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| Undergraduate Program The Ancient Near East is where history begins. It is where the first crops were sown, the first towns built, and where writing was first invented. The origins of Western culture are to be found in its great civilizations, from the three great monotheistic religions - Christianity, Islam, and Judaism - to everyday aspects of our life that we take for granted, such as the alphabet and marking time by hours and minutes. The Near Eastern Studies major can be the focal point of a broad liberal arts education, as well as a basis for graduate study. As an undergraduate major, you can study the civilizations of the ancient Near East in general or specialize in one of the four main areas: Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures (including Biblical Studies), Egyptology, Assyriology, and Near Eastern Archaeology. You can also major in ancient history, in conjunction with courses in other departments. A complete listing of courses may be found in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences On-line Course Catalog. For information about applying to Johns Hopkins see Undergraduate Admissions. Requirements for Major All students majoring in Near Eastern Studies must take two years of one ancient Near Eastern language and at least four courses of historical nature, 300-level or above. Your adviser will help you to devise a program around this core, tailored to your individual interests and needs. Students intending to continue at graduate level should acquire a reading knowledge of German or French or both. Qualified undergraduates may be admitted to 600-level courses. These are small, intimate seminars in which you will get the opportunity to experience the cutting edge of new research, working together with the professor and doctoral students. Minor in Ancient Law Ancient Law is a pre-law program with a difference. It treats law not as a technical profession but as a liberal arts subject, one of the major achievements of human civilization. It considers fundamental questions of law like "What is a contract?" "What is a crime?" by seeing them through the eyes of societies with legal systems utterly different from our own. The minor is a combined program of the Classics and Near Eastern Studies Departments and you are encouraged to take classes in both. Ancient Law is suitable not just for pre-law students but for anyone who wants an intellectually challenging option that looks at cultures other than our own. Requirements for Ancient Law Minor The minimum requirement is 18 credits, all in courses at 300 level or higher. The distribution requirement is:
For students interested in learning an ancient language, an alternative configuration is possible:
The minor is directed by Professor Raymond Westbrook in the Department of Near Eastern Studies. For further details, contact Professor Westbrook at rwestb@jhu.edu. | |||||
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