Ancient Near Eastern History offers an interdisciplinary program combining a broad view of Near Eastern history from the proto-historic to pre-Islamic times, in all geographic regions represented by the linguistic fields taught in NELC, with specialized research knowledge in one allied research area of study (e.g., Egyptology, Cuneiform Studies, Near Eastern Judaica, or Northwest Semitic Philology).  Students must declare their allied research area on entry to the program.  The twin goals of the program are to prepare scholars for work in their research fields and to teach Ancient Near Eastern History at the university level.

All coursework requirements are for quality grades.  Although the requirements listed below leave room for at least five more courses in the first four years of study, it is normally expected that at least some of these will be satisfied by coursework in areas of history or language.  The requirements for the Ph.D. include:

*  Knowledge of at least two ancient languages (major and minor) as required by one allied research field within of the Ancient Section to satisfy the requirement for research specialty.  Requires a minimum of 18 courses and passage of comprehensive examinations as established by the written requirements of those independent fields for students in those fields.

* Students will be co-advised by the head of the History program and another advisor chosen by the student from among the faculty of their allied field.  One advisor will be designated, primary for administrative purposes.

*  Completion of the three-quarter introductory ancient history sequence (NEHC 30001-30002-30003); for students whose research area is Egypt, a final grade below an A- in the Egyptian quarter of the sequence will require the later satisfaction of the Egyptology field's second-year examination in Egyptian History.

*  Completion of at least four Ancient Near East History seminars offered within NELC's ancient fields.  A qualifying seminar by definition must require at least one substantial written paper as part of the final grade.  Examples include (but are not limited to): NEHC 30211-30212-30213; any upper-level NELC language course devoted to historical texts.  At least one seminar should normally be taken per academic year (excepting the year in which the History survey is taken).  At least two such seminars must have their primary focus outside the student’s research field.

*  Completion of two courses in the three following areas as part of a sequence in theory and method: Historiography for Ancient Near East Research (NEHC 40028), Research Methods for Ancient Near East Research (NEHC 400xx); Philosophy of History: Narrative and Explanation (HIST 35000).  A full fourth-year comprehensive examination will comprise all three areas.

*  Completion of at least two survey courses in Ancient Near Eastern archaeology, e.g. Art and Archaeology of the Near East (NEAA 20101-30201-30301-30351).  At least one survey must focus on the area of the student‚s allied field, and at least one must focus outside of it.  For students whose research area is Egypt, a final grade below an A- in the Egyptian quarter of the survey will require the later satisfaction of the Egyptology field’s second-year examination in Egyptian Archaeology.

*  Completion of at least two courses in other academically adjacent areas: History of the Islamic Middle East (e.g. NEHC 30621, 30622, and/or 30623), Archaic Greece (e.g., CLCV 30300), or others as deemed advisable by permission.

*  Both the M.A. paper and dissertation must focus on an historical topic or problem; for the dissertation, work on previously unpublished primary sources is a desirable (though not mandatory) component.

*  Required comprehensive examinations at the fourth-year level will include relevant language examinations as established by the research field, Historical Theory & Method (full), ANE History (full), and at least a half examination in an historical period related to the student's area of research specialty.