History of Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, full-time, second cycle

On 1 October 2023, the Faculty of History of the University of Warsaw will launch a completely new programme History of Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations. It is a two-year M.A.-level programme distinguished by its interdisciplinarity. The core curriculum is based on history (70%), archaeology (20%) and studies on cultures and religions (10%).

The obligatory canon of knowledge includes general education classes on the ancient world (e.g., Mesopotamian, Greek and Roman history, ancient literature and philosophy) and can be broadened as suits individual interests through additional modules on early Christianity and literature, ancient Judaism, women and gender history, the history of ancient slavery and marginalized groups, and the plurality of legal systems among other topics.

The offer of tailor-made courses includes workshops to develop research competencies, such as reading groups and the intensive, practical training in a choice of ancient languages (e.g., Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Akkadian, Coptic or Hebrew) to enable students to read and interpret ancient sources in their original languages. Students will also choose from a wide variety of courses including epigraphy, papyrology, numismatics, ancient historiography, the interpretation of cuneiform texts, or specialized classes in source criticism or the editing of ancient texts.

An additional module focuses on developing competences in digital humanities and academic writing. The diverse workshops in the module offers training in the use of digital tools for text processing, in particular tools for editing and and processing data used professionally by historians, papyrologists, epigraphers and numismatists.

A distinctive feature of this programme is field training: not only practical geodata collection, but also an engrossing, Mediterranean tour funded by the Faculty.

The small size of our courses fosters a collaborative educational environment and provides the opportunity for individual mentoring.

All the above mentioned activities lead to the achievement of the primary objective of our programme: students’ proficiency in conducting high-quality research using a wide range of methods and tools.

Our students will receive qualifications which will improve their profile in the demanding labour market. The central skills developed in our program–critical thinking, interrogating sources and searching out new perspectives–are desirable not only in the research sector, but also in education in its broadest sense.

Graduates will also be equipped with unique qualifications for careers in the preservation of cultural heritage, museology, and the public sector, including central administration and careers in politics as well as in local administration.

The skills inculcated in the programme will also prove applicable in the NGO sector, especially organizations focused on cultural heritage or cultural diversity.

Our graduates may also aspire to careers in publishing, media & public relations, and diplomacy and international institutions. Skills such as database management and graphics processing will come in handy in today’s digital job market.

Alumni will gain all necessary skills for professional research work including in digital techniques and operation of specialized software and equipment. They will be prepared for positions in prestigious international research projects and field missions that require these specialized skills in addition to factual knowledge of the era, and in applying for their own research grants.

The studies conclude with a diploma in ancient history.

More about the programme.

Admission rules for candidates with Polish diplomas

The admission procedure will be assessed from the results of the interview based on a topic selected by the candidate from the list of ten broad topics regarding the history, culture and religion of ancient Mediterranean and Mesopotamian civilizations:

1. Diversity of political systems of the Greek poleis of the Archaic period.
2. Athenian democracy in action: Institutions of the Athenian polis in modern research and in primary sources.
3. Power and subjects: The diversity of the Achaemenid Empire
4. The symptoms of change in the Hellenistic period based on chosen examples.
5. Tradition and innovation in the political practice of the Late Roman Republic.
6. Imperial ideology in antiquity based on selected examples.
7. The Roman state and non-traditional cults.
8. Crisis of the third century CE and its significance in politics, culture and religion.
9. When does the ancient world end?
10. The periods of the “dark ages,” or how archeology builds knowledge about a period without written sources.

The interview will take place online, and will be held in English.

Candidates will be assessed on a scale from 0 to 100 points. The interview begins with a 5–10 minutes discussion of the candidate’s chosen topic. Use of a multimedia slide show is permitted. After discussing the topic, committee members ask broad problem-oriented questions for approximately 20–25 minutes.

Subject to evaluation are: the candidate’s command of the basic primary and secondary sources on the chosen subject – the accuracy of the selection of the most important primary and secondary sources, knowledge of the broad context of the topic, and proficiency in English.

The first round of the admissions procedure will be open to any student in the last year of higher education, registered in the IRK system.

Admission to the full-time M.A.-level programme will be contingent upon obtaining a minimum of 30 points from the interview and submitting a set of required documents, including a university diploma, within the prescribed period. If the limit of places is not met, a second round of admissions will be conducted. Only university graduates will be able to participate. As in the first round, the condition for admission to full-time M.A.-level programme will be contingent upon obtaining a minimum of 30 points from the interview and the submission of a set of documents, including a university diploma, within the prescribed period.

Failure to achieve the minimum number of points at the interview results in the award of 0 (zero) points from the entire procedure and disqualification of the candidate.

Admission procedure for candidates with foreign diplomas

The same rules apply as for candidates with a diploma obtained in Poland.

Checking the candidates' language competences

A positive result of the qualifications procedure is tantamount to confirmation of the candidate’s competence to study in English at the above-mentioned programme (this applies to candidates who do not have a document recognized by the University of Warsaw confirming their command of English at least at B2 level).

Information on documents certifying knowledge of English language. >> Check! <<

Deadlines

Qualification interview: 16th-17th of July, 2024

Announcement of results: 19th of July, 2024

Reception of documents: 

• I round: 23rd-25th of July, 2024
• II round (in case of not fulfilling the limit during I round): 26th, 29th of July, 2024
• III round (in case of not fulfilling the limit during II round): 30th-31st of July, 2024
• additional rounds will be announced in case of not fulfilling the limits

Payments

Application fee

Student's ID payment (ELS)

Required documents

List of required documents submitted by candidates qualified for studies

Additional information 

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