Hebrew and Aramaic Studies Leiden University

Overview

The Hebrew and Aramaic Studies MA programme offered at Leiden University is delivered by internationally acclaimed experts at Leiden University.

You will benefit from a broad range of relevant adjacent disciplines for the study of ancient languages and civilisations – many of them rarely taught elsewhere – as well as from the famous library resources. Leiden University’s Chair of Hebrew and Aramaic actively contributes to scholarship in the field, and classes regularly reflect ongoing research.

The programme can be tailored towards your specific needs and is known for its close attention to individual interests. Your study will focus strongly on languages, mainly Hebrew and Aramaic, with optional Phoenician, Ugaritic and other small corpus languages – but also on the region's wider cultural history with many different possibilities for specialisation (such as Linguistics, Ancient History, etc.). You may focus on the literature and culture of Ancient Israel against the backdrop of the world of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible/Ancient Judaism, from its emergence in around 1200 B.C.E. until its disappearance as a political entity in 135 C.E. In addition, Leiden University is home to the only Chair of both Hebrew and Aramaic worldwide and plays a major role in international research.

Hebrew and Aramaic Studies at Leiden University is an accredited degree programme. After successful completion of this programme, you will receive a master’s degree in Classics and Ancient Civilizations and the title Master of Arts (MA).

Career prospects

• PhD candidate at a Dutch or international University

• Secondary school teacher

• Curator at a museum

• Policy officer at a ministry

• Communications officer

• Project leader