The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the three most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
Overall score requirement : 4.5
Reading
4.5
Writing
4.5
Speaking
4.0
Listening
5.0
Overall score requirement : 100
Reading
22
Writing
21
Speaking
21
Listening
22
Overall score requirement : 7.0
Reading
6.5
Writing
6.5
Speaking
The Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies offers a unique interdisciplinary Master's program that allows students to develop a customized program specializing in any topic within the scope of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity through the completion of coursework and a thesis. Students choose from a broad range of coursework in the archaeology and material culture, religion and mythology, literature and ancient languages, and history and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. In the second year of the program, students write a thesis under the supervision of a faculty member. The degree balances research with fieldwork to best prepare students for a career in archaeology.
The program is suitable students with a broad background in the humanities, with an undergraduate degree that included significant coursework in our areas of specialization. It is also suitable for those who wish to undertake more advanced coursework, including ancient language training, in preparation for a doctoral program in Classics, Classical or Near Eastern Archaeology, or Religious Studies.
Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (AMNE) department will be hosting a virtual open house event for students interested in applying to our MA and PhD graduate programs to join our Fall 2026 cohort on Tuesday, November 4, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm PST over Zoom . Faculty members and current graduate students will be present to meet prospective students. Interested students may register on the AMNE Admissions website ( https://amne.ubc.ca/amne-virtual-open-house-for-prospective-students/ ).
If you have any questions about our graduate programs or the application process, please reach out to Sheri, the graduate program advisor, at amne.grad@ubc.ca .
For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website
The MA in Ancient Culture, Religion and Ethnicity takes full advantage of the unique blend of disciplines in our Department and offers students the opportunity to engage in a broad range of coursework and to pursue interdisciplinary research on the material culture, religious beliefs, languages and histories of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. We have sixteen full-time faculty specializing in the archaeology of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, Greek material culture, and the Roman provinces; in Hebrew Bible Studies, Jewish Studies, Christian origins, and New Testament Studies; in Greek literature and philosophy, Latin literature and translation, Greek and Roman history, Roman law, Greek and Roman theatre, and Greek mythology. Our faculty are all interdisciplinary researchers whose work regularly engages with other disciplines. There are also archaeological fieldwork opportunities for graduate students across Europe and the Mediterranean, including in Romania, Cyprus, and Israel.
The M.A. program requires 24 credits of coursework and the writing of an MA thesis worth 6 credits (AMNE 599). The 24 credits of coursework must include AMNE 500, and 18 must be numbered 500 or higher. The remaining 6 credits may, at the discretion of the program, be at the 300- or 400-level.
UBC Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (AMNE) will be hosting a virtual open house event for students interested in applying to our MA and PhD graduate programs to join our Fall 2026 cohort on Tuesday, November 4, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm PST over Zoom. Faculty members and current graduate students will be present to meet prospective students. Interested students may register on the AMNE Admissions website ( https://amne.ubc.ca/amne-virtual-open-house-for-prospective-students/ ). If you have any questions about our graduate programs or the application process, please reach out to Sheri, the graduate program advisor, at amne.grad@ubc.ca .
UBC Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (AMNE) will be hosting a virtual Graduate Admissions Q & A session on Thursday, November 13, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm PST. Prospective graduate students can ask specific questions about the nuts & bolts of the application process, funding, program requirements, etc. Interested students may register on the AMNE Admissions website ( https://amne.ubc.ca/amne-virtual-open-house-for-prospective-students/ ). If you have any questions about our graduate programs or the application process, please reach out to Sheri, the graduate program advisor, at amne.grad@ubc.ca .