Program Requirements and Opportunities

Description of Academic Program

The curriculum of the department focuses on the cultures of the Mediterranean regions and Western Asia in antiquity. Courses treat aspects of society and material culture of these civilizations as well as issues of theory, method, and interpretation.

Major Requirements

The major requires a minimum of 10 courses. Core requirements are two 100-level courses distributed between the ancient Near East and Egypt (ARCH 101) and ancient Greece and Rome (ARCH 102), a course on Topics in Archaeological Principles and Methods (ARCH 233), and two semesters of the senior conference (ARCH 398 and 399). At least two upper-level courses should be distributed between Classical and Near Eastern subjects. Additional requirements are determined in consultation with the Major Advisor. A Praxis Independent Study or additional coursework in allied subjects may be presented for major credit, but must be approved in writing by the major advisor; such courses are offered in the Departments of Anthropology, Geology, Greek, Latin and Classical Studies, Growth and Structure of Cities, and History of Art. In consultation with the Major Advisor, one course taken in study abroad may be accepted for credit in the major after review of the syllabus, work submitted for a grade, and a transcript. Credit will not be given for a course that is ordinarily offered by the department. Students can also take courses at the University of Pennsylvania in consultation with the Major Advisor.

The writing requirement for the major consists of two one-semester Writing Attentive courses offered within the department.

Each student’s course of study to meet major requirements will be determined in consultation with the undergraduate major advisor in the spring semester of the sophomore year, at which time a written plan will be designed. Students considering majoring in the department are encouraged to take the introductory courses (ARCH 101 and 102) early in their undergraduate career and should also seek advice from departmental faculty. Students who are interested in interdisciplinary concentrations or in study abroad during the junior year are strongly advised to seek assistance in planning their major early in their sophomore year.

Languages

Majors who contemplate graduate study in Classical fields should incorporate Greek and Latin into their programs. Those who plan graduate work in Near Eastern or Egyptian may take appropriate ancient languages at the University of Pennsylvania, such as Middle Egyptian, Akkadian, and Sumerian. Any student considering graduate study in Classical and Near Eastern archaeology should study French and German.

Minor Requirements

The minor requires six courses. Core requirements are two 100-level courses distributed between the ancient Near East and Egypt and ancient Greece and Rome, in addition to four other courses selected in consultation with the major advisor.

Honors

Honors are granted on the basis of academic performance as demonstrated by a cumulative average of 3.50 or better in the major.

Study Abroad

A semester of study abroad is encouraged if the program is approved by the department. Students who seek major credit for courses taken abroad must consult with the Major Advisor before enrolling in a program. Major credit is given on a case-by-case basis after review of the syllabus, work submitted for a grade, and a transcript. Credit will not be given for more than one course and not for courses that are ordinarily offered by the department.

Independent Research

Majors who wish to undertake independent research, especially for researching and writing a lengthy paper, must arrange with a professor who is willing to advise them, and consult with the Major Advisor. Such research normally would be conducted by seniors as a unit of supervised work (403), which must be approved by the advising professor before registration. Students planning to do such research should consult with professors in the department in the spring semester of their junior year or no later than the beginning of the fall semester of the senior year.

Additional Major Experiences: Fieldwork and Museum Internships

The department strongly encourages students to gain fieldwork experience over the summer and assists them in getting positions on field projects in North America and overseas. The department is undertaking several field projects in the eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. Dependig on the College's travel safety policy, advanced undergraduates may participate in these projects.

Museum internships, either during the summer or during the term, also constitute valid major experiences beyond the classroom. The department is awarded annually one fully paid summer internship by the Nicholas P. Goulandris Foundation for students to work for four to six weeks in the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, Greece. An announcement inviting applications is normally sent by the department chair in the spring.

Opportunities to work with the College’s archaeology collections are available throughout the academic year and during the summer. Students wishing to work with the collections should consult Marianne Weldon, Collections Manager for Art and Artifacts.

Funding for Summer Learning Opportunities

The department has two funds that support students for summer internships, summer fieldwork projects, and archaeological summer projects of their own design. One, the Elisabeth Packard Fund for internships in Art History and Archaeology is shared with the Department of the History of Art, while the other is the Anna Lerah Keys Memorial Prize. Any declared major may apply for these funds. An announcement calling for applications is normally sent to majors in the spring, and the awards are made public at the annual college awards ceremony in April. To help cover expenses related to archaeological learning opportunities, which can be expensive, the department encourages majors to consider applying for funding offered by Bryn Mawr College and external funding sources.

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