Drea Brake
Job Title
Academic Coordinator & Sessional Faculty
Employer
University Canada West
Overview
Classical and Near Eastern archaeologists study the material culture of ancient Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Roman Empire both through fieldwork and the study of the history, culture, and literature of the period.
The Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies offers a unique interdisciplinary Master's program that allows students to specialize in archaeology through the completion of coursework, archaeological fieldwork, 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 from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity. 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.
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.
What makes the program unique?
The MA in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology is the only program in Canada to offer students the opportunity to engage in such 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 four full-time faculty and active field archaeologists specializing in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean, Greater Mesopotamia, Greece, and the Roman provinces. Our other faculty in Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies are interdisciplinary researchers whose work regularly engages with material culture. There are fieldwork opportunities for graduate students across Europe and the Mediterranean, including in Romania, Cyprus, and Israel.
We are an engaged department and are able to provide students with programs tailored to individual interests. Students will have frequent interaction with faculty and the academic community.
Quick Facts
Program Components Coursework + Thesis required
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
- Bablitz, Leanne (Roman history, Roman law, Roman courtrooms, , Roman social history and law, Roman topography, Roman legal procedure)
- Cooper, Elisabeth (Archaeology of greater Mesopotamia)
- Daniels, Megan (Archaeology of Greece and the broader eastern Mediterranean; Late Bronze Age to Hellenistic Period; Ancient religion, sanctuaries, votive objects; Cross-cultural interaction; Ancient economies and trade; Divine kingship; Digital/data science approaches to the ancient world, particularly ancient religion; Migration and mobility across Eurasia; Phoenician culture; Ceramic analysis; Archaeology of Greece and the broader eastern Mediterranean, Late Bronze Age to Hellenistic Period, Ancient religion, sanctuaries, votive objects, Cross-cultural interaction, Ancient economies and trade, Divine kingship, Digital/data science approaches to the ancient world, particularly ancient religion, Migration and mobility across Eurasia, Phoenician culture, Ceramic analysis)
- De Angelis, Franco (Ancient Greek world history, environment, urbanism, developmnet of societies, colonization, economics, ancient literature)
- Fisher, Kevin (Archeological Data Analysis; Archeological Excavation Methods and Techniques; architecture; built environments; digital archaeology; Dynamics of Social Transformations; Mediterranean archaeology; Near Eastern archaeology; power; Social Life / Societal Life; social interaction; Urban Spaces and Urbanity; urbanism; Archeological Data Analysis, Archeological Excavation Methods and Techniques, Architecture, Built environments, Digital archaeology, Dynamics of Social Transformations, Mediterranean archaeology, Near Eastern archaeology, Power, Social Life / Societal Life, Social interaction, Urban Spaces and Urbanity, Urbanism)
- Gardner, Gregg (Judaism, Rabbinic Literature, Rabbinic Judaism, Mishnah, Talmud, Jewish Studies, Jewish Law, Jewish Ethics, Charity, Jewish Ethics, Archaeology of Israel, Archaeology and Hebrew Bible, Archaeology of Jerusalemn)
- Griffin, Michael (Greek philosophy, Ancient philosophy, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Proclus, Neoplatonism, Ancient logic)
- Huemoeller, Katharine (Ancient law (in theory and in practice); Documentary texts; gender and sexuality; Non-urban life in antiquity; Roman social history; Slavery (ancient and comparative); Ancient law (in theory and in practice), Documentary texts, Gender and sexuality, Non-urban life in antiquity, Roman social history, Slavery (ancient and comparative))
- Marshall, Toph (Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Performance and Theatrical Productions; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis, Performance and Theatrical Productions)
- McCarty, Matthew (Roman archaeology; Roman history; Africa; Europe; postcolonialism; Marginalized peoples; Religion; Roman archaeology, Roman history, Africa, Europe, Postcolonialism , Marginalized peoples, Religion)
- McElduff, Siobhan (Ancient and modern translation, history of the book)
- Milstein, Sara (biblical and cuneiform law; Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Studies; History of Major Eras, Great Civilisations or Geographical Corpuses; literary history of the Bible; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Mesopotamian literature; Near Eastern scribal culture; Religious Contexts; Biblical and cuneiform law, Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Studies, History of Major Eras, Great Civilisations or Geographical Corpuses, Literary history of the Bible, Literary or Artistic Works Analysis, Mesopotamian literature, Near Eastern scribal culture, Religious Contexts)
- Philbrick, Rachel (Latin poetry; Greek poetry; genre; Textual authority and credibility; Intertextuality; Latin poetry, Greek poetry, Genre, Textual authority and credibility, Intertextuality)
- Schneider, Thomas (Egyptian history and phonoly)
- Soon, Isaac (Early Christianity and New Testament; Early Christianity and New Testament)
- Yoo, Philip (Religion and religious studies; Hebrew Bible; Second Temple Judaism; Religion and religious studies, Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism)
- Yoon, Florence (heralds and the representation of the absent; anonymity and naming, particularly in Greek Tragedy; props and silent characters in Greek drama)
Intake
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