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We welcome applications from students interested in graduate studies in any听area of classics, including philology, literature, history, philosophy, drama and performance, archaeology and听religion. The MA Program in Classics听is听designed to听prepare students for PhD programs听in any field听related to Classical Studies.听Our program is flexible and inclusive, and it is set up to accommodate students from various academic backgrounds and levels of preparation.听There is even an accelerated option for applicants with limited exposure to classical languages.听We have a听successful track record听placing students in the most competitive doctoral programs in North America, including Princeton, University of Chicago, University of Southern California, New York University, and Harvard.
Thesis option or Non-Thesis Option?
Master's students in the Classics program have听the option of writing a master's thesis under the direct supervision of a member of the Graduate Faculty听(Thesis option), or completing a learned master's degree that stresses graduate coursework听(Non-Thesis option). Both options emphasize rigorous training in听Greek and Latin language听and the development of听research methods and skills.听The thesis option is designed for students with very strong background preparation in ancient languages, who wish to refine their research and other technical skills. Only Students who have taken advanced language classes in both Greek and Latin can apply to the Thesis Option.听The non-thesis option is a course-intensive program designed for students who need to improve their ancient languages and other research and technical skills. The non-thesis option is recommended for most incoming MA students. Incoming students in the non-thesis option usually have advanced proficiency in at least one of the ancient languages and can enrol immediately in graduate Greek or Latin courses.听
What is the Accelerated track?
The accelerated track is designed specifically for students who have no background in ancient Greek or ancient Latin, and even for those who have limited or no background in both ancient languages.听Many graduate programs in classical studies, especially PhD programs but also many MA program, require incoming students to have two, three, or even four years of both Greek and Latin in order to be accepted. However, it听is not unusual for听students to become interested in ancient Greek or Roman history,听philosophy, literature, art or archaeology who were unable to obtain proficiency in Greek or Latin during their undergraduate program, or who did know until the end of their BA that ancient language training is necessary for graduate studies in any field related to classics. The accelerated track is designed to prepare students with limited language training to be competitive for top PhD programs within seven terms (including summer). To this end Accelerated Track students can only enrol in the Non-Thesis option.
How does it work? A student in the accelerated track enrols in the Summer Intensive Language Program, registering in Intensive Introductory Ancient Greek or Intensive Introductory Latin--or both--depending on the student's needs. The student then enrols in the MA Classics (non-thesis option) in the fall term, taking a combination of graduate seminars and ancient language courses. By the end of the second year, the student will have advanced standing in both Greek and Latin as well as completing the degree requirements for their MA program.
What are the program requirements?
Refer to the听Graduate Programs听page for details on the program requirements.
What subjects can I research?
Main areas of graduate supervision include:
- Archaic Greek History and Poetry
- Classical Greek History and Literature
- Hellenistic History and Literature
- Roman Republican History
- Early Imperial Roman Literature
- Greek and Roman Religion
- Greek and Roman Historiography
- Comparative ancient history听(Greece, Rome and China)
- Classical archaeology
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