Q: What should I do if I want to become an Egyptologist?
A: There is no simple answer to this question, so all I can provide here are a couple of general guidelines. The chapter "World Wide Ancient Egypt" contains a list of universities (colleges) where Egyptology is being taught, sorted by continent. Please note that this list is not to be considered as complete.
I can not recommend any of these universities, as I do not know the exact contents of the courses they offer. In your search for a college, you may want to take the following into consideration:
- are the teachers known Egyptologists?
- is there a specific topic in Egyptology that interests you, and is there a university that will pay more attention to that?
- are there several teachers that offer Egyptology-related courses?
- what is the ratio between general and specific courses? Is this ratio acceptable to you?
- is one of the Egyptology teachers or is the college involved in archaeological surveys in Egypt or Sudan and can students participate in these surveys?
- does the college have its own Egyptian collection or is it closely related to a museum that has an Egyptian collection?
There may also be practical considerations, such as "how much will it cost" or "is there a college near where I live"…
Q: What are the prospects when one has graduates as an Egyptologist?
A: If you want to become rich and famous, then you should try a carreer in show business. If your passion is rather to dig through the past, either literally or in a library, then Egyptology might just be what you are looking for.
There is lot of work to be done by Egyptologists. Unfortunately, many people and even universities may consider Egyptology as a non-productive science, so there is not always enough money to pay for this research. Many people with a degree in Egyptology will not make a career as an Egyptologist.
This, however, should not discourage you from wanting to become an Egyptologist.