Program and Degree Requirements
What are the requirements for admission? Applicants to the Program should have a B.A. or equivalent in Classics or Classical Civilization, which normally means that you have had at least three years of one classical language and two of the other. Majors in other disciplines (e.g., Comparative Literature, History, Philosophy, or interdisciplinary fields such as Women's Studies) are welcome, provided they have sufficient background in Greek and Latin. All applicants must submit Graduate Record Exam (G.R.E.) scores and must have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 or the equivalent. If you have completed an M.A. in Classics at another institution, you may be admitted with advanced standing and may have the course requirements reduced from the normal three years to two or one. The level of course reduction will be determined by progress evaluation exams administered in the Spring quarter of each year.
What would my program of study be like? All students are admitted directly into a program leading to the Ph.D. degree. With the exception of those granted advanced standing because they hold the M.A. degree from another institution, students will be concurrently enrolled in the M.A./Ph.D. program.
Course requirements for the M.A. degree are two years (six quarters) of course work. Minimum course requirements are four quarters of Classics 200A-B-C, and 201; four quarters of Classics 205; and four quarters of Classics 220. The normal courseload is three 200 level courses each quarter, which may be reduced as determined by progress evaluation exams administered in the Spring quarter of each year to students in course work. On approval by the Tri-Campus faculty students may take external graduate seminars in relevant areas outside of Classics (at any of the three participating campuses). Other requirements for the M.A. degree are a special set of M.A. examinations, submission of a research paper, and demonstration of a reading knowledge of either German, French, Italian, or equivalent language, by examination or other means. The M.A. may be a terminal degree. At the end of one's M.A. studies a positive vote of the faculty is necessary for continuation in the Ph.D. program.
For the Ph.D. degree a third year of coursework is required. The minimum course requirements for the Ph.D. degree are four quarters of Classics 200A-B-C, and 201; five quarters of Classics 205; and six quarters of Classics 220 or an equivalent course. The normal courseload in the third year is three graduate level courses each quarter, for which Independent Study (Classics 280) under the supervision of a faculty member may be substituted. Students at this level are also required to take two external graduate seminars in departments or programs outside the Tri-Campus program. (These may be taken from the offerings of any of the three campuses.) Students must demonstrate reading proficiency in a second modern language by the end of the third year. In order to become a candidate for the Ph.D. and enter the dissertation stage, a student must pass an individually designed set of qualifying examinations, consisting of written examinations in Greek and Latin translation, history, history of literature, and a written examination or a lengthy paper in a "special area," consisting of a special author or special topic, and a final oral examination. These exams should be completed by the end of the fourth year. The expected time for the completion of the Ph.D. is six years. Experience in supervised teaching and/or research activity is normally required during your course of study.
Today, universities and colleges are demanding well-trained Classical philologists who are also familiar with the recent movements in literary and sociological theory and are skilled in the use of computer technology in their teaching and research. Our requirements are carefully designed to prepare students for Classical studies in the decades to come without compromising the traditional rigor of the field. The UC Tri-Campus program is purposely small, so that every student will be assured of close personal attention in the attainment of these goals. Tri-Campus graduate students have a voice in the Program through their elected Graduate Representative.