Female student holding instrument at excavation site.

Archaeology and Biblical Studies

Program Overview
Admissions Requirements
Courses
Tuition & Aid

Prepare for a terminal degree that leads to a career in archaeology with Lipscomb University’s Master of Arts in Archaeology. In this program you will develop core knowledge, acquire skills and engage in professional experiences that will equip you to practice archaeology in the field or to teach in a humanities-based discipline.

Complete more than 200 hours of internship work in field schools, museum studies or lab work along with participation in at least one excavation season. Demonstrate your ability to design and independently pursue a viable research project through your thesis work. Through these experiences along with exploration of current research in archaeology, you will become an active member of the scholarly archaeological guild.

Program Foundations

Core Knowledge: Develop understanding of concepts, terms and theories, and explore the disciplines of archaeology and biblical archaeology, specifically how these disciplines interface.
Skill Acquisition: Learn in a real-world setting by participating in a field school overseas in the Middle East. Process and handle material culture in at least two lab courses.
Career Orientation: Become a competitive and attractive candidate for a Ph.D. program through primary research, membership in professional organizations and presentations at national and regional meetings of the profession.
Lifelong Learning: Cultivate a plan and ethos for learning for life with an emphasis on adapting to the changing modern world.

Archaeological Dig

Language Requirement

The study of languages is required for the Master of Arts in Archaeology and Biblical Studies. Prerequisites for the program require six units of either biblical Hebrew or New Testament Greek. Students are not required to have completed these languages upon acceptance into the program, but they are required to have taken these language requirements by the completion of their graduate program.

Thesis Work

Students have the option to complete a thesis as a part of the elective requirements for the degree. The thesis should demonstrate the ability to design a viable research project, pursue the research in relative independence and write with clarity and force. An acceptable thesis should go beyond the description of data and include critical evaluation and interpretive judgment.

Lanier Center for Archaeology

Students have full access to the resources of the Lanier Center for Archaeology (LCA), including the various research projects and museums that contribute to archaeological research on the campus of Lipscomb University. The LCA is made up of faculty in the Department of Archaeology as well as other departments in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Hazelip School of Theology. Its main purpose is to support archaeological research and field projects in the Ancient Near East.

Admissions Requirements

Ready to apply? Let’s get started. We’re here to help at every step. Applicants to the program must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and submit the following for admission review and enrollment:

Completed and submitted online application
$50 non-refundable application fee
Official college transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities (including graduate, if applicable)
Diagnostic examination
Two recommendations: at least one from a university professor and one from either a
a supervisor/employer or character reference (pastor, priest, mentor).
Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0
A research paper providing evidence of your academic work OR 750-1000 word essay about your career, your interest in archaeology, and how you would use the skills and learnings from our program professionally or personally.
Interview with faculty (on campus, virtually or by phone)

For transcripts, electronic copies can be emailed directly from your undergraduate institution to gradadmissions@lipscomb.edu.

If you are having a hard copy mailed, have it sent to:
Lipscomb University
Graduate Admissions
One University Park Drive
Nashville, TN 37204

International Students

Courses

Archaeology & Archaeological Method (18 hours)

Archaeology
ARCH 5103 Archaeology of Ancient Israel
ARCH 5203 Archaeology of the New Testament World

Archaeological Method/Theory
ARCH 5303 Archaeological Field Excavation Methods
ARCH 5403 Archaeological Practicum-Material Studies
ARCH 5503 Archaeological Method and Theory
ARCH 5603 Ceramic Analysis – Syro-Palestine

Biblical Backgrounds and History (6 hours)

GB 5183 History of Ancient Israel
or
GB 5193 History of the Second Temple Period

GB 5273 Social and Cultural Settings of Ancient Palestine
or
GB 5283 Social and Cultural Settings of Palestine during the Roman Period

Biblical and Cognate Languages (6 hours)

Either one year of introductory Hebrew or Greek or advanced Hebrew or Greek exegesis (depends on prerequisite Biblical language).

GB 5033/GB 5073 Biblical Greek I, II
or
GB 5043/GB 5063 Biblical Hebrew I, II
or
GB 5703/GB 5713 NT Greek Readings I, II
or
GB 5763/GB 5773 OT Hebrew Readings I, II

Thesis or Electives (6 hours)

Thesis and Research
ARCH 5902 Graduate Research Seminar
ARCH 599V Thesis
ARCH 6000 Thesis Continuation

Electives
Graduate courses in complementary areas approved by program director.

Prerequisites

Bible Backgrounds (Historical Geography)
Old Testament Interpretation (BI 4503 or equivalent)
New Testament Interpretation (BI 4513 or equivalent)
Biblical Language (Hebrew or Greek) (HB 1515/HB 1525 or GR 1515/GR 1525 or equivalent)

Tuition & Aid

Program tuition is $950* per credit hour.

You will have access to many scholarship opportunities offered to Lipscomb University students as well as internal departmental resources, on-campus employment and traditional sources of financial aid loans.

*Note: Graduate tuition rates may increase annually, effective at the start of the summer term.

Types of Aid

Student Loans

Federal Stafford Loan

A borrower must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment for at least six semester hours and must be working toward a degree or certificate. Loans must be actively accepted in myLipscomb in order to be applied as an expected payment to the student bill. Stafford Loans will not pay until the student has completed both Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note at studentloans.gov. Loans will not be credited to accounts until 30 days after classes begin or when a student begins the sixth credit hour, whichever comes last.

Graduate PLUS Loan

Private Loans

In addition to the federal loans outlined here, you may consider private loans made by banks and other financial institutions. It is recommended that private loans only be considered in instances where funding is needed in addition to any federal loans, as interest rates may be higher. Eligibility for these loans requires a credit check, and students are often required to have a cosigner to qualify.

Contact Information

Networking

Both our deeply connected faculty and our experiential learning opportunities offer myriad ways for you to form relationships with leaders in the industry. These connections will serve and support you throughout your career.

Ph.D. Preparation

Many individuals pursue a Master of Arts in Archaeology and Biblical Studies with the goal of obtaining a Ph.D. We have implemented a rigorous program to ensure that any student who graduates from our program is a competitive candidate for a doctoral program.

Nashville

A big city. An even bigger opportunity. We consider Nashville an extension of our classroom, and as a leading city in many industries, that means you’ll gain experience and insight you won’t find anywhere else.

Small Class Sizes

You’ll have opportunities to engage in meaningful discussion, receive one-on-one faculty mentorship and ask difficult questions in our small class sizes. Plus, you’ll feel supported in a tight-knit learning community.

Our Faculty

Steven Ortiz

Professor

Â Dr. Steven Ortiz is the Director of the newly established Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University where he is also a professor of archaeology and biblical studies. He was...
Meet Steven Ortiz
Thomas Davis

Dept Chair - Archaeology

Dr. Tom Davis has forty years of experience as an archaeologist, working extensively in Cyprus, the Near East, Egypt, Central Asia, and the United States. He started his archaeological career...
Meet Thomas Davis

Career Paths

Archaeologists

As contributing members of the scholarly guild, archaeologists participate in excavation projects, work in museums and conduct research in the lab. Many also teach archaeology or another humanities-based discipline.

Postsecondary Teachers

Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They may also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.