theoretically and methodologically engaged.

Programme structure

We offer a range of courses, which has been designed to reflect the research interests of our lecturers and help you develop a particular topic of interest for your dissertation.

You will complete a compulsory course, five option courses and a 15,000 word dissertation.

The compulsory course is:

• Skills and Methods in Classics

Option courses previously available include:

• Early Greek Art;
• Classical Greek Sculpture;
• Greek Vase Painting;
• The Topography and Monuments of Athens and Attika;
• Hellenistic Art and Archaeology;
• The Hellenistic City;
• Archaeology of the Roman Economy;
• Roman Funerary Art;
• Roman Imperial Monuments;
• Roman Archaeology;
• Constantinople, the City of a World’s Desire 300–600;
• Late Antique Visual Culture;
• Byzantine Archaeology: The Archaeology of the Byzantine
• Empire and its Neighbours AD 600–1000;
• Etruscan Italy, 1000–300 BC;
• Gallia from the Third Century BC to Augustus;
• Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece.

Learning outcomes

The programme aims to:

• provide students with the intellectual background, training and support necessary for the conduct and critical assessment of research in Classical Art and Archaeology
• provide students with advanced knowledge of and competency in a specific area of Classics
• familiarise students with various methods used in the study of Classical Art and Archaeology and enable them to work in a manner that is theoretically and methodologically engaged
• equip students with knowledge of Greek and/or Roman artefacts and their interpretation through study of original objects and monuments and careful analysis of secondary literature
• develop and test the ability of students to formulate and sustain a substantial piece of research in Classical Art and Archaeology

Career opportunities

Our students view the programme and a graduate degree from Edinburgh as an advanced qualification valued and respected by many employers. Those students interested in long-term academic careers consider the programme as preparation for a PhD.

The programme provides a toolkit of transferable skills in organisation, research and analysis that will be highly prized in any field of work. This programme can form the stepping stone to many career options, such as further academic research, museum and art curation, literary translation or analysis, education or public heritage. Recent Classics graduates are now putting their skills to use as tutors, archivists, writers and conference coordinators for a range of employers including the RSPB.

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The MA in Archaeology is an ideal postgraduate degree if you want to study the major developments in human societies from the origins of settled life to the florescence of the great civilisations.

We'll teach you a variety of practical archaeological techniques and cover in depth the prehistory of the Mediterranean region, the Near East and Northern Europe or Classical Archaeology.

This degree is great preparation for a research degree or, with the practical skills it covers, for a career in archaeology. The problem solving, analytical and team-working skills you'll gain are transferable to other types of employment.

You will take a taught programme of 180 credit points, comprised of 8 modules, each of 15 credit points, divided evenly into 4 modules per semester. You will also be required to produce a 15,000-20,000 word research dissertation worth 60 credits which is to be submitted at the end of the academic year. You will be able to tailor the degree programme to suit your interests and requirements as far as possible within the options available.

Why Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology?

Academic expertise

Archaeology, Classics and Eygyptology has 39 full-time academic staff, who are all actively engaged in research ranging from early prehistory through to late antiquity.

Here are some of our particularly strong areas:-

- African archaeology
- ancient languages
- archaeology of the Mediterranean and the Near East
- archaeological science
- Egyptology
- European prehistory
- Greek and Roman history and culture.

Fieldwork is an important part of research in archaeology and we've projects based internationally, in Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Jordan, Turkey, Italy, Zambia and South Africa, as well as in the British Isles.

Taught masters programmes

We offer a unique breadth of taught masters degrees in Ancient History, Archaeology (MA or MSc), Human Evolution, Classics and Egyptology.

You can configure a wide choice of modules to suit your interests and requirements and there are opportunities to learn different approaches and techniques, as well as ancient languages such as Greek, Latin, Akkadian, Sumerian, Egyptian and Coptic.

All of our masters degrees provide intensive training to prepare you for doctoral research and employment.

Excellent resources

The Ancient World and Archaeology has been studied at Liverpool since the 1880s, so we've had plenty of time to build up an enviable library and a fantastic museum.

The Garstang Museum, which is in the ACE building, has outstanding archaeological collections, along with extensive laboratory facilities for conservation, lithics, geomagnetism, stable isotope, trace elements, finds processing and sample preparation.

We also have a GIS suite with facilities for archaeological drawing and offer 24-hour access for taught students to a dedicated Student Resource Centre, complete with PCs, personal lockers, desk space, wi-fi and a networked printer.

Career prospects

Our Masters programmes are designed to equip students with a wide range of transferable skills, with an emphasis on the development of both research and practical analytical skills. They equip students for further study at Postgraduate level (MPhil/PhD) and meet the training requirements of the AHRC and NERC. Research students have not only continued their studies at postdoctoral level, but also embarked on specialised long-term careers in lecturing, museum work and the heritage industry. Our degrees are a good investment in your future. Whichever direction you choose after graduation, potential employers (both nationally and internationally) appreciate the breadth of view, analytical skills and intellectual rigour that you gain by studying civilizations and periods so different from our own.

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This MSc provides participants with a theoretical understanding of research questions and methodologies in the study of past human-environment interactions, including subsistence and subsistence change. The Institute of Archaeology has a long research and training tradition in environmental archaeology, and has well-established laboratory facilities and reference collections as a result.

Degree information

Students gain practical experience in laboratory analysis of at least one of either: identification of animal bones, identification of plant macro-remains, sedimentological analyses. They develop an understanding of stratigraphic formation processes and their implications for developing sampling strategies, and are trained to collect and analyse data and report scientific results.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), optional modules (45 credits) and a research dissertation (90 credits).

Core modules - students are required to take the following:
-Environmental Archaeology in Practice
-Resources and Subsistence

Optional modules
-Archaeology of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene Hunter Gatherers
-British and European Prehistory: Neolithic to Iron Age
-Funerary Archaeology
-Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age in the Near East: City-States and Empires
-The Aegean from First Farmers to Minoan States
-The Mediterranean World in the Iron Age
-The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of the Near East: The emergence of villages and urban societies

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project, normally based on practical laboratory-based research, which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, presentations, laboratory sessions, practicals, and site and museum visits. Assessment is through the dissertation, and a combination of essays, coursework, presentations, practical examination and laboratory reports, depending on the options selected.

Careers

Some graduates of the programme go on to PhD studies but others will be well-placed to pursue a wide range of professional careers both within and beyond archaeology, including employment as environmental specialists for contract archaeology units.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Archeology in South Asia, University of Barcelona.
-Archaeological Technician, Southeast Archeological Center.
-PhD Archaeology, University of Exeter.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Institute of Archaeology is the largest and most diverse department of archaeology in the UK, and provides a stimulating environment for postgraduate study.

The institute boasts a wide range of laboratory facilities relevant to this degree including dedicated laboratories for zooarchaeology (with a comparative collection of Near Eastern and European faunal remains), archaeobotany (with extensive comparative collections for seeds, wood, tubers, phytoliths and pollen); phytolith processing, sedimentology and scanning electron microscopy.

UCL is located in central London, close to the resources of the British Museum, the British Library and the Natural History Museum.

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The area around the Mediterranean presents many opportunities for archaeological research. This MSc allows you to explore the region through the examination of periods, geographical areas and themes. You’ll analyse contemporary theoretical approaches, hone your skills in current methodologies and take advantage of the specialist fields and periods of study that our staff, and those in history and classics, can offer.

You’ll develop an understanding of specific regions and periods, current theories, methodologies and major research issues, all of which provide the basis for a PhD or future participation in excavation, survey and/or lab work.

Edinburgh is ideal for archaeological study and research, allowing you to benefit from national and local institutions and heritage agencies, such as the excellent collections of the National Museum, the archival and bibliographic resources of Historic Environment Scotland, and expertise and practical advice from staff in commercial companies.

Programme structure

You will complete six courses over the course of the programme, which culminates in the production of your independently researched dissertation.

The compulsory course is:

• Research Sources and Strategies in Archaeology

Option courses previously offered include:

• Archaeological Illustration
• Archaeology of Gender
• Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece
• Byzantine Archaeology: The Archaeology of the Byzantine Empire and its Neighbours AD 500–850
• Constantinople and the Cities of Asia Minor
• Early Farmers of Cyprus and the Near East
• Etruscan Italy, 1000–300 BC
• From Foraging to Farming: the Beginnings of Agriculture in the Mediterranean and Europe
• Gallia from the Third Century BC to Augustus;
• Greek Vase Painting
• Hellenistic Art and Archaeology
• Human Evolution
• The Hittites: the Archaeology of an Ancient Near Eastern Civilisation
• Island Worlds: Prehistoric Societies in the Mediterranean Sea
• Late Antique Visual Culture
• Roman Archaeology
• Roman Imperial Monuments.

You may also be able to choose a course from any of the non-archaeology taught masters programmes that relate to your study.

Learning outcomes

The programme will help you develop potential research interests and explore these with a view to progressing to research. You will also acquire a range of transferable intellectual and practical skills, including:

• a good understanding of the distinctive nature of archaeology and its contribution to a critical and informed understanding of the past
• a good understanding of theoretical and methodological debates within archaeology
• familiarity with a number of important fieldwork studies
• a broad knowledge of archaeological methods, techniques and practices in current use

Career opportunities

This programme equips you to go on to advanced study and provides a solid foundation for a career. You will gain practical as well as academic experience, teamworking and analytical skills, and will be able to work in a variety of contexts.

Examples of career paths available to archaeology graduates (although some may require additional training) include: higher education, heritage management and agencies, commercial archaeology, environmental assessment, teaching, tourism industry, broadcasting and the police. An archaeology degree does not restrict you to a career in archaeology.

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Research profile

The MSc by Research in Archaeology is aimed at students who have a specific topic of interest into which they wish to conduct their own research.

The programme provides structured research training while at the same time enabling you to pursue a research project that you design yourself, in consultation with supervisors. It serves as both a self-contained research degree and a preparation for further study for the PhD degree.

Archaeology at Edinburgh has a tradition going back to the 19th century. Many aspects of that tradition are still visible in the School today: our archaeological collections were named to commemorate the great prehistorian and first holder of the Abercromby Chair Vere Gordon Childe; the annual series of Munro lectures in archaeology and anthropology were endowed in 1910 by Dr Robert Munro, a distinguished medical practitioner who, in his later life, became a keen archaeologist; and the Abercromby Chair of Prehistoric Archaeology commemorates Lord Abercromby, author of distinguished research on Bronze Age pottery.

Edinburgh’s great tradition in prehistory continues to this day, with expertise in Britain, the Mediterranean and the Near East, but we also have strengths in Classical and Byzantine archaeology, in archaeological theory, environmental archaeology, osteoarchaeology and forensic anthropology.

We are happy to supervise across the wide range of our research interests: we have particular strengths in prehistory of Europe, the Mediterranean and Near East, in classical and early medieval archaeology, as well as in archaeological theory, environmental archaeology, osteoarchaeology and forensic anthropology.

Facilities

Our home is the William Robertson Wing, an A-listed building on the southern edge of Edinburgh’s Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Designed by the distinguished 19th-century architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, the building – part of the University’s Old Medical School – has recently been refurbished to an exceptional standard, providing state-of-the-art facilities for research, teaching and study.

Graduate students enjoy access to:

• a large and attractive study and computing lab, equipped with printing, copying and scanning facilities, plus two further study rooms that provide shared desk space
• student research rooms, housing some of the School’s impressive book collections and additional IT facilities
• teaching rooms fitted out with the latest technology
• exhibition areas, filled with artefacts, artwork, statues, busts and casts from the School’s many collections
• a stunning common room, used by staff as well as graduate students

All of our facilities are in addition to the multiple libraries and computer labs provided across the University’s estate. Many of our rooms overlook the Meadows, one of the city’s best-loved green spaces.

Archaeology students benefit from our laboratories for artefact analysis, environmental archaeology, osteoarchaeology, bone chemistry and computing (with a wide range of software applications).

There is an extensive reference collection of archaeological materials, such as pottery, metal, stone and glass artefacts, in the V Gordon Childe teaching collection.

You can also benefit from the facilities, archives, collections and expertise of a range of heritage agencies and commercial archaeology units based in the city of Edinburgh.

Programme structure

A long dissertation of 30,000 words is the sole form of assessment, but you will also attend compulsory training courses and may take other relevant courses.

Career opportunities

The programme’s focus on research under supervision makes this degree suitable for those contemplating doctoral study, whether in our own School or elsewhere, and many who take this degree follow that route. But undertaking a substantial and independent research and writing project is equally an excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers.

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The Mediterranean, the world’s largest inland sea and the interface of Europe, Africa and western Asia, is one of the major crucibles of cultural, economic and political change in world history, a focus of scholarship for all periods between the Palaeolithic and the present, and a place where the past plays a critical role in the present, as well as in the creation of a viable future.

Degree information

Students will develop an understanding of Mediterranean societies from earliest times to the early Medieval period, and of major interpretative paradigms and principal investigative techniques - including fieldwork and archaeological science - applied to the Mediterranean. One or more specific regions will be analysed in depth from a comparative perspective, and Mediterranean societies will be studied holistically.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), three optional modules (45 credits) and a dissertation/report (90 credits).

Core modules - all students are required to take the following:
-Mediterranean Dynamics
-Themes, Thought and Theory in World Archaeology: Foundations

Optional modules - from an outstanding range of Master's optional modules, students choose options to the value of 60 credits, at least one of which must be choses from the following options;
-Mediterrean Prehistory
-The Mediterranean World in the Iron Age
-The Transformation of the Roman Mediterranean.
-The remaining must be made up from the list below:
-Aegean Prehistory: major themes and current debates
-Ancient Italy in the Mediterranean
-Art: Interpretation and Explanation
-British and European Prehistory: Neolithic to Iron Age
-Egyptian Archaeology: An Object-Based Theoretical Approach
-Intangible Dimensions of Museum Objects from Egypt
-Making and Meaning in Ancient Greek Art
-Making and Meaning in Ancient Roman Art
-Medieval Archaeology: Selected Topics and Current Problems
-Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age in the Near East: City-states and Empires
-Museum and Site Interpretation
-Society and Culture in Ancient Egypt
-The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of the Near East: The Emergence of Villages and Urban Societies
-Themes, Thought and Theory in World Archaeology: Current Topics
-Making and Meaning in Ancient Roman Art

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words. Approaches that explore new connections or comparisons are strongly encouraged.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars and assessed through essays and the dissertation.

Careers

Graduates of this programme are expected to pursue further studies at PhD level or embark on a wide range of professional careers both within and beyond archaeology.

Employability
Successful graduates will have been fully prepared to undertake research on ancient Mediterranean societies, from a comparative region/period/theme-specific perspective, and will also possess the expert background knowledge to move on to related professional work in or on the Mediterranean (subject to the particular requirements of the role). They will also have honed their transferable skills in critical analysis, debate and presentation.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Institute of Archaeology is the largest and most diverse department of archaeology in the UK, and provides a stimulating environment for postgraduate study. Its outstanding library is complemented by UCL’s Main Library, University of London Senate House and other specialist libraries.

This programme deploys the institute’s unparalleled research and teaching strengths in Mediterranean archaeology, which must constitute the largest single concentration of expertise anywhere in the UK.

UCL’s own museums and collections form a resource of international importance for academic research and students may work on material from the institute’s collection as part of their assessment.

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General Information

We offer a unique opportunity to explore the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean and the Near East. Our remarkably diverse faculty includes world experts who both teach, and conduct path-breaking research on, the archaeology, history, languages, literatures, and religions of ancient Egypt, the Near East, Greece and Rome, including Judaism, Christianity, and early Islam. Our programs, which can be individually tailored to fit specific interests, foster interdisciplinary study, at the same time developing the relevant skill sets to prepare our students for future study and employment.

What makes the program unique?

Every program is unique and students have the option to design a perfect curriculum for them. Our strengths include rigorous training in the primary languages, Ancient Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Middle Egyptian, and Classical Arabic; broad coverage of the mythic systems of ancient civilizations; in-depth study of the dramatic, historical, legal, literary and religious texts produced by those civilizations; advanced training in practical methods of archaeology and epigraphy; and exploration of the traditions and receptions of antiquity by later eras.

Quick Facts

- Degree: Master of Arts
- Specialization: Ancient Culture, Religion and Ethnicity
- Subject: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities
- Mode of delivery: On campus
- Program components: Coursework + Major Project/Essay required
- Faculty: Faculty of Arts

Ancient Language Requirement

Candidates will be required to demonstrate reasonable competence in one of the classical languages. The minimum standard required is a grade of B-/68% in 6 credits of one of the following: GREK 301/302 (Greek Literature of the Classical Period) or LATN 301 (Latin Literature of the Classical Period) or HEBR 479 (Readings in Biblical Hebrew) or ARBC 420 (supervised study in Classical Arabic) or their equivalents. These 6 credits may form part of the course requirements for the M.A. program.

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This course explores the way the Classical world has been reflected in the art, literature and culture of later periods, and how the ancient world has shaped the modern.
It is taught in the Department of Classics, by experts in the field of Classical reception. The Department's research and teaching strengths stretch from the Aegean Bronze Age and the ancient Near East, through Greece and Rome to Byzantine and Modern Greek literature and culture, giving the programme a breadth unmatched anywhere in the world.

The programme is interdisciplinary, and is open to students with no prior knowledge of ancient languages.

Key benefits

- One of the world's largest and most distinguished departments of Classics.

- Unrivalled location for the study of the ancient world thanks to London's unique range of specialist libraries, museums and galleries.

- Extraordinarily wide choice of modules, drawing on the resources of the whole of the University of London.

- King's graduates enjoy one of the best employment rates and starting salaries in the UK. Ranked 6th in the UK for graduate employment (Times and Sunday Times Good Universities Guide 2016)

Course detail

- Description -

This MA programme explores the way the Classical world has been reflected in the art, literature and culture of later periods, and how the ancient world has shaped the modern.

It is research-led, taught in the Department of Classics, by experts in the field of Classical reception. The Department's research and teaching strengths stretch from the Aegean Bronze Age and the ancient Near East, through Greece and Rome to Byzantine and Modern Greek literature and culture, giving the programme a breadth unmatched anywhere in the world.

Students on the programme will develop their skills in literary, historical and archaeological analysis, and may, if they choose, acquire or develop their knowledge of ancient and modern languages. The advanced skills acquired in the study of the ancient world at MA level have proved very popular with employers in a wide range of professions.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/the-classical-world-and-its-reception-ma.aspx

- Course purpose -

This programme offers advanced study of the classical world and its reception. It is intended either as a further year's study after a first degree or as training in the technical disciplines needed to undertake doctoral research in the field of the classical world and its reception.

- Course format and assessment -

Full-time study: 4-8 hours of taught classes per week.
Part-time study: 2-6 hours of taught classes per week.

Modules are assessed by coursework and/or examinations.

The 12,000 word dissertation enables students to research a topic of their choice, working one-to-one with an academic supervisor.

Career prospects

Many students go on to pursue research in our department; others have developed their skills in teaching, journalism, cultural management or the financial sector.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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The Research Master’s programme in Archaeology is the most diverse in the Netherlands. Benefit from our extensive experience and reputation in archaeological research.

Choose Archaeology at Leiden University:

Our research master's programme offers interesting regional and thematic specialisation possibilities. It stimulates extra-talented and motivated students by exposing them to cutting edge research and making them part of it.

The programme helps you to find your own place in the wide world of archaeological careers, and equips you with all the 21st century professional and transferable skills you need.

Our research facilities and labs, field schools and excavation projects, experimental archaeology projects and the national research schools (ARCHON, OIKOS) offer excellent opportunities for every prospective researcher.

Research possibilities in 2018-2019:

Human Origins

Australopithecus africanus, one of our many ancestors

Interdisciplinary studies of the human past

This programme provides an in-depth interdisciplinary introduction in the European Palaeolithic record and its wider setting, from the Early Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene.

• Study the archaeology of Prehistoric hunter-gatherers, from the earliest stone tools in East Africa, 2.6 million years old, to the end of the last ice age.
• Focus on Neanderthal behaviour, and explore research questions, methods of analysis and theoretical perspectives in Palaeolithic archaeology.

Prehistoric Farming Communities

A view of past communities

The programme aims to develop a detailed and coherent view of past communities.

• Focus on the later prehistory of Europe, especially on communities bordering the North Sea (Scandinavia, the Low Countries, France, Great Britain and Ireland).
• Explore research topics such as Beaker cultures and settlements of the Bronze and Iron Ages, cultural identity, and burial ritual and (selective) deposition.

Town and Country in the Mediterranean Region and the Near East

The cradle of civilisation

This programme focuses on a region that has enormous culture-historical significance, and is a cradle of civilisation from Prehistory up to the Early Medieval period.

• Study various key developments, such as the origins of farming and sedentary life, as well as the emergence of complex urbanised societies and writing, as they occurred first in this region and spread subsequently.
• Participate in current research projects. These projects focus on the Near East (modern Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey) and Egypt, as well as the Mediterranean.

Religion and Society in Native American Cultures

Leiden Archaeology researchers used high-tech imaging to reveal rare precolonial Mexican manuscript hidden from view for 500 years

Study the past in connection to the present

The programme offers an interdisciplinary context, where archaeology, anthropology, sciences, history, linguistics, landscape and heritage studies come together.

• Gain a broad knowledge of and deep insight into Native American cultural history, focusing on the relationships between religious worldview and social agency.
• Participate in field schools related to long-term research projects, such as excavations in the Caribbean or Nicaragua,including studies of material culture and physical anthropology.

Bioarchaeology

Fragments of a sabre-toothed cat skull where recenty excavated

Combine archaeology with hard science

Discover our four research disciplines, together covering an extensive geographical area and time range.

• Opt for Archaeobotany and investigate changes in vegetation and environment during the past 2.6 million years, as well as the taphonomy of plant macrofossils in lacustrine and fluvial depositional settings.
• Focus on Archaeo/Palaeozoology and dive into Eurasia in the period from the Early Pleistocene to the Holocene. Biostratigraphical studies, palaeo-ecological studies, as well as taphonomical studies are carried out.
• Study Human Osteoarchaeology and analyse human remains from international archaeology contexts as well as behavioural and social facets of mortuary practices in past societies.
• Explore Isope Archaeology and work on the analysis and interpretation of stable isotopes of human and faunal remains from archaeological contexts. Learn how to carry out dating projects, including radiocarbon dating as well as other dating methods.

Archaeological Heritage in a Globalising World

A new and exciting interdisciplinary approach

The programme focuses on the role of the past in the present. Explore the various aspects of recent developments in international politics, cultural tourism, the use of social media, and the revitalisation of local traditions and regional identities.

• Develop the practical skills to translate academic research and social knowledge into strategies for heritage management, and pursue individual initiatives.
• Benefit from our close association with the Center for Global Heritage and Development, an interdisciplinary cooperation between three high-ranking universities: Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Delft Technical University. This allows for a partnership between archaeology, social sciences, humanities and natural sciences.

The Transformation of the Roman World

Europe on the starting blocks

This programme offers an introduction to advanced studies of Europe and the Mediterranean in Late Roman and Post-Roman times (c. 300-900 AD).

• Analyse the economic recovery of North-Western Europe in Merovingian and Carolingian times, exchange networks in the Mediterranean, and agrarian innovation and water management in Jordan.
• Study burial sites, the fate of Roman towns in the early Middle Ages, and centres of Christianity.

Master of Arts or Master of Science

Students who choose the Bioarchaeology track receive a Master of Science degree in Archaeology. For the other research tracks you receive a Master of Arts degree in Archaeology.

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This two-year programme combines the strengths of the MA History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia with intensive language training in Japanese or Korean. Students study the arts of China, Korea and Japan, exploring a wide range of East Asian arts, from Chinese archaeology to Japanese prints, Korean installation works to Buddhist monuments, in historical and contemporary periods. Instruction in the language of their choice is provided by teachers in the Faculty of Languages and Cultures. By the end of the programme, which includes a summer language school abroad, students have received sufficient instruction to reach near-proficiency in the language.

The Department of the History of Art and Archaeology contains some of the world’s leading experts in the art history and archaeology of East Asia, whose ground-breaking research informs and is informed by their teaching. Students benefit from the unparalleled knowledge and enthusiasm of staff. As members of the School of Arts, they profit from the insights of scholars and students working in other related fields, such as East Asian Music, Film and Media, as well as the expertise of specialist language teachers.

A Masters from the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology provides students with expertise in the History of Art and/or Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our postgraduates progress to work in arts, culture and heritage roles, including in galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing and arts administration. The large portfolio of transferable skills they acquire enables them to forge careers in a range of other fields across the world. Our Masters programmes are also an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD research.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/art/programmes/ma-art-and-archaeology-of-east-asia-and-intensive-language/

Structure

Students take two intensive language units and one East Asian History of Art and Archaeology unit in their first year. During the summer, they participate in a summer school abroad. Upon their return, they take one intensive language unit in their second year and two East Asian History of Art and Archaeology units. The dissertation is written on East Asian History of Art and Archaeology and submitted in September of year 2.

Teaching

Teaching consists of a combination of lectures and seminars. Classes are normally between two and three hours per week for each course. Teaching methods include lectures with discussion, seminars (at which students present papers) and museum visits. Students at all levels are expected to take an active part in class presentations. A particularly important element is the training of the student's visual memory.

In addition to their studies on the MA programme, students at SOAS can participate in a wide range of research seminars, lectures and conferences that regularly take place in the School and in the University of London.

Assessment

For each of the three taught courses, the student will be expected to submit two or three pieces of written work usually around 3,000 to 4,500 words – for a total of 9,000 words per course. The emphasis is on developing essay skills during the session in preparation for the dissertation. In some courses the assessment is 100% on written work. On other courses, assessed course work forms 75% of the student’s final grade and an additional 25% is determined by slide quizzes, projects or other forms of assessment. The 10,000 word dissertation is submitted in September of year 2.

Learning Resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Destinations

A Masters from the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology provides students with expertise in the History of Art and/or Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our postgraduates progress to work in arts, culture and heritage roles, including in galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing and arts administration. The large portfolio of transferable skills they acquire enables them to forge careers in a range of other fields across the world. Our Masters programmes are also an excellent foundation for MPhil/PhD research.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

Asia House
Bonhams
British Museum
Christie's Hong Kong
Design Museum
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum
Hong Kong Museum Of Art
India Foundation For The Arts
Museum of East Asian Art
National Gallery National Museum of Singapore
People Projects Culture & Change
Schoeni Art Gallery
Sotheby's
Taiwan Embassy
The Alliance for Global Education
The British Embassy
The Chester Beatty Library
The National Museum Of Korea
The Royal Collection

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

Manager of Communications
Culture Programme Coordinator
Research Assistant
Social Anthropology Lecturer
Specialist - Indian Art
Architect
Art Historian
Development Specialist
Archivist
Gallery Director Innovation Programmes Learning Manager
Creative Director
Organisational Consultant
Travel writer
Art Collector
Chinese Painting Specialist
Professor of Silk Road History
Rights and Reproductions Officer
Public Education Coordinator
Senior Curator of Photographs

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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The MA in Near and Middles Eastern Studies provides exceptional opportunities for studying this diverse and fascinating area at the postgraduate level through a variety of disciplinary approaches. The main emphasis of the programme is on the modern period through the courses in history, geography, politics, economics and anthropology. Some exposure is provided, however, to the pre-modern culture and society of the area through courses in religious studies, Islamic art and archaeology, and history. Courses based on Arabic are offered for those with an adequate knowledge of the language, while courses in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish are available for those who wish to acquire or develop skills in these languages.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/nme/programmes/manmestud/

Structure

Students take three taught courses, one of which is considered a major, and complete a 10,000 word dissertation related to the major. As the emphasis in the Regional Studies programmes is on interdisciplinary study, students are required to select their three courses from more than one discipline.

The two minor courses can be taken from the same discipline (but different to that of the major) or two different ones.

Some disciplines such as politics, economics or social anthropology require an appropriate qualification (such as all or part of a first degree) if any of their courses are to be taken as the major subject.

Students who intend to register for the MA Near and Middle Eastern Studies program, but choose 3 options also available in the MA Israeli Studies program will be required to apply for MA Israeli Studies.

Teaching & Learning

Each course has its own series of classes and seminars, and in addition students attend general lectures and seminars organised by the Middle East Centre. In most courses there is one two-hour class each week. This may be an informal lecture followed by a discussion or a student presentation. At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work where students may be expected to make full-scale presentations for units they take.

The dissertation is on an approved topic linked to one of the taught courses.

Learning resources

SOAS library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Employment

A postgraduate degree in the Near and Middle Eastern studies from SOAS gives students competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a combination of the study of language, literature, history, cinema, politics, economics or law. Postgraduate students leave SOAS with the linguistic and cultural expertise needed to continue in the field of research along with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in business, public or charity sectors including written and oral communication skills; attention to detail; analytical and problem solving skills; and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

Graduates in MA Near and Middle Eastern Studies have entered various professions after leaving SOAS. Some have been able to pursue careers directly related to their study area while others have made use of the general intellectual training provided by the advanced study of cultures for involvement in analysing and solving many of the problems contemporary societies now face. Among a variety of professions, career paths may include academia, charity work, community, government, NGOs, media and publishing and UN agencies.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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The aim of the programme is to equip non-engineering graduates with a STEM background to meet the stringent demands of today’s highly competitive industrial environment. On completion of these courses students acquire a broad understanding of Engineering with a focus on aerospace engineering.

The University has been running automotive degree courses for almost forty years and is very well-established within the automotive industry. We have some 250 undergraduate and postgraduate students reading automotive engineering so are one of the largest providers of automotive engineering degree courses in the UK. We have excellent facilities in automotive engineering technology including an automotive centre with engine test facilities.

The development of skills and advancement of knowledge focus on:
-The selection of materials, process and techniques for the structural analysis and the design and construction of automotive components such as body and chassis, in relation to vibration and vehicle dynamics
-Understanding of alternative power train and fuel technologies, their impact on vehicle performance and environment
-The construction of CAE models and to assess implications of the results, the limitations of present techniques and the potential future direction of developments in the CAE field
-Appreciation of the need for process and product development relevant to the introduction of products in a cost effective and timely manner
-Critical review of the present knowledge base, its applicability, usage and relevance to enhance product and enterprise performance

Why choose this course?

This pioneering programme consists of a number of “specialist” Masters awards with an expectation that students will have studied a STEM related discipline to a Bachelor’s level or equivalent, as opposed to a “traditional” masters philosophy aimed at students from an engineering background. The programme offers options with separate entry routes for candidates transitioning from ‘Near STEM’ and ‘Far STEM’ disciplines:The Far STEM route is for first degrees where statistical analysis was a dominant feature of their analytical studies. Students will spend one to two semesters studying appropriate Level 4/5 modules in the first year then joining the Near STEM cohort (e.g., chemistry or biology). The Near STEM route is for admission of relevant first degree candidates and whose programme would have made extensive use of applied mathematics to design and explain engineering and/or scientific concepts (e.g., physics or maths).

Careers

The successful postgraduates of the programme will acquire the knowledge and understanding, intellectual, practical and transferable skills necessary for the analysis and synthesis of problems in engineering through a combination of experimental, simulation, research methods and case studies. They can expect to gain work in a range of disciplines within a variety of industries from specialist technical roles to positions of management responsibility.

Teaching methods

The School has a reputation for innovation in teaching and learning, where nearly all MSc modules are delivered through a combination of traditional face-to-face teaching and backup tutorial's using the University's StudyNet web based facility.
The online StudyNet is accessible 24/7 and allows students to access electronic teaching and learning resources, and conduct electronic discussion's with staff and other students. A heavy emphasis is placed on theory and practice, and the School has a policy of using industrial standard software wherever possible. The School also operate an open access laboratory, and computer policy, that will help students complete coursework and assignments, at a scheduled pace and on time.

Structure

Year 1
Core Modules
-Advanced Engines & Power Systems
-Automotive Chassis & Powertrain Technology
-Automotive Dynamics & Safety
-Automotive Materials & Manufacture
-CFD Techniques
-Dynamics
-Operations Management
-Operations Research

Year 2
Core Modules
-Individual Masters Project

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