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This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Master of Arts in Classics

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Classics

University requirements for the master's degree are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

I and II. Language and Literature, and Philosophy Fields of Study—Students who have completed an undergraduate major in Classics (Greek, Latin, or Greek and Latin fields of study) or equivalent may be accepted as candidates for the M.A. degree in Classics and may expect to complete the program in twelve months (usually three quarters of course work plus three months study for the thesis or examination). Students with an undergraduate major in Classics (Ancient History or Classical Studies fields of study) or without an undergraduate major in Classics may also be accepted as candidates, though they may require a longer period of study before completing the requirements for the degree. These requirements are:

  1. Attaining a standard of scholarship such as would be reached by three quarters of study in the department after fulfilling the requirements for an undergraduate major in the department. Normally, this means completing at least 25 units of graduate courses and 20 additional units of work at the 100 level or higher.
  2. Completion of one Greek course at the 100 level (if the undergraduate major field of study was Latin) or one Latin course at the 100 level (if the undergraduate major field of study was Greek). This requirement is waived for students with an undergraduate major in Classics (Greek and Latin field of study).
  3. Passing an examination testing the candidate's ability to translate into English from a selected list of Greek and/or Latin authors.
  4. Completion of the 275A,B sequence in at least one language (Latin or Greek).
  5. Writing a thesis, or passing of an examination on a particular author or topic, or having written work accepted by the graduate committee as an equivalent. Three completed and satisfactory seminar papers are normally an acceptable equivalent.
  6. A reading examination in French or German; these examinations are administered every quarter.
  7. Completion and approval of a Program Proposal for a Master's Degree form before the end of the first quarter of enrollment.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree may also, on the recommendation of the department, become candidates for the M.A. degree. In this case, requirement 5 above is waived provided that the student has completed some work beyond the course requirements listed under requirements 1 and 2 above.

III. Classical Archaeology—Students who have completed an undergraduate major in Classics with a Classical Archaeology field of study, or in a closely related field, may be accepted as candidates for the M.A. degree in Classics with a Classical Archaeology field of study, and may expect to complete the program in twelve months (usually three quarters of course work plus three months study for the thesis or examination). Students without an undergraduate major in Classics with a Classical Archaeology field of study may also be accepted as candidates, though they may require a longer period of study before completing the requirements for the degree. These requirements are:

  1. Attaining a standard of scholarship such as would be reached by three quarters of study in the department after fulfilling the requirements for an undergraduate major in the department. Normally, this means completing at least 25 units of graduate courses and 20 additional units of work at the 100 level or higher.
  2. Completion with a grade of 'B' or higher of at least 15 units of graduate-level courses in classical archaeology, not including CLASSART 302.
  3. Passing an examination designed to test the candidate's ability to translate into English from either ancient Greek or Latin.
  4. Completion with a grade of 'B' or higher of CLASSART 302, Classical Archaeology: Experiences of the Discipline, or an equivalent course on the history of thought in classical archaeology approved by the Classics department's graduate committee.
  5. Writing a thesis, or passing an exam on a particular topic, or having written work accepted by the graduate committee as an equivalent. Three completed and satisfactory seminar papers are normally an acceptable equivalent.
  6. Passing a reading examination in French, German, or Italian. These examinations are administered every quarter.
  7. Completion and approval of a Program Proposal for a Master's Degree form before the end of the first quarter of enrollment.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree may also, on the recommendation of the department, become candidates for the M.A. degree. In their case, requirement 5 above is waived provided that the student has completed some work beyond the course requirements listed under requirements 1 and 2 above.

IV. Ancient History—Students who have completed an undergraduate major in Classics with a Classical Archaeology field of study, or in a closely related field may be accepted as candidates for the M.A. degree in Classics with an Ancient History field of study, and may expect to complete the program in twelve months (usually three quarters of course work plus three months study for the thesis or examination). Students without an undergraduate major in Classics with a Classical Archaeology field of study may also be accepted as candidates, though they may require a longer period of study before completing the requirements for the degree. These requirements are:

  1. Attaining a standard of scholarship such as would be reached by three quarters of study in the department after fulfilling the requirements for an undergraduate major in the department. Normally, this means completing 30 units of graduate courses and 15 additional units of work at the 100 level or higher.
  2. Satisfactory completion of 20 units of graduate-level courses in Classics and of 10 units of graduate-level courses in other programs.
  3. Satisfactory completion of 15 additional units of courses in either ancient Greek or Latin.
  4. Writing a thesis, or passing an exam on a particular topic, or having written work accepted by the Graduate Committee as an equivalent. Three completed and satisfactory seminar papers are normally an acceptable equivalent.
  5. Passing a reading examination in French, German, or Italian. These examinations are administered every quarter.
  6. Completion and approval of a Program Proposal for a Master's Degree form before the end of the first quarter of enrollment.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree may also (on the recommendation of the department) become candidates for the M.A. degree. In their case, requirement 4 above is waived provided that they have completed some work beyond the course requirements listed under requirements 1 and 2 above.

COTERMINAL BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE IN CLASSICS

Stanford students in any undergraduate major who are interested in postgraduate work in Classics may apply for Stanford's coterminal master's program. Students considering a co-term are encouraged to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies about their plans before filing an application. No courses used to satisfy the undergraduate requirements (either as General Education Requirements or department requirements) may be applied toward the M.A. No courses taken more than two quarters prior to admission to the coterminal master's program may be used to meet the 45-unit University minimum requirement for the master's degree. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.7 in the major, and no incompletes on record. Undergraduate course work in Greek and Latin is normally a prerequisite for graduate-level work.

To apply, students should submit the Application for Admission to Coterminal Master's Program form, two letters of recommendation from Classics faculty, a sealed, official copy of their undergraduate transcript, a 1-3 page statement of purpose and a 10-15 page writing sample. GRE scores are not required. Applications are due in early January of your intended graduation year; please see the departmental website, http://classics.stanford.edu for the specific deadline.

For University coterminal degree program rules and University application forms, see the Undergraduate Academic Life web site. University requirements for the coterminal M.A. are described in the "Coterminal Bachelor's and Master's Degrees" section of this bulletin.

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