Kentucky Classics

	Division of Classics Department of Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures, & Cultures 1055 Patterson Office Tower \| University of Kentucky \| Lexington, KY 40506-0027 ph: 859 257 3761 \| fax: 859 257 3743 \| e-mail: classics-at-lsv.uky.edu

The M.A. in Classics at UK

Revised April 03, 2007

(See also the long version of this document.)

The University of Kentucky offers the M.A. degree in Classics with courses in Greek and Latin literature and allied offerings in ancient and medieval history, ancient and medieval philosophy, archaeology, Greek and Roman art, and Renaissance studies.

Distinctive strengths of our graduate progam include training in active Latin offered by the UK Institute for Latin Studies and opportunities for training in humanities computing as it relates to teaching and research in the field of Classics. If those areas especially interest you, we don't believe you'll find a better or more suitable graduate program in the country -- MA or PhD.

Admission

General requirements for admission to the Graduate School can be found in the Graduate School Bulletin. (See especially the section for prospective graduate students.)

The requirements for admission to the program in Classics are (A) a combined score of 1000 on any two of the three parts of the Graduate Record Examination and (B) an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale. The Director of Graduate Studies may admit students with lower GRE scores or an undergraduate grade point average below 3.0 if, on the basis of a student's last two years of work, classics grades, or general academic competence, he or she believes the student capable of successful graduate work.

The division also requires from each applicant a two- or three-paragraph statement describing his or her reasons for seeking a master's degree and three letters of reference from former professors or teachers. There is no special form to be filled out for letters of reference. All of these may be sent via email by February 1 to the Director of Graduate Studies, classics at lsv.uky.edu, or by regular mail to:

Director of Graduate Studies
Classics Division - POT 1055
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY  40506-0027

Applicants who want to be considered for financial aid should indicate that in the personal statement and should make every effort to get all required materials to the Director of Graduate Studies by February 1.

Note: To avoid processing delays at UK, please send unofficial copies (xeroxes) of GRE scores and transcripts directly to the DGS in addition to the official ones delivered to the Graduate School.

Click here to see Classics and Cooperating Faculty

Options

Two M.A. Plans are offered, one requiring a thesis and the other consisting entirely of course work. Each student normally elects Latin Literature, Greek Literature, or a combination of the two as an area of concentration and takes courses in one or more of the allied areas listed above. Graduate students in the division who wish to acquire certification in pre-college teaching are eligible to apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching the World Languages offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures. M.A. graduates from the division have also gone on to doctoral studies in classics, theology, Mediterranean studies, archaeology and linguistics. Others have pursued careers in secondary school teaching, ministry, library sciences, public administration, law, banking, and a variety of other fields.

Graduate Exit Exam

An exit exam is required for either M.A. plan. The exam is intended to function as a useful extension of an individual student's particular course of study, and as more targeted work in preparation for the next stage of his or her career. The exam is to be taken in two parts: the first must be primarily linguistic, while the second could also be linguistic OR could be focused on demonstrating proficiency in a particular area (for example meter, numismatics, ancient art, computational humanities, classical mythology) or with regard to a particular theme (for example, interpretations of the House of Atreus myth in Greek drama, the historiography of the Other in Herodotos, Caesar, and Tacitus).

Students bear responsibility for seeking out and meeting with faculty mentors to establish the specific nature of the exams and the scope of the study leading up to them. Students should normally establish these agreements in writing by the end of their third semester and file them with the DGS. They should then prepare for the exams during their final semester.

For those students who have chosen the thesis option, the oral defense of their thesis counts as the second part of the exam (exam B).

Example of Exam A

focus: a literary genre or period
student and professor agree on works to read in original, and on a limited selection of secondary scholarship.
exam consists of some translation or questions on specific content designed to demonstrate detailed understanding, followed by some more generalized written analysis, e.g. a one hour essay.

Example of Exam B (non-thesis option)

scenario: a student intending to be a Latin teacher wants to acquire and demonstrate a good grasp of classical mythology
student and professor agree on works to read in translation, and on a limited selection of scholarship.
exam consists of a mix of short answer questions, more extended analysis, and a half-hour classroom presentation on some topic.

Many other scenarios are also feasible.

Further Details

Students and faculty in the division have access to advanced computing facilities and all major research databases.

Graduate applicants in Classics may apply for non-service fellowships and teaching assistantships, which carry stipends of approximately $10,250 plus a full tuition scholarship and health insurance. The deadline for funding applications is February 1.

For more information about Classics at Kentucky, please visit the division's web pages at http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/.

This page was last modified April 03, 2007

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