PhD in Classical Studies

Course Requirements

Students admitted directly to the PhD program without previous graduate study (post-bachelor’s PhD) must take a minimum of 16 courses (64 credits), preferably over a period of five or six semesters. Students entering with an MA or the equivalent in classics may be admitted with advanced standing to the post-master’s PhD Program. Candidates admitted to this program are required to take eight to 12 courses (32–48 credits), preferably over a period of three to four semesters. The exact number of courses required depends on how closely the student’s prior work parallels the PhD course requirements at Boston University; a decision about how many prior credits the program will accept is made at the end of the student’s first full year of study.

The PhD course requirements are as follows:

  • CAS CL 530 Latin Prose Composition
  • CAS CL 563 Greek Prose Composition
  • GRS CL 993 Proseminar I (non-matriculating)
  • GRS CL 994 Proseminar II (non-matriculating)
  • For post-BA PhD students, an additional 14 courses at or above the 500 level offered by the department or (with DGS approval) related departments. Among these, one course in Greek or Roman art or archaeology and one course each (or its equivalence) in Greek or Roman history are required.
  • For post-MA PhD students, an additional six courses at or above the 500 level offered by the department or (with DGS approval) related departments. Among these, one course in Greek or Roman art or archaeology is required.

GRS CL 993 (fall) and 994 (spring) are offered annually and meet at least three times (six hours) per semester; they carry no credit toward degree and are graded P (for attendance) or F (for non-attendance). First-year students must register for CL 993 and second-year students for CL 994, but any student may attend any meetings in any semester.

The prose composition requirement may also be satisfied by a take-home exam set by two evaluators appointed by the DGS.

History Requirements

PhD students are required to take two history courses, one each in Greek and Roman history. These requirements can also be fulfilled in the following ways:

  1. Serving as a Teaching Fellow in a history course
  2. Taking an undergraduate history course as a graduate directed study (2 credits)
  3. Passing an examination in history

Under special circumstances with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, a student may substitute another course in a related field to fulfill one of the two history requirements.

Language Requirements—Modern

Proficiency in German and French or Italian must be demonstrated by written examination or by successfully completing GRS LG 621 Reading German, GRS LF 621 Reading French, or GRS LI 621 Reading Italian. With the approval of the DGS, it is possible to substitute another modern foreign language for French or Italian.

Comprehensive Examinations

Candidates must demonstrate, by written examination, proficiency in the following:

  1. Translation of passages from Greek authors
  2. Translation of passages from Latin authors
  3. The history of Greek literature
  4. The history of Latin literature
  5. A special topic or author in an area of study different from that chosen for the doctoral thesis.

Dissertation Outline/Proposal/Prospectus

Candidates shall select the subject of their dissertation with their advisor. A PhD prospectus is then prepared and presented for departmental approval. The prospectus should be a detailed outline of the subject matter of the dissertation and its methodology, with a bibliography and a clear indication of the dissertation’s originality and contribution to scholarship. Further details of the preparation of the prospectus are contained in the Graduate School procedures for the PhD Dissertation Outline/Proposal/Prospectus, given elsewhere in this Bulletin.

Dissertation and Final Oral Exam

The dissertation, on a subject approved by the candidate’s advisor and the department, must demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct original research and creative scholarship. The candidate must offer an oral defense of the dissertation and demonstrate a mastery of the subject with which the research is concerned. The examining committee is composed of at least five Graduate School faculty members selected by the department.

Courses

Consult the Class Schedule for an updated listing of courses offered 2013/2014.

  • GRS CL 699 Teaching College Classical Studies I

Classical Civilization

  • CAS CL 560 Studies in Ancient Greek History: The Athenian Empire
  • GRS CL 705 Topics in Mythology
  • GRS CL 710 The Classical Tradition in Modern Literature
  • GRS CL 717 Greek and Roman Religion

Greek Language and Literature

  • CAS CL 502 Studies in Ancient Greek and Roman Literature
  • CAS CL 519 History of the Greek Language
  • CAS CL 561 Survey of Greek Literature I
  • CAS CL 562 Survey of Greek Literature II
  • CAS CL 563 Greek Prose Composition
  • CAS CL 596 Early Christian Greek Literature
  • GRS CL 724 Greek Drama
  • GRS CL 761 Greek Orators
  • GRS CL 762 Sophocles
  • GRS CL 763 Hellenistic Poetry
  • GRS CL 767 Ancient Greek Epic: Homer
  • GRS CL 773 Euripides
  • GRS CL 791 Greek Seminar
  • GRS CL 792 Studies in Greek Comedy: Aristophanes
  • GRS CL 794 Thucydides
  • GRS CL 795 Early Greek Prose

Latin Language and Literature

  • CAS CL 502 Studies in Ancient Greek and Roman Literature
  • CAS CL 520 Studies in Latin Literature: Epistolography
  • CAS CL 521 Survey of Latin Literature I
  • CAS CL 522 Survey of Latin Literature II
  • CAS CL 525 Studies in the Augustan Age
  • CAS CL 530 Latin Prose Composition
  • CAS CL 546 Early Christian Latin Literature
  • GRS CL 720 Latin Seminar
  • GRS CL 730 Roman Novel
  • GRS CL 731 Studies in Latin Epic Poetry
  • GRS CL 733 Ovid and His Influence
  • GRS CL 738 Studies in Cicero
  • GRS CL 751 Studies in the Augustan Age
  • GRS CL 993 Proseminar I
  • GRS CL 994 Proseminar II

Reading Courses in Latin and Ancient Greek

  • GRS CL 621 Reading Latin for Graduate Students
  • GRS CL 665 Reading Ancient Greek for Graduate Students