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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 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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Graduate Programs in 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.

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