Degree Requirements

Master of Arts

Course requirements are thirty-three semester hours of coursework, including the report course, which is a one-semester course of supervised research. No more than nine hours of upper-division coursework may be included in the program. The program of coursework is planned individually by the student in consultation with the graduate adviser. At least eighteen semester hours must be in Greek, Latin, or both. At least six semester hours of supporting work is required, either in classics or in related fields such as anthropology, art history, comparative literature, geography, history, linguistics, and philosophy. The master’s degree student has no formal qualifying examinations before beginning the report.

Doctor of Philosophy

Admission to the doctoral program is subject to the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee and normally requires a Master of Arts degree with a major in classics or a closely related field. The department awards the PhD in classics, and all students must demonstrate competence in both Greek and Latin. Students with a special interest in classical archaeology or ancient philosophy may pursue a concentration in either area.

Course requirements. There are no universal course requirements. A broad and changing menu of seminars provides training in many areas of study and methods of research. Students who concentrate in classical archaeology or ancient philosophy have special course requirements, which are described on the department’s Web site .

Examination requirements. To be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree, students must pass the following written examinations: translation in Greek; translation in Latin; Greek history; Roman history; Greek literature (followed by an oral examination); Latin literature (followed by an oral examination); translation in German; and translation in a second modern language. A timetable with the recommended schedule for completion of the PhD requirements is available on the department's Web site .

Students who concentrate in ancient philosophy must pass the same written and oral examinations as above; however, instead of the Greek history or Roman history examination, students must pass an examination in ancient philosophy.

Students who concentrate in classical archaeology must pass the following written examinations: translation in Greek or in Latin; Greek archaeology; Roman archaeology; Greek history; Roman history; translation in German; and translation in a second modern language.