Egyptology - Master's Programme in the Humanities

Academic year 2022/2023

120 credits
Autumn 2022, Uppsala, 100%, Campus
Programme syllabus

Overview
Programme
Career
Admissions
Contact and further resources

Ancient Egypt is perhaps the world's best-known example of a complex society in the past. The area is studied with a focus on the roles played by gods and humans, accessible through texts, art and archaeology during more than three millennia. Through this Master's programme in the Humanities, specialising in Egyptology, you will learn how to combine different types of sources, methods and perspectives to better understand the lives of the people in one of the earliest literate cultures known to mankind.

Why this programme?

Studies in the humanities entail using complex and varied sources to better understand humans. The specialisation Egyptology in the Master's Programme in the Humanities is the programme for anyone interested in combining texts, art and material remains in the exploration of Ancient Egypt. You will learn how a scholar works in this field by studying a fascinating set of sources. You will become an expert in identifying problems and suggesting possible solutions from a fragmentary record by analysing and combining different types of evidence. In this programme, language and text studies are combined with history, art and archaeology.

The programme entails a solid foundation for PhD studies in Egyptology at various universities in the world. It also prepares you for a career that involves aspects of cultural heritage management or administrative roles. The courses are normally comprised of seminars that sharpen your skills in oral presentations and communication. Academic writing is trained continuously, preparing you for a range of situations where complex problems are analysed.

Degree

The programme leads to a Master of Arts (120 credits) with Egyptology as the main field of study. It is also possible to graduate after one academic year with a Master of Arts (60 credits).

All specialisations of this programme

Programme

The programme includes mandatory courses equivalent to 60 credits and thesis work equivalent to 30 credits within the discipline of Egyptology. You can take additional mandatory courses equivalent to 15 credits, as well as one or two elective courses equivalent to up to 15 credits provided by the University.

At the beginning of the programme, you will establish an individual study plan (ISP) together with the programme coordinator. The mandatory courses are briefly described and a list of elective courses for the second semester is presented. The ISP is revised if necessary in consultation with the Director of Studies.

The programme starts with a multidisciplinary course of 7.5 credits. The course runs at half-speed and includes students who study the Master's Programme in the Humanities, specialising in Archaeology, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History.

The department and the faculty offer a number of courses, which normally run at half-speed. Normally you will study two courses in parallel. In addition to mandatory courses in Egyptology, you can also do internships (7.5 or 15 credits) or take an individually designed in-depth method course (7.5 credits) relevant to the field. Alternatively, you can read two courses in other subjects at the University equivalent to 15 credits in total.

In the final semester, you will write a degree thesis comprising 30 credits.

Courses within the programme

The course names are generic and can vary over time, although their overarching themes will not change. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are taken together by students both in year 1 and year 2 of the programme.

Year 1
Autumn period 1
Multidisciplinary course for all students at the department*
Egyptian Social History: Art in Context*

Autumn period 2
Archaeology of Egypt*
Advanced Earlier Egyptian Texts*

Spring period 3
Optional course or internship

Spring period 4
Religion in Ancient Egypt
Introduction to Coptic

Year 2
Autumn period 1
GIS (Geographical Information Systems)
Egyptian Social History: Architecture in Context*

Autumn period 2
Archaeology of Nubia*
Advanced Late Egyptian*

Spring periods 3 and 4
Thesis work

Learning experience

Each course normally encompasses 7.5 credits and runs at half-speed. Seminars and lectures are the most common forms of teaching. Mandatory course literature is mainly in English but German and French texts may also be included.

At the seminars, you will present your ideas and discuss the reading you have done in preparation for the seminar with your classmates (a course book or other study material). The teacher usually only moderates the discussion. The aim is to develop critical thinking and collaborative skills. All the students are expected to be active participants in all forms of discussions.

Assessments vary between courses, but normally consist of oral presentations, written assignments and essays.

Career

A Master's degree in this subject makes you eligible to pursue PhD studies in Egyptology. Above all, it is a certificate that you possess a number of skills required to analyse and administer complex questions without simple answers. Previous students work as, for example, archivists, museum curators or guides, analysts, aid workers, travel guides, cultural writers, editors as well as researchers and teachers at universities.

Although you may think it is difficult to predict what your future career will look like, the survey we made with our alumni shows that a majority of previous students in the programme value their studies in Egyptology regardless of their present occupation.

Career support
During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career. Learn more about UU Careers.

Admissions

Below you will find the details about eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and tuition fees. For information on how to apply and what documents you need to submit, check the application guide. For this programme, besides the general supporting documents, you also need to submit one programme-specific document: a statement of purpose.

Egyptology

120 credits

Autumn 2022, 100%, Campus

Location: Uppsala

Application deadline: 17 January 2022

Application code: UU-M5000 Application

Language of instruction: English

Requirements:
Academic requirements
A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. The main field of study must be within the humanities or social sciences.
Also required is 120 credits in egyptology including 30 credits in Egyptian languages.

Language requirements
Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Selection: Students are selected based on:

an overall appraisal of previous university studies; and
a statement of purpose (1 page).

Tuition fee-paying students and non-paying students are admitted on the same grounds but in different selection groups.

Fees:

If you are not a citizen of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees. Fees cover application and tuition only and do not cover accommodation, academic literature or the general cost of living. Read more about fees.

Application fee: SEK 900

Tuition fee, first semester: SEK 50,000

Tuition fee, total: SEK 200,000