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Prospective Graduate Students
How to Apply • Application Requirements • Fellowships • M.A. and Ph.D. Requirements

How to Apply

The application process for admission and financial aid for all graduate programs in Humanities is administered through the divisional Office of the Dean of Students. The Application for Admission and Financial Aid, with instructions, deadlines, and department-specific information is available online at https://grad-application.uchicago.edu/.

Questions pertaining to admissions and aid should be directed to humanitiesadmissions@uchicago.edu or (773) 702-1552. All correspondence and materials sent in support of applications should be mailed to:

The University of Chicago
Division of the Humanities
Walker, Suite 111
1115 East 58th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Foreign students must provide evidence of English proficiency by submitting scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Application Requirements and Information about NELC

The most up-to-date information about our department is on this website. Please read it carefully and check the “faculty interests” section. If you have general questions, please contact the department; specific questions about a particular program might be addressed to a relevant faculty member.

Your application must include:

official transcripts from all colleges and universities that you have attended;

a minimum of three letters of recommendation submitted by persons able to describe your achievements and promise;

your statement of purpose, which should describe the intellectual issues and historical/linguistic/archaeological subjects which you hope to explore at the University of Chicago;

a writing sample of approximately 20 pages: research paper or an MA thesis (usually more than 20 pages, perhaps with a specific section highlighted) that reflects your ability to present the question; to present consistent arguments using clear expository prose; to exhibit critical thinking; and to support a conclusion using correctly formatted footnotes and bibliography;

your scores from the Graduate Record Examination(GRE): less than five years old, no minimum score required; send the scores to University Code 1832, Department Code 2999;

for non-native English speakers, your scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):
- minimum score of 600 with a minimum of 60 in each section on the paper test;
- minimum score of 250 with a minimum of 25 in each section on the computerized test if taken prior to September 2005;
- minimum score of 26 in each section on the computerized test if taken September 2005 or after.

The application form has a place to indicate the department/program; from the pull-down menu choose, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. For field of specialization, please be sure to enter one of the fields of study exactly as listed on NELC’S web page. We need these fields to sort information in our database. You may wish to further specify your area of interest in your statement of purpose.

The University of Chicago considers students on the basis of individual merit and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or other factors irrelevant to academic success.

Fellowships for Graduate Students

Students applying to the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations who have indicated on their graduate application that they are interested in financial aid will be considered for the fellowships that the University offers (see below). U.S. citizens and permanent residents pursuing language training may apply for FLAS Fellowships. In addition, there are job opportunities on campus: in NELC, in the Oriental Institute, in the various libraries, and throughout the campus offices.

All awards assume continued good academic progress in order to be approved for succeeding years.

University of Chicago Fellowships (two levels)

1) Tuition and stipend for five years: provides full tuition, support beyond tuition (either stipend or a combination of stipend and teaching salary) amounting to $19,000 per year, two summer stipends in the amount of $3,000 each (taken in a summer approved by the department), and University student health insurance at the basic level.

2) Tuition for two years followed by tuition and stipend for three years: provides full tuition and University student health insurance at the basic level for two years then, assuming good academic progress, an additional three years of full tuition and support beyond tuition (either stipend or a combination of stipend and teaching salary) amounting to $19,000 per year, plus two summer stipends in the amount of $3,000 each (taken in a summer approved by the department). University student health insurance at the basic level continues through year five.

From the students being recommended for the full five-year fellowship, departments may recommend one student for the Neubauer Family Presidential Fellowship, which is competitive across the entire Division.

Neubauer Family Presidential Fellowships

The Neubauer Fellowships in the Humanities are the premier fellowships for new applicants in the Division. Two are awarded annually across the Division. These fellowships provide full tuition; an annual stipend of $23,000; plus the required annual student activity fee, health and wellness fee, and University student health insurance at the basic level. The awards also include an annual stipend of $3,000 to support summer research. The awards are for a period of five years.

For additional information regarding fellowship funding for graduate students please go to Graduate Student Fellowships.