Egyptology encompasses the culture and history of Ancient Egypt from the Predynastic period (4th millennium BCE) to the Coptic Late Antique era. Its foundations rest on a rich corpus of textual sources – preserved in various linguistic and script traditions on inscribed monuments, papyri, and other media – and on the extensive material record, including temples, tombs, settlements, and objects such as sculpture, stelae, vessels, and furniture. Research seeks to reconstruct Ancient Egyptian culture in its full breadth; accordingly, the degree subject engages with historical, archaeological, social, religious, cultural, art-historical, literary, and linguistic questions. Language proficiency is expanded and deepened throughout the course of study.

The Egyptology degree subject at Basel is distinguished by its strengths in cultural studies, archaeology, and philology/linguistics. Teaching covers foundational areas including language (Classical Egyptian, Old Egyptian, Late Egyptian, Demotic and Coptic, together with hieratic and demotic scripts), as well as the history, religion, and monumental culture of all periods. Although the degree subject rests primarily on textual and literature-based study, it also includes excursions to museums and, where appropriate, participation in archaeological excavations.

Research at Basel focuses on archaeology (Valley of the Kings, Theban Necropolis, Deir el-Medina), religion (funerary practices and equipment, personal piety, ritual, funerary texts), history (social history, cultural contact), writing and iconography, as well as philology and linguistics.