Program Requirements for Classics (Classics), 2022-2023

Classics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Classics offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Greek, the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Latin, and the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Classics.

Please note: Students will not be admitted for terminal M.A. degrees. 

Master’s Degree

Admissions Requirements

Advising

All students in the M.A. programs are supervised by the department’s graduate adviser, a member of the regular departmental faculty. Students are required to consult the graduate adviser (or the department chair when the graduate adviser is unavailable) at the beginning of each quarter to plan their programs, and as needed to discuss changes in programs, and are required to notify the graduate adviser of plans for examinations. Students also should consult with the adviser about problems they are experiencing in the program. Twice during each academic year, the graduate adviser conducts a review of all graduate students at a full departmental faculty meeting. The results of the review are recorded in the departmental minutes. Students with serious problems noted at the midyear meeting are sent a warning letter within 30 days. At the end of each academic year, the substance of the evaluation of each individual student is communicated in writing to the student by the graduate adviser within 30 days.

Areas of Study

The department offers the M.A. degree in Classics (Greek and Latin) as a preliminary to the Ph.D. degree. Students entering with a single-language M.A. degree (Greek or Latin) must complete requirements in the other language (as detailed below) before proceeding to the Ph.D. track.

Foreign Language Requirement

In addition to taking courses in Greek and/or Latin, students at the MA level must demonstrate proficiency in one of the following three languages: German, French or Italian. Students must consult with the graduate advisor to determine their choice of languages. In addition, students may petition to substitute one of the above languages with a different modern language, depending on its relevance to the student’s research and on departmental expertise. Proficiency may be demonstrated either by passing German 5, French 5, or Italian 5 at UCLA (or an equivalent course) with a minimum grade of B, or by passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department. Students may petition, with departmental approval, to use equivalent course work completed at other institutions to meet this requirement.

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Course Requirements

The courses presented for the Classics M.A. degree must include (1) four units of Classics 287, (2) two courses from Greek 200A-200B-200C and two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C, and (3) three four-unit graduate seminars (two-unit seminars may not be counted). Students must receive a grade of B or better in each of the above courses. The four-unit 200A-200B-200C courses test the appropriate part of the departmental reading lists. The remaining courses are to be selected in consultation with the graduate adviser.

Teaching Experience

Consult the department.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The department’s capstone plan consists of a comprehensive examination plus an individual project. Students take an examination in each of the two courses from Greek 200A-200B-200C and each of the two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C that are required for the M.A. degree. Students must earn a grade of B or better in each of these four courses to pass the comprehensive examination. In order to be admitted to the Ph.D. program, students must earn a grade of B or better on both the essay and translation sections of the exam and at least a B+ on the whole examination in each of these four examinations.

Essay Requirement

For the individual project portion of this plan, students submit a research paper in winter quarter of their second year. In consultation with a faculty mentor, the student has revised this paper, which may be one previously submitted in a seminar in the M.A. program. The mentor and a second faculty member evaluate the revised paper, which is due on the last day of classes of winter quarter. Students must receive a grade of at least A- on this revised paper in order to complete the capstone and be admitted to the Ph.D. program. Shortly after submitting this paper, in winter or spring quarter of the second year, the student presents it to the department as a lecture and takes questions from the audience.

Terminal M.A. Degree

The terminal M.A. degree is offered only to students leaving the program if they have completed the necessary requirements. The courses required for the terminal M.A. degree in Classics must include: (1) four units of Classics 287; (2) Greek or Latin 210; (3) two courses from Greek 200A-200B-200C and two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C; and (4) three four-unit graduate seminars (two-unit seminars may not be counted). Students must receive a grade of B or better in each of the above courses. Students presenting (1) four units of Classics 287, (2) Greek 210, (3) Greek 200A-200B-200C, and (4) four four-unit graduate seminars (two-unit seminars may not be counted) may apply for a Greek M.A. degree. Students presenting (1) four units of Classics 287; (2) Latin 210; (3) Latin 200A-200B-200C; and (4) four four-unit graduate seminars (two-unit seminars may not be counted) may apply for a Latin M.A. degree. Other requirements include: completing the foreign language requirements in one language, as described above; earning a grade of B or better in all courses presented for the 200A-200B-200C sequence; completion of the essay requirement as described above.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Adequately prepared students taking a normal course load of three courses per quarter are expected to complete the M.A. degree in six quarters. Entering students whose initial level of preparation is not fully adequate may be allowed one year to remedy deficiencies before beginning the regular M.A. program. Students whose diagnostic examination upon entry indicates need may be required to take remedial courses. Students serving as teaching assistants (normally not in the first year of study) are permitted to count the required course 375 as one of the three courses constituting the normal load per quarter.

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD MAXIMUM TTD
M.A. 6 6 9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students in the doctoral program are required, at the beginning of each quarter, to consult the department’s graduate adviser who assists in planning their programs of study. After the written qualifying examinations are completed, the student’s individual adviser shares responsibility for guidance. However, students must continue to submit each quarter’s study list for the graduate adviser’s approval.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

None.

Foreign Language Requirement

New students in the doctoral program normally have demonstrated proficiency in French, German, or Italian as described in the requirements for the M.A. degree. By the end of the second year of study in the Ph.D. program, students must demonstrate proficiency in a language not used to satisfy the M.A. requirement. As at the MA level, the main langugaes to choose from are German, Franch or Italian. But again, students may petition to substitute one of the above languages with a different modern language, depending on its relevance to the student’s research and on departmental expertise. They must consult with the graduate advisor to determine their choice of languages. Proficiency may be demonstrated either by passing German 5, French 5, or Italian 5 at UCLA (or an equivalent course) with a minimum grade of B, or by passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department. Students may petition, with departmental approval, to use equivalent course work completed at other institutions to meet this requirement.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 32 units of 200-series courses is required. These may include courses taken prior to the M.A. degree in this department in excess of M.A. requirements, and may include courses in other departments. The choices of courses are subject to the graduate adviser’s approval. At least 20 units must be full seminars, and the 32 units must include: (1) Greek or Latin 210, unless these were taken previously; and (2) one graduate seminar on the history or material culture of Greece, Rome or a related ancient culture (students will be notified of the courses that satisfy this requirement at the start of each academic year by the graduate advisor).

Most Classics, Greek, and Latin seminars may be taken in one of two ways: (1) as full seminars, with the requirement of a final paper (or an equivalent workload, such as a final examination, as designated by the instructor) to be presented to the instructor and assessed as part of the final grade; full seminars carry four units, with a regular letter grade; or (2) as half seminars, requiring full participation in the course but no paper (or equivalent as described above). Half seminars carry two units and must be taken for S/U grading only. Prior to completion of the 32-unit requirement, no more than four units per quarter in the 500 series normally may be taken.

Students who enter holding an M.A. degree in Classics may still be required to meet all or part of the Classic M.A. course requirements in Greek or Latin 200A-200B-200C. Students who enter with an M.A. degree must still take four units of Classics 287.

Teaching Experience

Consult the department.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

(1) One three-hour translation examination in Greek and one in Latin consisting respectively of passages from the Greek or Latin reading lists and unseen passages from the relevant language. These examinations are normally offered two times a year, and must both be attempted before the end of the second year in the doctoral program.

(2) A significant research paper on a field or author of the student’s choosing outside of the area of the student’s expected specialization. The research paper must be submitted before the end of the third year in the doctoral program, and  may be submitted either before or after the translation examinations.

(3) A special field examination in the form of a written three-hour examination in the general area of the student’s prospective dissertation topic. This examination is to be taken by the fall of the third year in the doctoral program.

Each qualifying examination (Ph.D. language examination and special field examination) may normally be retaken once, with the option of a third opportunity by petition. Within one quarter of the special field examination, the student writes a dissertation prospectus and, after review and revision, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is administered by the doctoral committee. The prospectus, along with the committee nomination form, is due at least three weeks before the examination date. This examination includes a discussion of the revised dissertation prospectus.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations. The Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree is awarded for the quarter the student is advanced to candidacy.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within 12 quarters after entry into the doctoral program. Students who, in the seventh year in the doctoral program, not counting time spent on leave of absence, have ceased to make acceptable progress toward the degree, following warning, will be recommended for termination from the program.

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D. 6 12 21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student may be recommended for termination for failure to correct deficiencies in performance the term following notification of these deficiencies by the graduate adviser. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination by the graduate adviser to the departmental faculty.

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