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Established in 1883, the Department of Near Eastern Studies pioneered the first PhD program in this discipline within the United States. Students can select from four specialized tracks: Assyriology, Egyptology, Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic Studies, and Near Eastern Archaeology/Art.
The department offers two primary focus areas: philology or art and archaeology. Mastery of ancient Egyptian language forms remains fundamental regardless of specialization. To fully understand Egyptian culture, students in both tracks should develop expertise in linguistic, artistic, and archaeological studies. The key distinction lies in the secondary field requirements - Egyptology students must study an additional Near Eastern language, while Art and Archaeology students may alternatively explore the archaeology and history of other ancient civilizations like the Near East or Classical world, potentially incorporating anthropology or materials science coursework.