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  2. Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology
a tourist taking a photo inside the egyptian museum

Welcome to the Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology (SEA)

The department aims to provide quality education to students from Egypt and the world and to engage in scholarly research and publication relevant to the department’s disciplines and to Egypt, the wider Arab World, and beyond. It also strives to provide appropriate community service, participation in development programs and activities, and efforts toward the preservation of cultural heritage.

Grounded in the traditions of the liberal arts and sciences, the department’s programs contribute to the development of critical thinking, reflect the changing conditions of the world, foster a global perspective and respect for human diversity, enhance a holistic understanding of peoples and their societies and cultures, and assist in the development of socially-aware and culturally-sensitive citizens.


More About SEA

The Study of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology

Manuel Schwab, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology, discusses how these three disciplines connect to life's bigger questions.

Programs Offered

Man Reading Newspaper

Anthropology: BA

Anthropology offers interpretations of all aspects of human life. Cultural anthropology, one of the four traditional subfields of the discipline, seeks to understand human life-worlds in all their variation across time and space using people’s lived experiences, practices, ideas, and explanations as a principal source of knowledge about the world.
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a tourist taking a photo inside the egyptian museum

Egyptology: BA

Egyptology is the scientific study of ancient Egypt's history and culture, from the earliest times to the Arab conquest, a time span of some 4,600 years. The program covers all aspects of ancient Egyptian civilization, from language and religion to art, architecture, social structure, and heritage management, and provides the first-hand experience of ancient monuments and sites.
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Sociology Classroom

Sociology: BA

Sociology is the systematic study of society with particular attention to social interaction and the social making of humans. It investigates the forces that hold society together and threaten to pull it apart by analyzing interaction at every level, from micro-group interaction to competition of nation-states.
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a woman in a museum

Egyptology-Coptology: MA

AUC’s Egyptology-Coptology program provides students with a unique opportunity to visit sites and museums and interact directly with Egypt’s ancient heritage. Students also gain insight and experience from leading international experts in Cairo on a wide range of topics, from language and religion to art, architecture, the social structure of the ancient Egyptians, and heritage issues
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Development Studies minor

Development Studies Minor

The purpose of the development studies minor is to offer students an introduction to the various social, political, economic, and cultural factors related to the process of development. The approach is interdisciplinary and comparative, with a primary emphasis on development-related issues.
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Community Development

Community Development and Organizing Minor

The minor in Community Development provides students with theoretical and practical knowledge that enhances their understanding and vision of a strong civil society, one that is engaged and participatory.
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Alexandria Beach

Sociology - Anthropology: MA and Graduate Diploma

Located at the heart of the Middle East, the faculty and students engage critically with the region and the representation of its people, cultures, and politics. The program seeks to provide a thorough foundation in the principles of Sociology and Anthropology while also developing critical skills for a wide range of real-world professional situations. It offers a unique opportunity for students to conduct original research amidst an intellectually stimulating environment.
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Faculty

Ian

Ian
Morrison

Chair, Department of Sociology, Egyptology, and Anthropology. Principal Investigator, Extimacies: Critical Theory from the Global South The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Helen
Rizzo

Associate Professor and Sociology Unit Head

Ramy M.K.
Aly

Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Anthropology Unit Head
Salima Ikram Faculty Professor

Salima
Ikram

Distinguished University Professor

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Salima Ikram

AUC's Salima Ikram Involved in Major Mummy Finding That May Alter History

October 27, 2021

A mummy suspected to belong to an ancient nobleman, discovered in 2019 by a Charles University archaeological mission led by archaeologist Mohamed Megahed, Charles University, Czech Republic, and including Salima Ikram (YAB '86), distinguished University professor of Egyptology, may actually date back 1,000 years earlier than initially believed, a fact that could drastically change the history of mummification. Since the discovery was announced, it has been picked up by news outlets across the globe.

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Publications

Kingship, Power, and Legitimacy in Ancient Egypt

Kingship, Power, and Legitimacy in Ancient Egypt: from the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom

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book cover

A History of World Egyptology

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Academic Support

Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology is available to support you and answer questions Sunday through Thursday 9 am- 3 pm.

For Student Inquiries and arranging zoom one to one meetings

Shorouk El Sayed

Email: shorouk.elsayed@aucegypt.edu