All students must meet the Requirements for the Master's Degree
Overview
Our program emphasizes mastery of general philological skills in Greek and Latin, in preparation for further training at the doctoral level, teaching in public and private high schools, and a variety of other interesting paths. Current faculty research interests include Mycenaean and Homeric Greece; Greek and Latin lyric poetry; Greek drama; Attic orators; ancient literary criticism; Greek and Roman philosophy and intellectual history; Greek and Roman historiography; Latin epic and satire; Greek and Roman technical authors; Roman imperial families; mythology; the Ancient Near East and Egypt; ancient music and performance.
Specific Requirements
Requirements for Admission to Graduate Studies for the Degree of Master of Arts
An undergraduate major or minor or the equivalent; Greek and Latin language skills sufficient to take advanced courses (usually at least 2 years of each); a reading knowledge of a modern foreign language, usually French, German, or Italian.
Minimum Degree Requirements
| Track A (Non-Thesis) | ||
| 30 credits of graded course work in advanced courses in Greek, Latin, Classics, or approved credits in related fields; at least 6 credits of coursework must be at 6000-level. | ||
Most students should expect to follow Track A, since maximum exposure to language and literature is usually most beneficial at this stage-of-career. The development of research and writing samples for subsequent Ph.D. applications comes rather from 4 research papers (1 per semester).
| Track B (Thesis), by permission | ||
| 24 credits of graded course work in advanced courses in Greek, Latin, Classics, or approved credits in related fields. At least 6 credits of coursework must be at 6000-level. | ||
| 6 credits of thesis research (CLAS 6391) | ||
| Successful completion and defense of a master's thesis | ||
Track B (Thesis) is by permission of the Faculty, and is reserved for those with sufficiently advanced philological skill; minimally candidates must have passed the Greek and Latin Exams by the beginning of the third semester.
| Both Tracks | ||
| Comprehensive Examinations (see below) | ||
Comprehensive Examination
Comprehensive Exams may be taken in the first and last 2 weeks of Fall and Spring semesters. The Exams are in the following subjects:
- Greek and Latin sight translation of passages from the department’s reading list (this exam must be attempted at the start of the third semester; if not passed on the first attempt, it may be retaken at the start of the fourth)
- Greek and Roman History
- Literature and Philology
- Modern Language (student must demonstrate reading knowledge of German (preferred), French, or Italian, sufficient to conduct research in that language)
Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts
Completion of all requirements listed above for either the non-thesis or thesis Track.