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The Classical Studies program offers an interdisciplinary approach to the integrated study of Greek and Roman culture as revealed by its art, literature, and history. The program provides broad and coherent training in classical studies, crossing traditional departmental barriers and moving toward a less particularized view of classical antiquity.

Each student follows a carefully designed program in the major fields of classical studies (i.e., ancient history, archaeology, and classics), leading to an effective concentration on topics of research that involve more than one field of study.

Students who hold a Master’s degree in the Department of Classics, History, or Art History and Archaeology at Columbia and students holding a comparable Master’s degree from another university may apply for admission to the Ph.D. program with Advanced Standing. Decisions on admission are made by the steering committee of the subcommittee.

Degree Requirements

The requirements listed below are special to this subcommittee and must be read in conjunction with the general requirements of the Graduate School.

After admittance to the program, students should consult the chair to set up an advisory committee of three faculty members to assist in planning a course of study for each term in residence. Each student’s program of study must be approved by the chair of the program and by an advisory committee before registration.

For the M.A. Degree and the Free-Standing M.A. Degree

Languages: Competence in one ancient language, Greek or Latin, to be demonstrated by either course work or examination, and one modern language, preferably German, by examination.

Courses: Eight courses in classics, history (ancient history section), and art history and archaeology (classical section), or related fields, with at least six taken for a letter grade. No more than four of these courses can be taken in any one department. At least two terms of a seminar or colloquium must be included in the total of eight.

Written work: Each student is required to submit a substantial seminar or colloquium paper to be evaluated by the subcommittee before he or she is permitted to continue on to the M.Phil. degree.

For the M.Phil. Degree

Students in the Classical Studies program are admitted to candidacy for the M.Phil. degree upon completion of all requirements for the M.A. degree.

Languages: Competence in a second ancient language, Greek or Latin, to be demonstrated by course work or examination, and in a second modern language (German and either French or Italian), by examination.

Courses: Six additional courses for a letter grade beyond those completedfor the M.A., to be taken in the Departments of Classics, History, or Art History and Archaeology. No more than three of these courses may be in any one department, and at least two of them must be colloquia or seminars.

Teaching requirement: Participation in the instructional activities of one or more of the participating departments for three years. As a rule, in the second, third and fourth years of study, students gain exposure to teaching as assistants to professors in undergraduate courses, as section leaders in lecture courses or as language instructors. Students who are interested in broadening their teaching apprenticeships are eligible to teach in the Core Program once they have received the M.Phil. Students may only apply to be a Preceptor if they have or expect to have the M.Phil. by the May prior to being appointed as a preceptor, and if they are not past their sixth year of registration during the first year of the preceptorship. Students may not hold instructional appointments after year seven.

Qualifying examination: Examinations in three topics are taken after the completion of all language and course requirements. Each student is examined on selected topics within two or all three fields: Greek and Latin language and literature; classical art history and archaeology; Greek and Roman history. The examination includes both written and oral sections.

For the Ph.D. Degree

Continuation beyond the M.Phil. degree is authorized by the steering committee of the subcommittee.

Dissertation: Topics approved by the subcommittee, and signed by two members thereof as sponsors after a successful prospectus defense meeting, usually require a substantial amount of scholarly expertise in more than one of the three disciplines. The student must successfully present, defend, and deposit the dissertation according to the regulations of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Financial Aid

A comprehensive program of financial aid, including fellowships and appointments in teaching, is available to Ph.D. students. After the first year, all Ph.D. students admitted to the program receive annually the prevailing stipend and appropriate tuition and health fees through the fifth year, provided that they remain in good academic standing. If students receive a year of advanced standing they are entitled to four years of fellowship funding.