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Programme: BAHons Ancient Languages and Culture Studies

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Code Faculty
01240255 Faculty of Humanities
Credits Duration
Duration of study: 1 year Total credits: 120
Contact:
Prof GT Prinsloo
[email protected]
+27 (0)124202683

Programme information

The areas of specialisation include:

i) Ancient Culture Studies
ii) Biblical Languages
iii) Classical Languages
iv) Greek
v) Latin
vi) Semitic Languages

Admission requirements

A national first degree (BA degree) with a minimum of 360 credits.

 
 

 

 

 

Additional requirements

  1. Students registered for a four-year degree, may, in their final year of study, be admitted provided that they obtained the equivalent of 360 credits of which at least 120 credits should be at third-year level. In this instance, the BAHons in Ancient Languages and Culture Studies will be conferred only after all requirements for the four-year degree have been met.
  2. UP graduates: A minimum of 94 credits in any one of the areas of specialisation offered in the Department of Ancient Languages and Cultures, of which at least 30 credits should be at third-year level.
  3. Graduates from other universities: May be required to pass an admissions examination in their chosen area of specialisation to the satisfaction of the head of department before they will be allowed to register for the programme.
  4. An average of at least 60% at third-year level in one of the undermentioned major disciplines. Students who obtained a BA or equivalent qualification but who have not majored in any of the languages mentioned below will only be allowed to specialise in Ancient Culture Studies. If deemed necessary, the head of department may also require of such students to acquire a working knowledge of one or more of the relevant languages.

Minimum credits: 120

Fundamental modules

  • Module content:

    Students are required to develop a clearly defined research proposal on a topic of the student's own choice within one of the research fields/research projects in the department. The proposal should reflect a clear understanding of the different components of the research process (identification of a research problem, formulation of a hypothesis, choice of an appropriate research approach, formulation of clear research objectives, choice and application of an appropriate research methodology). The proposal should reflect that students understand the different types of research methodologies that can be used in investigating the Ancient World.

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Core modules

  • Module content:

    Research methodology in the study of the Ancient World
    Introduction to the process of doing research in various fields of the study of the Ancient World. Attention is paid to the following aspects: the identification of a research problem; the formulation of a hypothesis and the choice of an appropriate research approach; the formulation of clear research objectives; the choice and application of an appropriate research methodology.

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  • Module content:

    History of the Ancient World An in-depth study of selected aspects of the history of the Ancient World (depending upon a student’s specialisation and/or interest more attention will be paid to the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Egypt or Syria/Palestine OR the ancient Greco-Roman world). Language students will read capita selecta of relevant literature from the Hebrew/Greek/Latin literary corpus.

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  • Module content:

    Mythology and religion in the Ancient World A study of Ancient Near Eastern mythology and religious beliefs and their influence on African and Middle-Eastern culture and/or a study of the religion of ancient Israel and/or a study of Greco-Roman mythology and religious beliefs and its profound and ongoing influence upon Western arts. Attention is paid to both state and private religious practices in the Ancient World. Language students will read capita selecta of relevant literature from the Hebrew/Greek/Latin literary corpus.

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  • Module content:

    Social organisation and social values in the Ancient World An in-depth study of the social organisation of the Ancient World with special reference to themes such as world view, social classes, slavery, economics and government and/or a study of the social values that governed the cultures of the Ancient World. Specific reference is made to concepts such as space and spatiality, honour and shame, the polarity of holy/unholy, views about the group and the individual in ancient society and the role of race and gender in ancient societies. Depending upon a student’s area of specialisation the focus will fall on the Ancient Near East or the Greco-Roman world. Language students will read capita selecta of relevant literature from the Hebrew/Greek/Latin literary corpus.

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  • Module content:

    Verbal and non-verbal symbols in the Ancient World A study of literary theory/theories and genres, for instance: criteria for the critical analysis of narratives, poetry, epics and drama in the Ancient World and the study and interpretation of the visual representations of the Ancient World. Depending upon each student’s specialisation and/or interest more attention will be paid to the literature and iconography of the Ancient Near East or the Greco-Roman or the early Christian world. Special attention is paid to the overlapping between verbal and non-verbal symbols, especially how one can be used as aid to interpret the other. Language students will read capita selecta of relevant literature from the Hebrew/Greek/Latin literary corpus.

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The information published here is subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information. The General Regulations (G Regulations) apply to all faculties of the University of Pretoria. It is expected of students to familiarise themselves well with these regulations as well as with the information contained in the General Rules section. Ignorance concerning these regulations and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression.

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