Program Overview
The Near Eastern Studies PhD program at Johns Hopkins University trains professional scholars and teachers in Egyptology, Assyriology, Northwest Semitic languages, and Near Eastern archaeology and art, emphasizing classroom learning, independent study, and research. Students receive full tuition and stipend support for up to five years and are required to pass comprehensive examinations and write a dissertation. The program includes seminars, opportunities for teaching and research assistance, and travel grants for fieldwork and research.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Near Eastern Studies PhD program at Johns Hopkins University is the oldest of its kind in the nation. It is designed to train professional scholars and teachers in four main areas: Egyptology, Assyriology, Northwest Semitic languages and literatures (including Hebrew Bible), and Near Eastern archaeology and art. The program emphasizes both classroom learning and independent study under the direction of faculty. Seminars allow for close study of special problems in small groups. Admission to the program is typically as a PhD candidate, with admission as an MA candidate only in unusual cases.
Assessment:
Students are required to pass comprehensive examinations in their major and minor fields of concentration after completing three to four years of coursework. These examinations are written. After passing the comprehensive examinations, students must prepare a dissertation proposal for faculty consideration and then write the dissertation. An examination in either French or German must be passed within the first semester of residence at Hopkins. The examination in the other language may be delayed for up to one year. Some command of Greek and Latin is necessary for students pursuing biblical studies.
Teaching:
The program emphasizes both classroom learning and independent study under the direction of faculty. Seminars allow for close study of special problems in small groups.
Other:
The department awards all students admitted to the PhD program an annual fellowship covering full tuition and a full stipend for living expenses for up to five years. During this period, students may be occasionally asked to serve as a teaching or research assistant. The period of support may be extended by the various competitive awards available to advanced students within the university. The department may award travel stipends for graduate students to participate in archaeological excavations in the Near East or visit collections in this country and abroad.
