In addition to the MA awarded within the PhD program, NELC offers an independent (terminal) MA degree in Biblical Studies, which is one of the tracks in NELC's graduate program in Hebrew and Judaic Studies. This track offers advanced study of the languages and philology of the Hebrew Bible as well as the history and archaeology of ancient Israel in its Near Eastern context.
Students admitted to the MA program are assigned a faculty advisor to guide their studies. Courses, selected in consultation with the advisor, will normally be completed in three semesters. All students, regardless of their concentration, must master at least one of the languages in which the primary sources of NELC's subfields are written. Standards vary by subfield.