MA Systematic and Historical Theology

A masters in ancient studies, primarily devoted to the languages of the Hebrew Bible and related literatures, includes work in Biblical Hebrew and in Aramaic. The program provides ample opportunities for reading biblical text, and the range of courses offered in Aramaic is exceptional. Students interested in doing further graduate work in biblical studies can take courses in classical and biblical Greek. Courses beyond the elementary level count toward the 30-hour degree requirement. Students interested in the ancient Near East may study Akkadian, the various Northwest Semitic languages related to the later literary languages (including Old and Official Aramaic, Phoenician-Punic and Epigraphic Hebrew), and languages of the later Near East. Masters students in the Christian Near East may specialize in Arabic, Coptic, or Syriac, and are expected to do coursework in another of these languages.