Ancient Near Eastern History offers an interdisciplinary program combining a broad view of Near Eastern history in pre-Islamic times with specialized knowledge of at least one major sub-region (e.g., Babylonia, Iran, Hatti, Egypt, or Syria-Palestine) or field (e.g., Late Bronze trade, early empires). Knowledge of two ancient languages (major and minor), Near Eastern archaeology, historiography, and historical method is required.

Cuneiform Studies offers programs in three subfields: Assyriology, Hittitology, and Sumerology. All three programs require an advanced knowledge of the major language, and the relevant history and archaeology. Hittitology and Sumerology require in addition a thorough background in Akkadian; Assyriology requires Sumerian.

Egyptology students are expected to demonstrate competence in all stages of the Egyptian language, in Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern History, in Egyptian archaeology, and in a second ancient or related language.

Near Eastern Art and Archaeology offers programs in the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East and in the Archaeology of the Islamic Middle East. Students in the ancient program receive a broad training in Near Eastern archaeology and also specialize in a particular region: Anatolia, Egypt, Iran, Mesopotamia, or the Levant (Syria-Palestine).

Near Eastern Judaica covers a wide range of disciplines, including Modern Hebrew Studies. Hebrew Studies and Near Eastern Judaica deal with various aspects of ancient Israelite, as well as Jewish history and literature. The main branches are: Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic literature and philology, and Jewish history. A good knowledge of the relevant period of Hebrew is required for all programs, Arabic for the Medieval period, and Aramaic for periods where it is pertinent.

Northwest Semitic Philology includes primarily the linguistic philological study of Hebrew, Phoenician-Punic, Ugaritic, and Aramaic (including Syriac); one of these languages is taken as a major concentration, and the others as minor concentrations.

Medieval & Modern Programs 
In the modern area there are eight principal fields of concentration, six dealing with the Islamic World and two in Modern Hebrew Studies. Each requires a major language concentration in Arabic, Persian, Turkish or Hebrew, a second-year competence in a second language of importance in the field, and a thorough grounding in Islamic and/or Jewish civilization. Each student in an area will select a major field in that area, and two minor fields relevant to the student's program. At least one of the minors must be in a different discipline (i.e., history, literature, thought, linguistics, art/archaeology) from the major.

Arabic Language and Literature aims at a solid grounding in all aspects of Classical and Modern Arabic language and literature; familiarity with the major periods and genres of Arabic literature; and a second-year competence in another Islamic language, such as Persian, Turkish, or Urdu. Possible major fields of study are: Classical Arabic Poetry, Prose, Literary Criticism - of any of the following broad periods/areas: pre-Islamic, early Islamic, Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Mamluk, Andalusian, South Asian.

Islamic Archaeology covers the material culture of the Middle East from the 7th century until the modern period. The program requires a solid grounding in archaeological method and theory, the history and civilization of the Middle East, and regional languages. The field is usually taken in connection with Near Eastern Archaeology or Islamic History.

Islamic History and Civilization requires a major language concentration in the language most relevant to the major field of study. In addition, second-year level competence is required in a second language of importance in Islamic history. Possible major fields of study are: Early Islamic History, Medieval Islamic History, Ottoman History, Modern Middle Eastern History, Iranian History. Islamic Art and Archaeology is a possible minor field.

Islamic Thought requires a major language concentration in Arabic and a second-year competence in a second language with important documents relating to Islamic thought. Possible major fields of study are: Islamic Theology, Sectarianism and Heresiography, Early Islamic Intellectual History, Islamic Political Thought, Qur'anic and Exegetical Studies, Classical Arabic Prose and Islamic Thought, Islamic Civilization in the 4th/10th century.

Modern Hebrew Language and Literature require a thorough knowledge of classical and modern Hebrew language and literature, and a solid grounding in at least one earlier period of Hebrew. Competence in another principal language and in the history and culture of the principal area of concentration must be demonstrated.

Persian Language and Literature aims at a solid grounding in all aspects of the Classical and Modern Persian language, and its literature. The second Islamic language will normally be Arabic. Possible major fields of study are: Persian Language, Classical Persian Literature, Modern Persian Literature.

Turkish Language and Literature requires thorough training in both Ottoman and Modern Turkish, in addition to the second Islamic language. Possible major fields of study are: Turkic Linguistics, Ottoman Language and Literature, and Modern Turkish Language.

Joint Program with Linguistics - There exists a formal joint program with the Department of Linguistics . Students apply to either department and do their major language concentration in Middle Eastern languages.

Related Programs Across the University

Up-to-date time schedules for all NELC courses can be found at the Registrar's web site :

NELC also maintains a set of course descriptions which contain information about the contents of our courses and who the instructors typically are. Please note that the actual time, location, and instructor for a course can be found at the Registrar's site noted above.