The Department of Egyptology at the Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies (IANES) emerged from the Egyptological Institute. It is one of the most renowned institutions of its kind in Germany and abroad. The range of courses covers the entire spectrum of Egyptology, both linguistically and in terms of cultural history. One research focus is the Greco-Roman period (especially temple inscriptions and demotic texts). An extensive collection is available for students to engage with ancient Egyptian artefacts.

Egyptology studys the high culture of ancient Egypt in all its facets, from architecture to history, religion, literature and art, to everyday objects, economic, and social history. Research and study are based on the material culture as well as on textual and visual sources. The field of Egyptology covers about 4000 years of history, from the onset of cultural development in the Nile Valley during the Predynastic period through the three millennia-long Pharaonic culture and the Hellenistic-Roman period to the early Christian-Coptic period.

Egyptology is one of the research-intensive subjects, resulting from the wide range of the subject area. Thus, the students are introduced to research at an early stage.