Bachelor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven

University Rank:#21

The Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University is a Full Time Bachelor program offered at the university's main campus in New Haven , United States of America. The program is delivered on campus in English and can be completed in 4 years. Students develop academic knowledge and practical skills that prepare them for future careers in this field. The next available intake starts on August 31, 2027.

About Bachelor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations

Director of undergraduate studies: Kathryn Slanski ([email protected]); nelc.yale.edu

The major in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations is an interdisciplinary liberal arts major. Students acquire language proficiency and skills in critical analysis in order to study the long-lived and rich civilizations of the Near East, ranging from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, to the medieval Near East and classical Islam, to contemporary civilization represented by modern Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish.

We study the Near East for its own intrinsic literary, historic, and artistic achievements as well as its cultural and historical legacies. In addition, close engagement with the written and visual traditions of this complex region expands our ability to decipher developments and challenges in our modern world. Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations majors go on to careers in government, public policy, international finance, and academia, and the major provides a strong foundation for post-graduate study in foreign service, law, medicine, and education.

Languages offered by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations include Akkadian, Arabic, Armenian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Ottoman Turkish, Persian, Syriac, and Turkish. Students must complete a departmental placement examination before they can enroll in language courses offered by the department during a term, year, or summer abroad.

Requirements of the Major

There are two pathways to the major. Each requires twelve term courses, one of which is the senior requirement (see below). Working with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), students develop coherent programs of study in one of two concentrations.

Language and Civilization concentration This concentration is appropriate for students who wish to focus in depth on a particular language and/or civilization, such as ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia; the classical Near East or medieval Islam; or modern Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish. Richly contextualized through study of literature, religion, visual arts, archaeology, and political and social history, this pathway gives students the opportunity to explore Near Eastern civilization through in-depth study of languages and texts in their original languages.

Requirements include: six term courses in one or two Near Eastern languages; one NELC Foundations course; four NELC electives, chosen in consultation with the DUS (no more than two may be counted from other departments/program); and the senior project (see below).

Languages, Civilization, and Culture concentration This concentration is appropriate for students who wish to study Near Eastern languages and civilizations more broadly. It provides students flexibility to study the Near East in its historical and cultural breadth, and to explore its rich and long-lived civilizations and cultures comparatively. Working with the DUS, students in this concentration take a range of classes and design their course of study in line with their interests, which might prioritize multiple languages or focus on Near Eastern literature, history, religion, art and archaeology, or philosophy.

Requirements include: four term courses in NELC languages; two NELC Foundations courses; five NELC electives, including one on the ancient Near East, one on the medieval Near East, and one on the modern Middle East, chosen in consultation with the DUS (no more than three may be counted from other departments/programs); and the senior essay (see below).

NELC majors are also encouraged to take related courses in other departments and programs to complement their interests and round out their intellectual formation. These typically include courses in Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, History, History of Art, History of Science, Medicine and Public Health, Judaic Studies, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. Above all, complementary courses should be chosen according to the student's interests, ideally in consultation with the DUS or other faculty advisor. Such courses, including Residential College Seminars, may be approved at the discretion of the DUS toward the electives requirement for the major if they include substantial Near Eastern content and are relevant to the student's overall program of study.

Senior Requirement

The senior requirement is an opportunity for students to design and execute an independent research project, bringing to bear the intellectual curiosity as well as philological and analytic skills the student has honed during their time at Yale. It is also a chance to be mentored by a Yale faculty member who serves as advisor to the project, which typically culminates in an essay of about 25-35 pages (one-semester project) or 35-55 pages (year-long project). Conversations about the senior project should begin with the DUS in the fall of junior year, especially if the student plans to undertake summer research travel.

In certain circumstances and only with advanced written agreement of the instructor and the DUS, a research paper for an upper-level seminar may be developed and expanded to satisfy the senior requirement. In such cases, the project should constitute work substantially beyond the requirements of the seminar paper.

Each year the DUS provides majors with resources, guidelines, and a list of deadlines for both the one-semester and year-long senior project.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR

PrerequisitesNone

Number of courses12 term courses (including the senior project)

Distribution of coursesLanguage and Civilization concentration-6 term courses of up to 2 Near Eastern languages; 1 Foundations course; and 4 electives; Languages, Civilization, and Cultures concentration-4 term courses of 1 or more Near Eastern language courses; 2 Foundations courses; 5 NELC electives to include 1 ancient, 1 medieval, and 1 modern

Senior requirementSenior project, enrollment in NELC 492 and/or 493, or in an upper-level department seminar

Disciplines

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University

Entry Requirements

$80 application fee or fee waiver
Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor
School Report with transcript
Standardized test results (ACT or SAT) - not required for fall 2023 admission. (See below)
English proficiency test results - required for non-native English-speakers (See below)
Mid-Year Report & Final Report

See additional details about these required application components below.

Please note that if your application materials include any documents that are not in English, you must provide an official English translation in addition to the original documents.

$80 application fee or fee waiver

Applicants should pay the $80 application fee via the Common Application or Coalition Application website.

Applicants using the Common Application or Coalition Application may request that the application fee be waived. Learn more on the fee waiver page. The fee waiver scale is based on family size and income in US dollars but is applicable to all international students.

Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor

Request recommendations from two teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects (e.g. English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your final or next-to-final year of secondary school.

Also request a recommendation from your school’s college counselor. If your counselor does not know you well, the recommendation may still provide helpful contextual information about your school and its academic programs. If your school does not have someone serving as a college counselor, please request a recommendation from a school administrator such as a house master, principal, or academic advisor.

School Report with transcript

Your counselor or other school official should submit a School Report with an official transcript that includes all your secondary school courses. If a question on the School Report form is not applicable to your secondary school, leave it blank.

Recommendations and transcripts should be submitted electronically through the Common Application or Coalition Application website. If necessary, teachers and counselors may also submit their recommendations and transcripts via mail or digital upload. Recommendations may be sent before or after you submit your application; materials that arrive before your application will be kept on file. The admissions office will make reasonable allowances for late school documents in situations where it is not possible for teachers and counselors to meet the application deadlines.

Standardized test results

In response to the extraordinary circumstances associated with the pandemic, Yale has temporarily suspended its requirement that first-year and transfer applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT. The change will be in effect during the 2022-23 admissions cycles for applicants who intend to matriculate in fall 2023.

More information on Yale’s test policies is available on the standardized testing page. Standardized tests are just one component of a student’s application and are viewed within the context of the student’s entire file. There is no minimum score required for admission, nor is there a score that will guarantee admission.

English proficiency exams

Yale requires that non-native English-speakers who have not taken at least two years of secondary education where English is the medium of instruction submit the results from any of the proficiency tests listed below.

The TOEFL requires pre-registration for available testing dates. Yale’s most competitive applicants have scores of at least 100 on the internet-based TOEFL.

The IELTS offers proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have IELTS scores of 7 or higher.

Cambridge English exams are available at testing locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have Cambridge English scores of 185 or higher on the C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, or B2 First exams.

Applicants may submit the Duolingo English Test (DET), which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows applicants to complete the test at any time or place with internet access. Yale’s most competitive applicants have DET scores of at least 120.

InitialView provides live, unscripted video interviews that candidates may submit to colleges for consideration with other application materials. Interview times must be reserved in advance. There is no scoring associated with these interviews.

Mid-Year Report & Final Report

Students who do not receive new secondary school grades by February 1, including students who have already completed secondary school, are not required to submit a Mid-Year Report. This includes many international students. Applicants who receive new grades by February 1 should submit a Mid-Year Report.

Only admitted students are required to submit the Final Report, which provides final secondary school grades and examination marks. Admitted students submit the Final Report in the summer before fall matriculation.

If your secondary school provides predicted results for external exams such as A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, and other international or national testing organizations, they should be submitted by your school alongside your transcript or Mid-Year Report.

Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University

Application Fee 80

How to Apply for Bachelor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University

All applicants for first-year admission must submit one of the following:

The Coalition Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The Common Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The QuestBridge National College Match Application

Yale will accept any one of these applications, without preference for one over another. Students should submit one—and only one—application per admissions cycle.

Bachelor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven