Byzantine Studies

Byzantine studies are one strand within the graduate program in medieval history offered in the History Department. Graduate seminars on Byzantine topics are offered at least once a year, and a seminar on Greek palaeography and Byzantine textual scholarship every two to three years. A graduate student reading group meets weekly throughout the academic year to read Byzantine texts of interest to the participants. In addition, there is a lively schedule of academic events, such as visiting lectures and conferences.

Faculty who offer courses relevant to Byzantine studies include:
Professor Claudia Rapp, History (Byzantine history and culture)
Professor Michael Morony, History (Sasanians, early Islam)
Professor Gabi Piterberg (Ottoman history)
Professor Peter Stacey (Mediterranean history, Renaissance history)
Professor Sharon Gerstel, Art History (Byzantine art)
Professor Peter Cowe, NELC (Armenian)
Professor Gail Lenhoff, Slavic Languages and Literatures (medieval Rus)

Late Antiquity

Late Antiquity is offered as a doctoral focus of the graduate program in ancient history in the History Department. Students who specialize in late antiquity usually combine this interest with either Roman history or with medieval history. Several graduate seminars are usually offered in any given year. For more than a decade, UCLA students have benefited from a multi-campus consortium in late antique studies that brings together faculty and graduate students from several campuses for reading group meetings, video-conferenced courses, visiting lectures and conferences, making California (with its southern center at UCLA) a hub of late antique studies, matched only by the East Coast corridor.

Faculty with relevant specializations include:
Professor Ra’anan Boustan, History (Judaism, history of religions)
Professor Claudia Rapp, History (late antiquity)
Professor Kathryn McDonnell, Classics (Roman material culture)
Professor Michael Morony History (Sasanians, early Islam)
Professor Sharon Gerstel, Art History (early Christian art)
Professor Jacco Dieleman, NELC (Demotic, Coptic)
Professor Yona Sabar, NELC (Syriac, Aramaic)
Professor Peter Cowe, NELC (Armenian)
Professor David Blank, Classics (late antique philosophy)