Becoming an Egyptologist

Many visitors to our website dream of becoming Egyptologists and are seeking information on the education required for such a career. We have compiled information regarding the general educational requirements for a career in Egyptology (especially geared toward the American educational system), as well as a list of links to universities around the globe offering academic programs in Egyptology. 

What to Study

Most full-time Egyptological jobs require that you have a Ph.D. in Egyptology, or be well on your way toward obtaining one. Training in Egyptology for a doctoral degree can take at least eight years of university, both undergraduate and graduate programs, and often much longer. Many university programs offer the opportunity to specialize either in Egyptian language or in art and archaeology of ancient Egypt. If you are studying at a university that allows you to specialize either in archaeology or Egyptian language you should take some courses in both fields regardless of the field in which you ultimately decide to specialize.

For high school students interested in becoming Egyptologists, you should learn French and German if available, take history and other humanities classes, and get a good grounding in sciences, computing, and courses to improve your writing and research skills, in short, take all the college prep courses you can. This will depend a great deal on what is available in your local high school system. Read all that you can get on various aspects of ancient Egypt and the ancient Near East, including history, archaeology, art, religion and literature.

At university, as an undergraduate, you should follow a liberal arts program. Very few universities offer undergraduate degrees in Egyptology, but such a degree is not required for those wishing to do a higher degree in Egyptology. However, at an undergraduate level, courses in art history, particularly ancient art will be helpful. You should also take courses in social sciences, especially ancient history, anthropology and archaeology. Some universities offer interdisciplinary programs in area studies and if the Eastern Mediterranean is offered in such a program it is a good way to get a wide range of background courses complimentary to Egyptology.

Languages form the foundation of any Egyptologist's knowledge: a reading knowledge of French and German are essential for advanced research in Egyptology, and you should take courses in these languages if you do not already have these skills. If you hope to eventually do archaeological work in Egypt, learning Arabic, either the classical form or the Egyptian dialect, will help. Greek or another ancient Near Eastern language may also be helpful for those interested in comparative work or specializing in the later periods of ancient Egyptian history.

Egyptologists specialize either in language or archaeology, although all must take at least some courses in both areas. As a specialist in the ancient Egyptian language, you will need to take courses in the various forms of the language (Old, Middle and Late Egyptian in both hieroglyphic and hieratic scripts, Demotic, and Coptic). If you decide to specialize in Egyptian archaeology, courses on art and architecture of ancient Egypt in different periods will be needed. Having some training in another specialty of use to archaeology can often increase your marketability, so consider learning surveying, photography, or drawing. 

Where to Study

The following is a list of weblinks to university programs that offer a specialization in Egyptology, arranged alphabetically by country.
Australia
Ancient History Department
Macquarie University
Sydney, NSWhttp://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/

Centre for Archaeology and Ancient History
Monash University
Melbournehttp://www.arts.monash.edu.au/archaeology/
Austria
Institut f�r �gyptologie
Universit�t Wienhttp://www.univie.ac.at/egyptology
Belgium
Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology
Katholieke Universiteit van Leuvenhttp://www.arts.kuleuven.be/ema/

Department of Egyptology
Katholieke Universiteit van Leuvenhttp://millennium.arts.kuleuven.ac.be/egyptology/

Institut Orientaliste
Universit� Catholique de Louvainhttp://www.fltr.ucl.ac.be/FLTR/GLOR/EPO/Egypte/default.htm

Facult� de Philosophie et Lettres
Universit� Libre de Bruxelleshttp://www.ulb.ac.be/facs/philo/index.html

Facult� de Philosophie et Lettres
Universit� Libre de Li�gehttp://www.ulg.ac.be/facphl/
Bulgaria
Department of Mediterranean and Eastern Studies
New Bulgarian University in Sofiahttp://www.nbu.bg/index.php?l=433
Canada
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Torontohttp://www.utoronto.ca/nmc
People's Republic of China
Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations
North East Normal University Changchunhttp://vod.nenu.edu.cn/web/eindex.htm
Czech Republic
Egyptologicky �stav
Univerzita Karlovahttp://www.prf.cuni.cz/
Denmark
Carsten Niebuhr Institute of Near Eastern Studies
University of Copenhagenhttp://www.hum.ku.dk/cni/ 
Egypt
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and Egyptology
American University in Cairohttp://www.aucegypt.edu/academic/sape/Egy/Egyptology.htm
Finland
Department of Asian and African Studies
University of Helsinkihttp://www.helsinki.fi/hum/aakkl/
France
Ecole du Louvre
Parishttp://www.ecoledulouvre.fr/index2.html

Institut de Papyrologie et d'Egyptologie
Universit� de Lille IIIhttp://www.univ-lille3.fr/portail/index.php?page=SciencesHistoriques

Institut d'Egyptologie V. Loret
Universit� Lyon 2http://www.mom.fr/ 

Sorbonne Egyptological Research Centre
Universit� de Paris-Sorbonnehttp://www.paris4.sorbonne.fr/en/article.php3?id_article=127
Germany
�gyptologisches Seminar
Freie Universit�t Berlinhttp://www.fu-berlin.de/aegyptologie

Seminar f�r Arch�ologie und Kulturgeschichte Nordostafrikas
Humboldt-Universit�t zu Berlinhttp://www2.hu-berlin.de/aknoa/

Institut f�r �gyptologie
Johannes-Gutenberg-Universit�t http://www.uni-mainz.de/FB/Philologie-III/aegypt/

Fachbereich Kunst- Orient- und Altertumswissenschaften
Martin-Luther-Universit�t Halle Wittenberghttp://www.orientarch.uni-halle.de

Fachgebiet �gyptologie
Philipps-Universit�t Marburg
http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~aegypt/
�gyptologisches Seminar der Universit�t Bonn
Universit�t Bonnhttp://www.philfak.uni-bonn.de/Philfak/aegypt/

Seminar f�r �gyptologie und Koptologie
Universit�t G�ttingenhttp://www.gwdg.de/~uhak/

Arch�ologisches Institut �gyptologie
Universit�t Hamburghttp://www.uni-hamburg.de/Studium/index_e.html

�gyptologisches Institut
Universit�t Heidelberghttp://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/helios/fachinfo/fachref/aegypt/welcome.htm

Seminar f�r �gyptologie
Universit�t zu K�lnhttp://www.uni-koeln.de/phil-fak/aegypt/index-page.html

�gyptologisches Institut
�gyptisches Museum Universit�t Leipzighttp://www.uni-leipzig.de/~egypt/Institutshomepage/start.htm

Institut f�r �gyptologie
Universit�t M�nchenhttp://www.fak12.uni-muenchen.de/aegyp/index.html

Abteilung �gyptologie
Universit�t Trier

�gyptologisches Institut
Universit�t T�bingenhttp://www.uni-tuebingen.de/aegyptologie/

Institut f�r �gyptologie
Universit�t W�rzburgwww.uni-wuerzburg.de/aegyptologie

Institut f�r �gyptologie und Koptologie
Westf�lische Wilhelms-Universit�thttp://www.uni-muenster.de/Rektorat/studium/stud-agy.htm
Hungary
Department of Egyptology
E�tv�s Lor�nd University
Budapesthttp://www.elte.hu/index_noflash.html
Israel
Department of Egyptology
The Hebrew University
Jerusalemhttp://www.huji.ac.il/huji/eng/

Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilisations
Tel Aviv Universityhttp://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/archaeology/index.html
Italy
Pontificio Istituto Biblico
Romahttp://www.biblico.it/

Dipartimento di Scienze Archeologiche
Sezione Egittologia
Universit� di Pisahttp://www.egittologia.unipi.it/

Universit� degli studi di Roma "La Sapeinza"
Romahttp://www.uniroma1.it/
Japan
Institute of Egyptology
Waseda University
Tokyohttp://www.waseda.ac.jp/projects/egypt/index-E.html
The Netherlands
Languages and Cultures of the Middle East
University of Groningenhttp://odur.let.rug.nl/mes/profile/vak.htm

Talen en Culturen van het Nabije Oosten (TCNO)
Faculteit der Letteren
University of Leidenhttp://www.letteren.leidenuniv.nl/
New Zealand
Department of Classics and Ancient History
University of Auckland
New Zealandhttp://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/cla/Index.html
Norway
Department of Greek, Latin and Egyptology
Universitet i Bergenhttp://www.hf.uib.no/i/klassisk/
Poland
Intsitute of Archaeology
Jagellonian University
Krakowhttp://www.uj.edu.pl/Arch/

Department of Papyrology
University of Warsawhttp://www.papyrology.uw.edu.pl/

Institute of Archaeology
University of Warsawhttp://www.archeo.uw.edu.pl/
Portugal
Instituto Oriental
Faculdade de Letras
Alameda da Universidade
Lisboahttp://www.fl.ul.pt/unidades/institutos/instituto_oriental.htm
Romania
Facultatea de Istorie
Universitatea Bucuresti
Bucurestihttp://www.unibuc.ro/en/catd_hciaa_en
Russia
Faculty of History
Moscow State Universityhttp://www.ied.msu.ru/faculties/history.html

Oriental Department
University of St. Petersburghttp://www.spbu.ru/
South Africa
Department of Ancient Studies
University of Stellenboschhttp://www.sun.ac.za/as/
Spain
Department de Prehist�ria, Hist�ria Antiga I Arqueologia
University of Barcelona
Barcelonahttp://www.ub.es/prehist/main.htm

Facultad de Geograf�a e Historia
Universidad de Seville
Sevillehttp://www.cica.es/aliens/dhaus/
Sudan
Department of Archaeology
Faculty of Arts
University of Khartoumhttp://www.sudan.net/uk/f-art.htm
Sweden
Institutiones f�r Egyptologi
Uppsala Universitethttp://www.arkeologi.uu.se/egy/
Switzerland
�gyptologisches Seminar
Universit�t Baselhttp://www.unibas.ch/aegyptologie/

Department der Altertumswissenschaften
Universitas Friburgensishttp://www.unifr.ch/dbs/index.html

D�partment des Sciences de l'Antiquit�
Universit� de Gen�vehttp://www.unige.ch/lettres/or/plandetu/plegypte.html

Orientalisches Seminar
Universit�t Zurichhttp://www.ori.unizh.ch/Egyptology/egyptology.html
Taiwan
National Taiwan University
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Taipeihttp://www.ntu.edu.tw/new-version/english/main.html
United Kingdom
Faculty of Oriental Studies: Near and Middle East
Oxford Universityhttp://www.orinst.ox.ac.uk/nme/egyptian_info.shtml

Department of Ancient History and Archaeology
University of Birminghamhttp://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/aha/

Department of Archaeology
University of Bristolhttp://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Archaeology/index.html

Faculty of Oriental Studies
University of Cambridgehttp://www.oriental.cam.ac.uk/egypt1.html

Institute of Archaeology
University College, Londonhttp://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/index.htm

Department of Archeology
University of Durhamhttp://www.dur.ac.uk/Archaeology/

Department of Egyptology
School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology
University of Liverpoolhttp://www.liv.ac.uk/sace/

Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology
University of Wales
Swanseahttp://www.swan.ac.uk/classics/egypt/
United States of America
Department of Egyptology
Brown University
Providence, RIhttp://www.brown.edu/Departments/Egyptology/

Department of Near Eastern Studies
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MDhttp://www.jhu.edu/%7Eneareast/

Institute of Fine Arts
New York Universityhttp://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/fineart/

Department of Near Eastern Studies
University of California, Berkeleyhttp://neareastern.berkeley.edu/

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
University of California, Los Angeleshttp://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/egyptology/index.html

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
University of Chicagohttp://humanities.uchicago.edu/depts/nelc/

Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology
University of Memphishttp://www.memphis.edu/egypt/

Department of Near Eastern Studies
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MIhttp://www.umich.edu/%7Eneareast/

Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PAhttp://www.sas.upenn.edu/ames/

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Yale University
New Haven, CThttp://www.yale.edu/nelc/
Uruguay
Instituto Uruguayo de Egiptologia
Uruguayohttp://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/8458