Details on the requirements for specific degrees are available under the following headings:
All graduate degrees offered by the Department of Classics have the following requirements:
For the MA
- a minimum of six seminars
- reading proficiency in Greek or Latin at MA level
- Greek and Latin language exams for the MA and PhD are set three times in each year, on uniform dates: the Friday before classes start in each semester; and the Friday after spring break
(see Greek and Language Exam Dates).
- reading proficiency in either German, French or Italian
(department offers regular tutoring in German)
- modern language exams are set two times in each year, on uniform dates: the Friday before fall and spring break (see Modern Language Exam Dates). Every exam is read by two faculty members in the students department or a related discipline. If these two faculty members find the examination satisfactory, it is submitted to the Graduate Office for distribution to a third reader in the appropriate language department. Language faculty read these examinations twice in each academic year
- MA paper
- This should represent independent research, and will normally be of 40-60 pages in length. The MA paper is the most demanding of the requirements for the degree and provides the best introduction to sustained scholarly work. It differs from those written for seminars in that it is entirely on a topic of the student's own choosing and is an opportunity to move from first thoughts to a finished piece of scholarship through expansion, refinement and revision of ideas and materials. Some M.A. paper topics are "discovered" during seminars; others come independently. Some may prepare the way for the dissertation; others are self-contained. To arrive at either result the student works closely with an advisor, who oversees the project and offers advice and encouragement.
- oral examination of one hour in the field of the MA pape
For the PhD
- minimum
of 12 seminars [which includes those taken at MA level]. These
must include at least one Gsem.
- reading
proficiency in Greek and Latin at PhD level
- Greek
and Latin language exams for the MA and PhD are set three
times in each year, on uniform dates: the Friday before classes
start in each semester; and the Friday after spring break.
We
strongly recommend that new students take a diagnostic
examination in at least one language as soon as they
arrive at Bryn Mawr.
- reading
proficiency in German (Department
offers regular tutoring in German)
- reading
proficiency in Italian or French
- Every
exam is read by two faculty members in the students
department or a related discipline. If these two faculty
members find the examination satisfactory, it is submitted
to the Graduate Office for distribution to a third reader
in the appropriate language department. Language faculty
read these examinations twice in each academic year.
- preliminary
examinations consisting of four written papers followed by an
oral examination
- completion
of the PhD dissertation
- oral
defense of the PhD dissertation
Greek and Latin Language Exam Dates
In 2009-2010 the distribution dates for the Greek and Latin exams will be:
Friday,
August 28, 2009
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday, March 20, 2009
Students and departments will be notified promptly of the results.
Modern Language Exam Dates
In 2009-2010 the distribution dates for the modern language exams will be:
Friday,
October 9, 2009
Friday, March 5, 2010
Students and departments will be notified promptly of the results.
