The following constitutes introductory information regarding the graduate degree program. For a complete outline of degree requirements, see Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees available in the program office and accessible from the Graduate Division homepage at http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu.
In addition to the regular University requirements, a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the language area chosen for the degree, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test, and three letters of recommendation are required of applicants to the Master of Arts program. As a rule, students are not admitted with a grade-point average of less than 3.25 or a GRE score of less than 1,600. The GRE must be taken within 24 months prior to the date of the application.
Major fields of specialization are ancient Near Eastern civilizations, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Iranian, Semitics, 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.
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 civilizations, 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 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.
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.
None.
In addition to the regular University requirements, an M.A. or equivalent in the applicant's field, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test, and three letters of recommendation are required. As a rule, students are not admitted with a grade-point average of less than 3.25 or a GRE scores of less than 1,600. The GRE must be taken within 24 months prior to the date of the application.
The M.A. program need not have been completed at UCLA.
Major fields of specialization are ancient Near Eastern civilizations, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Iranian, Semitics, 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.
Students who choose a language emphasis for the Ph.D. are required to add a third Near Eastern language to the two that are required for the M.A.
Students are required to achieve high competence in two of their languages and to familiarize themselves with the cultural backgrounds of each of the languages chosen. For language options, see the M.A. requirements section. Students are also expected to take the equivalent of one year of general linguistics. Those studying Semitics or Old Iranian study three languages.
If the literature option is chosen, the student is required to achieve high competence in two Near Eastern languages and their literatures. For language options, see the M.A. requirements section. Students are required to familiarize themselves, through appropriate coursework, with the history of the cultural area, and the methods of literary research and the history of literary criticism.
If the archaeology emphasis in the ancient Near Eastern civilizations specialization is chosen, students are required to achieve high competence in two ancient Near Eastern languages and must be well-versed both in the history of the cultural area and in archaeological methodologies. For language options, see the M.A. requirements section
Further details about the choice of languages and examination requirements may be found in the departmental Guide to Graduate Study, available in the department.
Qualifying examinations must be passed before the formation of a doctoral committee.
Candidates in languages are examined in three Near Eastern languages and the literary and historical background of at least two of them. Candidates in literature are examined in the literatures written in two languages within the cultural area of concentration and the historical and cultural background of these languages, with emphasis on one of them. Candidates in ancient Near Eastern civilizations are examined in two ancient languages and in the history and archaeology of the major areas of the ancient Near East.