The University of Michigan was founded 1817 and permanently located in Ann Arbor in 1837. Today the University is one of a handful of public institutions which, together with the best of the private universities, comprise the leading group in American higher education. Although it is a state university and receives its primary funding from the State of Michigan, The University of Michigan relies heavily on private gifts and its research component is strongly supported by both private foundations and federal agencies. The University operates on a semester system.
Graduate tuition depends on the number of credit hours elected.
The University offers many ancillary services to students. General information about the University is contained in the brochure Information of Graduate Students and Application for Admission available from the Department or from the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. The Department of Near Eastern Studies is part of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, which administers its undergraduate programs leading to the B.A. degrees, and of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, which administers its graduate programs leading to M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The Department offers several programs of study at the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. levels, covering Near Eastern languages, literatures, civilizations, linguistics, history, Ancient studies, Biblical studies, Egyptology, Medieval Islamic history and Islamic studies.