Diploma in Ancient Worlds

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If you are interested in learning more about the culture, customs, and history of the Ancient World (pre-dating the Middle Ages), then this new diploma program is for you!

People who have never taken a university course, or have not done so at Memorial University, will have the opportunity to begin with entry-level study of courses in Archaeology, Classics, History, Religious Studies, and Philosophy before proceeding to more advanced study. The program also includes field school courses to be chosen from two field schools offered by the Department of Archaeology. The reasonably short duration (27 credits) of the Diploma will provide students with an achievable goal that can be the foundation for entry into a Bachelor of Arts program; will better prepare some students for graduate school; may coincide with an existing undergraduate student’s program of study; or may be a supplement for university alumni and lifelong learners.

A sample of course titles within the diploma are:

  • ARCH 2481 Ancient Civilizations of the Americas
  • HIST 2042 History of the Roman Empire (same as Classics 2042)
  • PHIL 2701 History of Ancient Philosophy (same as Classics 2701)
  • RELS 3600 Ancient Myth and Cult (same as Classics 3600)

Regulations for the Diploma in Ancient Worlds

As part of the Diploma in Ancient Worlds, students must complete courses up to and including the 3000 level and may take courses at the 4000 level.

The Diploma in Ancient Worlds consists of 27 credit hours, as prescribed below:

  • ARCH 1000 or the former 1030, 2480, and 2583 (or the former 3583)
  • 18 credit hours from Approved Courses for the Diploma in Ancient Worlds, which must include 3 credit hours in at least two of Classics, History, Religious Studies, Philosophy. This may include no more than 6 credit hours in designated Language Study courses and no more than 6 additional credit hours from Archaeology.
Table 1 Approved Courses for the Diploma in Ancient Worlds
  • ARCH 1030 Introduction to Archaeology and Bioarchaeology (required course)
  • ARCH 2480 Principles of Archaeology (required course)
  • ARCH 2481 Ancient Civilizations of the Americas
  • ARCH 3687 The Archaeology of Death
  • ARCH 3290 Newfoundland and Labrador Prehistory
  • ARCH 3500 Prehistory of Africa, Asia and Europe I
  • ARCH 3505 Prehistory of Africa, Asia and Europe II
  • ARCH 3510 Prehistory of the New World
  • ARCH 3515 Prehistory of Mesoamerica
  • ARCH 3580 Bronze Age Archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean
  • ARCH 3585-3586 Archaeology Field School (required course: choose ARCH 3585 or 3586)
  • Any CLASSIC course (CLAS): consult current calendar for full listings
  • HIST 2020 Ancient Near Eastern History
  • HIST 2031 Ancient Asian History
  • HIST 2035 History of Classical Greece
  • HIST 2041 History of the Roman Republic
  • HIST 2042 History of the Roman Empire
  • HIST 3270 Christianity and the Roman Empire (1-4th century)
  • HIST 3930 Byzantine History to 1453
  • PHIL 2701 History of Ancient Philosophy
  • PHIL 3730 Plato
  • PHIL 3740 Aristotle
  • RELS 1050 Intro to Biblical Hebrew I
  • RELS 1051 Intro to Biblical Hebrew II
  • RELS 1060 Sanskrit Language Study I
  • RELS 1061 Sanskrit Language Study II
  • RELS 2050 Introduction to the Old Testament
  • RELS 2051 Introduction to the New Testament
  • RELS 2420 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy and Religion
  • RELS 3010 Greek Religion
  • RELS 3020 Roman Religion
  • RELS 3031 The Book of Genesis
  • RELS 3091 Visions of Human Suffering in the Hebrew Bible
  • RELS 3251 The Gospel of John
  • RELS 3305 The Religion of Ancient Israel
  • RELS 3310 Judaism at the Beginning of the Christian Era
  • RELS 3431 Readings in Daoism
  • RELS 3432 Confucius and Confucianism
  • RELS 3600 Ancient Myth and Cult
  • RELS 3412 Teachings of the Upanishads
  • RELS 3411 The Ramayana

Note: Not all courses are offered every semester. Students are strongly advised to consult with the program coordinator for assistance with course planning, and to generally follow Table 2 Suggested Course Sequencing for the Diploma in Ancient Worlds.

Table 2: Suggested Course Sequencing for the Diploma in Ancient Worlds
  • First 9 credit hours: ARCH 1030, 6 credit hours in Table 1 courses (breadth encouraged)
  • Next 9 credit hours: ARCH 2480, 6 credit hours in Table 1 courses (breadth encouraged)
  • Final 9 credit hours: ARCH 3585 or 3586, 6 credit hours in Table 1 courses (ensure Diploma minimum of two of Classics, History, Religious Studies and Philosophy; no more than 6 credit hours in Language Study courses; no more than a total of 15 credit hours in Archaeology)

Admission Info

Students wishing to declare a Diploma in Ancient Worlds are encouraged to consult with the program coordinator to discuss the requirements of the program. Information about declaring a program of study in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is available at iDeclare.

Program Coordinator

For more information students are invited to contact the Program Coordinator. Please see http://www.mun.ca/hss/about/contact/coordinators.php for current contact information.

Upcoming Courses in the Diploma

To look for course offerings in upcoming semesters please visit http://www.mun.ca/hss/courses.php