Program of Study

The M.A. in Classics program is designed to be completed in two years.

Students are required to enroll in three courses (nine credits of coursework) each semester for a total of 12 courses. There are five core courses and seven electives.

Once in the program, students take an additional one-credit M.A. proseminar every year, which covers a variety of fields and research approaches in the field. This leads to a total of 38 credits.

Language Prerequisites

Students must fulfill specific language requirements before being admitted to the program:

• Language 1 (Greek or Latin): Complete at least one advanced course beyond the intermediate level.

• Language 2 (Greek or Latin): Ideally, be ready to begin advanced-level coursework. However, we are open to considering applicants who have completed only the beginning sequence and still need to take intermediate courses.

• Conditional Admission: If a student did not have any prior exposure to Language 2, they may be admitted conditionally. In such cases, they must complete Latin I and II or Greek I and II through our summer courses before starting the program in the fall.

Capstone Requirement

Students may choose between

• Writing a master’s thesis during the second and third semesters

• Passing an oral examination on two selected topics of the ancient world during their fourth semester

Students opting to write a six-credit M.A. thesis will take only five electives.

Language Examinations

Students must pass translation exams in both Greek and Latin by their fourth semester. The exam is based on readings from one survey course in one language and a sight translation in the other.

Modern Language Proficiency

Students must demonstrate reading proficiency in French, German, or Italian by taking a language exam offered by the relevant department or passing a French, German, or Italian reading course.