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Classics

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A student enrolled in a PhD program in the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS), other than the programs offered in the Department of the Classics, may achieve formal recognition for completing a secondary field in one of the following programs offered in the department: classical archaeology; classical philology; classical philosophy; Greek and Roman history.

Classical Archaeology

The following requirements must be met to complete a secondary field in classical archaeology.

Coursework

  • Completion of four courses (16 credits). Qualifying courses include those taught within the departments of Classics and History of Art and Architecture, and accepted by the Department of the Classics towards the requirements for the PhD in Classical Archaeology.
  • Two of the four courses shall be graduate seminars.
  • At least one of the four courses shall be on a Greek topic and another on a Roman topic.
  • Students are encouraged to take Classics 350: Classical Philology Proseminar or an appropriate proseminar offered by the Department of History of Art and Architecture.
  • Students may petition the director of graduate studies to be permitted to apply one course in anthropology, Near Eastern languages and civilizations, or the Divinity School toward the requirements of the secondary field.
  • The archaeological summer programs offered by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the American Academy in Rome, and the Graduate Summer Seminar of the American Numismatic Society, will normally be accepted in lieu of one course. Students who have been accepted to a program at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and are in need of institutional funding should contact the Department Administrator in Classics, Teresa Wu. Students pursuing a secondary field in classical archaeology are also strongly encouraged to participate in an archaeological field school or to serve as a curatorial intern in a museum of art or archaeology.

Classical Philology

The following requirements must be met to complete a secondary field in classical philology.

Coursework

Completion of four courses (16 credits) from among the following categories:

  • All graduate seminars taught within Classics
  • Other courses that are required for the PhD in classical philology, i.e.: Classics 350: Classics Proseminar, Greek 175: Syntax and Stylistics, Latin 175: Syntax and Stylistics, Greek 134: The Language of Homer, Latin 134: Archaic Latin
  • All other 100-level courses with the prefix Greek, Latin, Medieval Greek, and Medieval Latin
  • Two of the courses shall be graduate seminars.
  • Courses taught primarily in translation are ineligible.

Classical Philosophy

The following requirements must be met to complete a secondary field in classical philosophy.

Coursework

Completion of four courses (16 credits) from among the following categories (normally, at least two courses will involve close reading of philosophical texts in the original language, but this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies in Classics), at least two of which should be graduate seminars:

  • All graduate seminars taught within Classics
  • Other courses that are certified by Classics as counting toward the requirement in Classical Philosophy; in general such courses will include any 100-level Greek or Latin course in a philosophical author. Courses offered in other departments (especially Philosophy) may be counted with the approval of the director of graduate studies.

Greek and Roman History

The following requirements must be met to complete a secondary field in Greek and Roman history.

Coursework

Completion of four courses (16 credits) from the following categories:

  • All graduate seminars taught within Classics
  • Other courses that are certified by Classics as counting towards the requirement in Ancient History in the several PhD programs offered by the department
  • Two of the four courses shall be graduate seminars.
  • At least one of the four courses shall be on a Greek topic and another on a Roman topic.
  • Normally at least one course will involve close reading of historical texts in the original language, but this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the director of graduate studies.

Advising

Please send questions about the degrees or secondary fields in the Classics to classics@fas.harvard.edu.

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