Classics, MA

Program Category: MA Programs
Chair: John Ma
Director of Graduate Studies: Gareth Williams
Website: https://classics.columbia.edu/graduate-programs
Email Address: [email protected]
Degree Programs: Full-Time/Part-Time: Free-Standing MA

To view this program's application requirements, please click here.

The graduate program in the Department of Classics offers a holistic approach to the study of Greco-Roman antiquity, with a special focus on Greek and Latin literature.

The MA can be earned in either or both Greek and Latin. See the Classics website for more information.

Graduate courses and advanced seminars are given regularly on the following subjects:

• Greek and Latin literature
• Ancient history
• The philosophy, intellectual history, and critical theory of the ancient world
• The technical discipline of classical philology (paleography, textual criticism, epigraphy, papyrology, numismatics)
• The reception of Greco-Roman antiquity

Special Admissions Requirements

An adequate and proven reading knowledge of either Greek or Latin is required for admission, together with completion of at least one year of advanced work in the other language.

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit one transcript showing courses and grades per school attended, a statement of academic purpose, a writing sample (a course paper, term paper, etc.), a personal statement, and three letters of evaluation from academic sources.

All applicants whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English must submit English proficiency exam scores. The English proficiency requirement can be fulfilled through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

For more information, refer to our Admissions Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.

*To be eligible for admission in GSAS, at least TWO letters must be submitted by academic recommenders. You may include up to four letters in your application, regardless of the number required by your program of interest.