Certificate in Ancient Near Eastern Studies at SOAS

Overview

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Convenor

Minimum Entry Requirements: The minimum entry requirement is the ability to demonstrate the potential to study at undergraduate level. However, programmes may have their own specific requirements, such as, in the case of language-based studies, a proven ability to learn a language.

The Certificate in Ancient Near Eastern Studies is based on the first year of the BA programme in Ancient Near Eastern Studies (ANES).

Full-time syllabus (one year):

Where the course is taken full-time, in one year, the student normally takes an introductory course in Akkadian (Babylonian and Assyrian) in the cuneiform script, a course in the literature of the Middle East at SOAS, and two UCL units, typically western Asiatic archaeology and Sumerian or biblical Hebrew, if available.

Introductory Akkadian
Literatures of the Near and Middle East
Two more units, e.g. introductory units in Sumerian or Hebrew and western Asiatic archaeology

Part-time syllabus

Where the course is taken part-time, over two or three years, the student has the option of taking a more intensive language-learning programme. Part-time programmes can be built out of the following first and second-year units:

Normally two units are taken in the first year of the part-time syllabus.

Teaching

Courses are taught during the day. Teaching begins in late September. Examinations are in May-June.
Courses in Akkadian are taught by Professor Andrew R George and Dr Daniel Schwemer, courses in Sumerian by Professor George and Professor M J Geller of the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies,

University College London (UCL). Hebrew is taught in the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, UCL.

Structure

Course Structure

The Certificate in Ancient Near Eastern Studies is based on the first year of the BA programme in Ancient Near Eastern Studies (ANES).

Students can choose to study full time (one year) or part time (two or three years). 4 units must be undertaken and passed to gain the certificate. Generally, 2 units are taken at SOAS and 2 units are taken at UCL.

NB: The SOAS unit Introductory Sumerian cannot be taken together with the UCL unit HEBR7604 Sumerian language. The SOAS unit Sumerian texts I cannot be taken with the UCL unit HEBR7606 Intermediate Sumerian.

UCL Units

Full-time syllabus (one year)

Possible units include;

Introductory units in Sumerian or Hebrew
Western Asiatic Archaeology

Part-time syllabus

Possible units include;

UCL HEBR1005 Introduction to classical Hebrew
UCL ARCL1009 Peoples and societies of the ancient Near East (0.5 unit)
UCL ARCL1011 Texts in archaeology (0.5 unit)
UCL HEBR7606 Intermediate Sumerian
UCL HEBR7604 Sumerian language

SOAS Units

Full-time syllabus (one year)

Students normally take these SOAS units;

Introductory Akkadian - 155900426 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
Literatures of the Near and Middle East - 155900991 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Part-time syllabus (two or three years)

Possible units include;

Introductory Akkadian - 155900426 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
Additional Akkadian - 155900871 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
Akkadian Texts 1 - 155900937 (1 Unit) - Full Year
Introductory Sumerian - 155900103 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
Sumerian Texts 1 - 155900104 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013

Teaching & Learning

Teaching

Courses are taught during the day. Teaching begins in late September. Examinations are in May-June.
Courses in Akkadian are taught by Professor Andrew R George and Dr Daniel Schwemer, courses in Sumerian by Professor George and Professor M J Geller of the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies,
University College London(UCL). Hebrew is taught in the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, UCL.

SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Department of the Languages and Cultures of the Near and Middle East