Location:

Haifa, Israel

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Literature & Writing

Program Overview

Program Description:

The International MA Program in Prehistoric Archaeology has the objective of providing students with an opportunity to study and take part in ongoing research of the impressive prehistoric archaeology of Mount Carmel. The University of Haifa, located atop the Carmel range, provides the ideal setting for this field of study. The program will be carried out in one of the world's most dynamic centers for prehistoric research. Both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biosphere reserve, Mount Carmel reveals a nearly 500,000 year-long sequence of human evolution exposed in caves, rock shelters and open-air sites along mountain valleys and the nearby coastal plain. Unlike any other region in the world, Mount Carmel preserves evidence of the presence of both modern humans and Neanderthal populations, at sites no more than 100 meters from each other. The Academic Program Taught in English over three semesters, the program focuses on the prehistory and paleoenvironment of Mount Carmel. Each student can choose to specialize in one of many relevant topics, such as lithic, faunal, geological and palynological studies. Students can benefit from a rich variety of courses focusing on prehistory studies, as well as from a range of additional key topics in archaeology including environmental archaeology, archaeological method and theory and archaeology of the Southern Levant. The program is based on ongoing, active research carried out in the field and in laboratories. Curriculum and Field Work The curriculum includes class work, field trips, field campuses and individual field research. Through field work, students are exposed to applied sciences, research methods, hands-on experience with the Mount Carmel sites and their settings, as well as sites in the Galilee and the Negev, and an acquaintance with the challenges of prehistoric research. Students will spend a total of 13 days on field campuses of three days each in the Negev and Galilee, a concentrated field campus of five days, including excavation, surveying and a workshop in Mount Carmel, and two daylong field trips. Individual tutorials will also be offered. The interdisciplinary curriculum offers students exceptional opportunities for advanced training and individual research in a dynamic learning environment, with exclusive access to the natural laboratory provided by the diverse landscapes and numerous prehistoric sites of Mount Carmel. Researchers in the Department of Archaeology are currently conducting surveys and excavations in a wide variety of sites and offer students the opportunity to get involved in field and laboratory studies as part of the program. Both a thesis and non-thesis track will be offered.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

The University of Haifa is an accredited university under the auspices of Israel's Ministry of Education and the Israeli Council for Higher Education and in accordance with the standards and criteria of North American and European Universities.

Financial Aid:

Yes

Requirements:

Candidates must have completed an undergraduate degree in the humanities, natural or exact sciences with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or the equivalent. Students coming from non-archaeological/non-anthropological disciplines will be required to successfully complete the following introductory courses before the first semester: a) Introduction to Anthropology/Archaeology b) Introduction to Quantitative Analysis/Basic Statistics.

International Requirements:

Candidates, who have not graduated from an academic institution where the language of instruction is English, or who are not native English speakers, must submit official TOEFL scores of at least 570 (in a written test), 230 (in a computerized test), or 89 (in an internet test) to be considered for admission. For detailed information about all admission requirements including prerequisites, please contact the Admissions Office.