Graduate Program in Egyptology (Department of History)

*This web page is only an introduction to the concentration in Egyptology in the Department of History and not a comprehensive guide.*

The University of Memphis is unique in that it has two separate departments that offer graduate degrees with a concentration in Egyptology: the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Art History in the College of Communication and Fine Arts. (Information on the terminal MA in Egyptian Art can be found here.) At present there are five Egyptologists on campus in those two departments, but no interdisciplinary degree. Students must apply for admission to either the History Department OR the Art History Department Students enrolled in either program are free to take classes in both departments. However, each program has specific requirements and the student's advisor has the final authority to approve extra-departmental classes.

The Department of History offers both an MA and a PhD in History with a concentration in Egyptology. Dr. Suzanne Onstine, associate professor and Dr. Peter Brand, professor, currently direct the program. Classes are offered on a number of topics ranging from "New Kingdom Foreign Policy" to "Women in the Ancient World". A complete list of departmental course offerings can be found in the UofM Graduate Catalog.

The University is fortunate to have the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology (IEAA) as a resource. The IEAA has both a museum collection and a library that Egyptology students in both the History Department and the Art History Department have access to for research. The collection of Egyptian antiquities is housed at the Art Museum of the University of Memphis. The IEAA supports research projects and hosts several lectures by prominent Egyptologists throughout the year. Faculty from both History and Art History and the IEAA staff work closely together to coordinate classes, lectures, and opportunities for students. Students from both departments have formed a registered student organization called the Egyptology Graduate Student Association. They sponsor two lectures per year, hold social gatherings, and put on an annual symposium to showcase their research.