Oriental Studies

Learning Outcomes For The Licentiate In Ancient Near Eastern Studies

Knowledge

Graduates who have successfully completed this program are able to read and translate texts in the primary language that they have chosen to be the focus of their study (Hebrew, Egyptian, Sumerian, Akkadian, Aramaic or Coptic). They also acquire a knowledge of civilizations in the Ancient Near East, including their history and religions. In addition to the primary language, they study other languages either related to it or belonging to the same linguistic area. Thus, they are able to interpret original texts within the broader cultural context in which they were written. Students are evaluated on the basis of exams and seminar presentations. The candidate writes a licentiate thesis of publication quality for a peer reviewed journal. Graduates can apply for admission to doctoral programs.

Application

During course seminars, students present their personal research and develop a collaborative learning environment. They learn how to present coherent, lucid conference papers and how to give and receive feedback from peers. They become capable of presenting their independent research at international conferences and publish in peer reviewed journals, especially in English and Italian.

Analysis

The candidate learns how to use the research tools available for the critical analysis of ancient near Eastern languages, literatures and cultures as well as related secondary sources. They are able to use and evaluate traditional tools, such as lexicons and other philological resources as well as current eectronic tools to facilitate their personal, independent research.