Classics, MA

The M.A. program in Classics in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers a degree with courses in Greek and Latin languages, literatures and cultures, as well as allied offerings in ancient and medieval history, ancient and medieval philosophy, archaeology, and Greek and Roman art. The mission of the M.A. Program is to train classicists who would become Latin teachers, or who, having obtained a solid knowledge of the classical languages, would pursue a Ph.D. degree in Classics, History, Philosophy, Divinity, or other related fields.

A distinctive feature of UK Classics is the opportunity to study the Latin patrimony from antiquity until modern times. The Neo-Latin patrimony, in particular, immensely vast, multicultural and interdisciplinary in its very nature, provides infinite opportunities for study and research of the classical tradition in many fields and pertaining to many regions and populations.

Students approach Latin as a living language of teaching, scholarly work, and communication with the classical authors and among themselves. This fosters a personal connection to the language and is invaluable preparation for the classroom. At the University of Kentucky, there is a vibrant community, in which students not only study Latin, they live Latin.

In line with the communicative approach adopted in Latin, the study of ancient Greek lays emphasis on the written production in the language through composition courses in both prose and verse. Seminars in Greek papyrology and paleography feature significant components focused on digital humanities and digital restoration of texts. Seminars in Greek historiography, epigraphy and poetry round out our offerings. 

Options

• Option A-thesis requires completion of 30 semester credit hours of graduate work, six of which in CLA 768   (Residence Credit for Master’s Degree), the defense of a Master’s thesis, and an exit exam.
• Option B-non-thesis requires completion of 30 semester credit hours of graduate work and an exit exam.

 

Admission Requirements

The requirements for admission to the program in Classics are (a) an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, and (b) competence in one of the classical languages (Latin or Greek) and at least basic competence in the other. The Director of Graduate Studies may admit students with undergraduate grade point average below 3.0 on the basis of a student’s last two years of work, Classics grades, or general academic competence. An undergraduate major in Classics, Latin, or Greek is not required for admission, but the Program suggests that entering students should have completed at least six semesters of either Latin or Greek and four semesters of the other language. Students lacking sufficient preparation in one of the classical languages may be required to remedy such deficiencies by taking undergraduate courses.

The following documents should be submitted to the Graduate School’s online application system by February 1, if the applicant is seeking financial aid, or before April 15 otherwise:

1. A one-page statement describing the applicant’s reasons for seeking a Master’s degree. If an applicant wants to be considered for financial aid, this is to be indicated in the opening sentence of the personal statement.
2. A list of Latin and Greek works read with approximate number of lines.
3. Transcripts.
4. Three letters of reference (normally from former teachers).

 

Degree Requirements

1. The student must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all graduate work.
2. The student must earn at least half of the semester credit hours in graduate courses numbered 600 or above.
3. The student must take at least two-thirds of the credit hours in regularly scheduled courses and seminars.
4. The student must take at least two-thirds of the credit hours in Classics.
5. A student’s schedule of courses for each registration period, including any changes, must be approved by the DGS to be acceptable toward the fulfillment of degree requirements.
6. Latin prose composition, CLA 501  , is required of all M.A. students.
7. A student must earn a minimum of nine credit hours in graduate courses in each of the classical languages and an additional six credit hours in graduate courses in either Greek or Latin or a combination of the two.  When special circumstances arise, the DGS has the authority to revise this requirement.
8. All students must pass an exit exam before receiving the MA degree. 
9. The student may transfer up to nine hours from a graduate program at another university or from post-baccalaureate graduate work at UK.
10. Students enrolled in a master’s program have six years to complete all requirements for the degree, but sill have the opportunity to request extensions up to an additional four years for a total of ten years.

 

M.A. in Classics (track Latin) as a concurrent degree with M.A. in Teaching World Languages (MATWL)

Degree requirements: same as described as above, except for 7. Instead, students pursuing this track are required to take at least 8 graduate courses in Latin (24 credit hours). There is an exit requirement of a minimum of 4 semesters of Greek or equivalent (beginners and intermediate level).

 

https://mcl.as.uky.edu/ma-classics