Areas of Study
Major fields of specialization are Ancient Near Eastern civilization (including Assyriology, Biblical Studies, Egyptology, and Near Eastern Archaeology), Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Iranian, Semitics, and Turkic. Students may concentrate on either language or literature in their selected field but are required to do work in both. In the field of ancient Near Eastern civilizations, the department also offers an archaeology emphasis.

Advising
Students are assigned a guidance committee composed of an adviser and at least two other faculty members whose interests touch on their area of specialization. The adviser is named by the chair to serve on the student's guidance committee.

New students should make an advising appointment at the beginning of their first quarter. During this appointment, students and their advisers agree on a study list and their future program. In each subsequent quarter, it is the student's responsibility to discuss their plans for that quarter with their adviser and obtain approval for their study list. If a student wishes to make changes in the study list after it is approved by the graduate adviser, the changes must be approved by the department chair or the graduate adviser before the student accesses the online enrollment system. Departmental policy requires the signature of the chair or the graduate adviser for approval of all petitions.

Foreign Language Requirement
Students are required to pass an examination in one major modern European language other than English by the beginning of their fourth quarter in residence. The choice of the language is determined in consultation with their adviser. Students may satisfy this requirement by one of the following methods: (1) a departmentally-administered examination with a minimum grade of B; or (2) two years of language instruction at a UC campus, with a grade of B or better. If students intend to continue toward the Ph.D. degree, it is strongly recommended that they acquire knowledge of a second major European language other than English while still a candidate for the M.A. degree.

Course Requirements
A minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses is required, of which at least six must be at the graduate level. Students are required to take one quarter of Near Eastern Languages 200.

In general, students choosing either the language, literature, or archaeology option are required to study two Near Eastern languages, one of which is considered the major language. Students in Semitics or in Old Iranian study three languages.

In Ancient Near Eastern civilization, students may choose as their major language any of the following: ancient Egyptian (including Coptic), Akkadian, Aramaic (including Syriac), Hebrew (with Ugaritic and Phoenician), or Old Persian. For the second language, any of the above or Greek, Hittite or Sumerian may be chosen.

Students in Hebrew choose Hebrew and another Semitic language. In Turkic, either two Turkic languages or Turkish and a second culturally related language may be chosen. In Arabic, Armenian and Iranian (modern), a major language and a second culturally related language are chosen.

Students in Semitics are required to study three Near Eastern languages, at least two of which should be Semitic (the third may be Hittite or Sumerian). In Old Iranian, Persian, Sanskrit, and Old and Middle Iranian are studied.

Twelve units of course 596 may be applied toward the total course requirement; eight units may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement.

Teaching Experience
Not required.

Field Experience
Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan
In general, students are required to take written final comprehensive examinations in their major and minor languages, as well as the history and literature of their major field. Further details can be found in the departmental Guide to Graduate Studies, available in the department.

Thesis Plan
None.

Time-to-Degree
From graduate admission to conferral of the degree - six quarters.