Ancient Egypt, with its mummies, pyramids and hieroglyphs, can seem mysterious and forbidding, but the study of ancient Egypt goes beyond these popular symbols to explore the lives of the ancient Egyptians and their amazing accomplishments. Ancient Egypt is an important part of global cultural heritage and the Egyptology Program offers courses about Egyptian language, culture, archaeology, religion and history. The Egyptian Nile Valley civilization developed within prehistoric northeastern Africa, and the Egyptian state lasted thousands of years (c. 3100-30 BCE). The ancient Egyptians were innovators, problem-solvers and dreamers, and the study of ancient Egypt helps us understand the roots of our own lives.
The Egyptology program in MES is for students at all levels. Undergraduates with a casual interest can fulfill the Humanities requirement through taking our survey courses on ancient Egypt. Undergraduates with a more intensive interest can use Egyptology courses to fulfill requirements for the MES major or minor, and pursue more advanced study through language courses and seminars. Undergraduates considering Egyptology as a career can use advanced courses to prepare for graduate work. Graduate students in the program can pursue a Ph.D., an essential qualification for the professional Egyptologist. Whether students are taking Egyptology courses for fun, to fulfill requirements or to pursue more serious or even pre-professional needs, they will learn about ancient Egypt while also working on wider skills in understanding other cultures and religions, using fragmentary evidence to form theories and draw conclusions, and developing writing to make persuasive arguments.
Egyptology courses can be found in the LSA Course Guide under the subject "MIDEAST," while ancient Egyptian language courses are listed in the LSA Course Guide under the subject "MELANG." For more information on language courses related to Egyptology, including Middle Egyptian, please visit the ancient Middle East languages page. Please note that Egyptology course offerings vary by semester. Please contact the department at middle.east.studies@umich.edu with any questions.
