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The work of the department encompasses the ancient civilizations of the
Near East, Near Eastern Judaica, and the Islamic civilizations of the
Middle East, including Egypt and North Africa, and the history, languages,
and literatures of the modern Middle East.
The department has two main sections, each with fields of specialization.
The Ancient Near East fields are: Ancient Near Eastern History, Cuneiform
Studies, Egyptology, Near Eastern Art and Archaeology, Near Eastern Judaica,
and Northwest Semitic Philology. The Medieval and Modern fields are: Arabic
language and literature, Islamic History and Civilization, Islamic archaeology,
Islamic Thought, Modern Hebrew Language and Literature, Pesian Language
and Literature, and Turkish Language and Literature. The department also
offers courses in Armenian and Central Asian studies in collaboration
with other departments at the University.
The department has two main objectives. First, it strives to provide
the specific course work and training needed for its own students to develop
into outstanding scholars in their chosen fields. Second, it offers more
general courses that provide its own students a broader background in
areas outside their specific fields while presenting students students
in other departments the opportunity to incorporate relevant Middle Eastern
material into their own studies. The department also publishes the Journal
of Near Eastern Studies, one of the leading academic journals in ancient
Near Eastern and Islamic studies.
The Oriental Institute
The department is associated with the Oriental Institute, a research
institute dedicated to the study of the origin and development of civilization
in the ancient Near East. The Institute maintains several expeditions
in the field, and research projects are carried on in its headquarters
at the University. Its research archives, manuscript collection, documents
from Oriental Institute excavations, and similar materials are resources
for the students in the department. The department’s office is housed
in the Oriental Institute building, and many of its members belong to
the faculty of the Oriental Institute.
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies
The department is also associated with the Center for Middle Eastern
Studies, which offers a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies
and coordinates activities at the University dealing with the Middle East
in the Islamic and modern periods. Many members of the department’s
faculty are also members of the Center’s executive committee; and
the workshops, lectures, language circles, and similar activities of the
Center are, like those of the Oriental Institute, a resource for the students
in the department.
The Degree of Master of Arts
The A.M. degree in NELC normally requires completion of 18 courses taken
for a quality grade. Exact requirements vary by field, but all students
must complete a research paper in the second year. Students must also
high-pass a foreign language reading examination in either French or German
before the end of their second year.
The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Students with sufficient background may apply directly to the department’s
Ph.D. program; a master’s degree in a related field is not prerequisite.
Depending on the student’s background, the Ph.D. degree in NELC normally
requires completion of between 27 and 36 courses taken for a quality grade
before embarking upon research for the doctoral dissertation. Exact requirements
vary by field, but all students must high-pass foreign language reading
examinations in both French and German before the end of their second
year, complete a research paper in their second year, pass a battery of
comprehensive examinations at the end of their fourth year, and write
an original dissertation on an approved topic. Because the department
believes that firsthand knowledge and experience of the Middle East are
an essential part of a student’s training, advanced students are
encouraged to apply for grants to support study in a Middle Eastern country,
whether for language acquisition, archaeologicalfield work, or dissertation
research.
Inquiries
Specific information about the department and its programs may be obtained
from our website (http://humanities.uchicago.edu/depts/nelc/),
by e-mail (ne-lc@uchicago.edu),
or from the departmental office, 1155 East 58th Street, Room 212, Chicago,
IL 60637. Within the framework outlined above, individual requirements
are established for each student in consultation with the faculty adviser
and the section counselor.
9/08/2003
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