Graduates from the Classics M.A. Program have gone on to top-ranked Ph.D. programs. Alumni are currently matriculating at Princeton, Columbia, Oxford, Yale, Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, the University of Virginia, and the University of Michigan. They are studying Classics, theology, liturgy, and religion, among other disciplines. So far, we have successfully placed all our graduates who have sought admission into Ph.D. programs.
Eighty-five percent of graduates from the Early Christian Studies Program have also gone on to top-ranked Ph.D. programs. Among the universities where ECS alumni have earned doctoral degrees or are currently students are Berkeley, Brown, Columbia, Catholic University of America, Chicago, Duke, Marquette, New York University, Oxford, Princeton, Princeton Theological Seminary, UCLA, and, of course, Notre Dame.
Graduates of the ECS program have entered doctoral programs in a large number of different fields of study, including ancient history, Armenian studies, Classics, early Christianity, historical theology, history, history of Christianity, late antiquity, literature, liturgical studies, medieval studies, Near Eastern studies, New Testament, Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, patristics, philosophy, political science, religious studies, Syriac studies, and theology.
Graduates have also won prestigious fellowships or gone on to study at renowned programs outside of the U.S. (recently, in Oxford and in Leuven).
The Classics MA program at Notre Dame was a fundamental step in my academic journey that reinforced my passion for the field and prepared me for my transition into a PhD program. Not only did the courses I took improve my language abilities, but they also introduced me to new topics and methodologies. However, the most valuable aspect of the program for me was the extensive research and teaching experience I received. I am undoubtedly a better teacher and more confident scholar today because of the skills I developed while studying at Notre Dame.
