MA Egyptology

This 60-credit is a compulsory part of the online Masters in Egyptology at the University of Manchester. It will take the form of a 12,000 words piece of independently written research, produced to the accepted academic standards of the University in terms of presentation, structure and source material. While the students will be required to chose from a pool of three research topics, they are free to direct their research in different directions under the aegis of the pre-set topics. The resultant dissertation show be used as an opportunity to highlight and demonstrate the skillsets (academic writing, correct referencing, source review and critical thinking) which the students have acquired during the course. 

Historical Studies of Ancient Egypt; Urbanism in Ancient Egypt; Art and Artists in Ancient Egypt.

The unit aims to:

Students will have the opportunity to discuss their project with their supervisor via monthly Skype meetings during Year 2 of the Master of Egyptology. The supervisors will also be reachable via email.

Students will have the opportunity to discuss their project with their supervisor through one or more Skype meetings during Year 2 of the Master of Egyptology and a dedicated discussion board set up for each student. The supervisors will also be reachable via email.

• Demonstrate an excellent command of the scholarly literature and primary source material relevant to their topic.
• Display an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the corpus of primary source material (written, iconographic and archaeological).

• Correctly and coherently formulate a complex argument and line of reasoning throughout their dissertation leading to a well-evidenced and pertinent conclusion.
• Demonstrate an appropriate level of critical thinking in terms of source selection and discussion.

• Correctly and consistently reference using the preferred University of Manchester referencing system.
• Demonstrate an ability to build upon and expanding a pre-set bibliography.

• Effectively manage their time and produce a productive research plan.
• Demonstrate the ability to select pertinent primary and secondary data sources consistently.

Dissertation 12000 words

Written mark and feedback received following the examiner's meeting 

Biggam, J. 2017. Succeeding with your Masters Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Handbook. Open University Press: London.

Blair, L. 2016. Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertation. Sense Publishers: Rotterdam.

Furseth, I. and Everett, E. L. 2013. Doing your Master’s Dissertation: From Start to Finish. SAGE: London.

Rudestam, K. E. and Newton, R. R. 2015. Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process. SAGE: Los Angeles.

Winstanley, C. 2009. Writing a Dissertation for Dummies. Wiley: Chichester.