Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage in the Near and Middle East, and in Africa

Rome, Italy

DURATION

2 Years

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

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EARLIEST START DATE

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TUITION FEES

EUR 1,500 / per year

STUDY FORMAT

On-Campus

Introduction

The Master's degree course 'Cultural Heritage in the Near and Middle East, and Africa' offers a unique training opportunity for those wishing to specialize in both the study of history and the conservation of cultural heritage of western Asia and northern and eastern Africa. Our teaching methods are designed to give a solid theoretical and methodological grounding as well as practical experience and combine classes and seminars with thematic workshops and specialized hands-on practical training.

Taught modules are all characterized by strong interdisciplinarity and encompass the fields of archaeology, epigraphy, history, history of art, philology, and literary studies, paired with cultural anthropology and history of religions. Hands-on activities, implemented both in Italy and in the many countries where Sapienza’s prestigious archaeological missions are active, will provide students with skills in numerous areas of expertise (e.g. stratigraphic excavation, survey, conservation, the study of material culture, interpretation of historical sources, museum planning and developing valorization projects).

Graduates from the MA will develop specific knowledge and professional skills that are required for a successful career in national and international organizations that promote heritage enhancement projects in the area and will grant an excellent foundation for those wishing to continue to further degree programs.

Gallery

Admissions

Scholarships and Funding

Curriculum

Program Outcome

Learning outcomes

The Master's Degree course, in English, 'Cultural Heritage in the Near and Middle East, and Africa' intends to offer, unique in the Italian university panorama, a characterizing training path, strongly focused on orientalist disciplines, with within it a declination of philological-literary, archaeological, historical-artistic, socio-anthropological and historical-religious addresses that are profoundly characterized by solid theoretical and methodological bases and by openness to contamination and interchange between disciplines and therefore skills. The course is aimed at the Mediterranean and the Asian region of the Near and Middle East for two fundamental factors: 1) the study of the civilizations of this area constitutes one of the foundations and a solid, internationally recognized tradition of Sapienza antiquity studies, with excellent research that has been projected onto the international level, also with training activities, excavations, restorations and protection of cultural heritage in the countries of the Mediterranean and Near Eastern areas; 2) precisely by this front-line commitment which has recently brought Sapienza's archeology among the top places in international rankings, the demand for collaborations, including on an educational level, with Sapienza is increasingly strong and growing. In this sense, the choice to deliver the course in English responds precisely to these requests and needs, i.e. the creation of a network of collaborations, with a clear interdisciplinary structure, with the countries of the Mediterranean area, near and Middle East, directly interested to acquire training of the highest level and the ability, on a theoretical and practical level, to study, research and intervene in the Italian tradition. One of the objectives of the Course is to encourage the internationalization of attendance and guarantee the participation of a catchment area, mainly but not exclusively, aimed at university students and staff of the superintendencies of the countries of the MENA area (Middle East and North Africa), with particular attention to the area of interest of the course, so that they can then work in public and private institutions, operating with international cooperation programs aimed at on-site training, valorization and conservation of the historical-archaeological heritage. Thanks to the systematization of this Sapienza excellence, the student will be able to benefit from specific highly professionalizing courses divided into three main thematic areas - historical, archaeological, and philological - which are closely related and interconnected. In particular, training is specifically pursued through theoretical-methodological lessons and specialized practical workshops and internships for the acquisition of excavation, analysis, restoration, study, and conservation of material culture and archaeological remains, analysis of sources in historical languages of the macro-region, planning, and drafting of museum and territorial valorization projects. At the same time, the course is aimed at Italian and EU students who are interested in training in English that concretely offers operational-managerial skills and abilities in planning and conducting scientific research projects (eg ERC, Marie Curie), independently or in collaboration with other colleagues and institutions, and international cooperation; furthermore, the course aims to train highly competent professional profiles, highly competitive and widely requested in the European and international academic circuit for the design and execution of programs aimed at training and valorizing the tangible and intangible heritage of the Mediterranean and Nearby countries. Middle East.

The training course includes, in the first year, within the Characteristic activities, both historical and archaeological teachings, and, within the Related Activities, an opening towards teachings that complete and strengthen archaeological but also epigraphic and philological knowledge. linguistic; Other training activities are also included in the first year. In the second year, only Characteristic Activities are planned, divided between histories, archaeology (including epigraphy teachings), languages and literature, and teachings aimed at technical-scientific training; Furthermore, it is in the second year that the student will have an exam for his choice and will finally complete his path with the preparation of the thesis.

Program Tuition Fee

Career Opportunities

The preparation acquired by the graduate allows:

To collaborate and become involved in public and private bodies and institutions responsible for the protection and management of the archaeological heritage in individual countries of the Near and Middle East, and Africa, as well as to collaborate and become involved in international bodies and institutions;
To assume the management of museums and archaeological parks in the aforementioned countries;
To be responsible for the management of projects aimed at the knowledge, conservation, and use of the archaeological heritage of the region under study at public and private bodies and institutions and private companies specialized in the planning and management of national and international cooperation programs for the promotion of archaeological heritage and the valorization of cultural resources also for tourism purposes;
To research the ground (excavations, surface prospecting), on behalf of the bodies responsible for protection, both as individuals and as part of activities carried out by professional associations;
To carry out activities in the field of communication, both through the press and through multimedia tools, relating to the cultural heritage of the Near and Middle East, and Africa.
To carry out tourist guide functions internationally;
To possess the requirements to access, through a competition or selection if applicable, the specific Doctorates, Specialization Schools, and Level II Masters.

Graduates will therefore be able to be employed in positions of responsibility in a) planning, management, and coordination of complex activities in multiple cultural sectors, also with transversal skills; b) research activities (doctorates, public and private research bodies); c) editorial, journalistic and media collaboration specialized in the sector; d) national and international cooperation projects; e) monitoring, protection and protection of cultural heritage in the Near and Middle East region, and Africa; f) enhancement and promotion of the cultural heritage in the aforementioned regions, also for tourism purposes.