The Tricampus Graduate Program - Core Mission
The MA and PhD programs in Classics at the University of Toronto are distinguished by their exceptional diversity and interdisciplinary breadth, rooted in a capacious and pluralistic understanding of what classics is. We train students in all aspects of and approaches to Greco-Roman antiquity: its literature, history, philosophy, and material culture, from prehistory to the medieval period. Students in our programs enrol in one of the following three fields or "streams": Greek and Latin, Ancient History/Material Culture, or one of multiple Collaborative Specialization PhD programs that build on those fields, including the Collaborative Specialization in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (CSAMP) and the Mediterranean Archaeology Collaborative Specialization (MACS). A complete list of Collaborative Specialization programs is below. While each stream emphasizes different methodologies and skills, the three streams are united by common requirements and by the faculty’s shared commitment to the following elements that we take to be indispensable to advanced training as a classicist and that together constitute the core mission of our graduate programs.
- Direct engagement with evidence. Graduates of our programs will be able to engage critically with and interpret the wide range of evidence, textual and non-textual, from Greco-Roman antiquity.
- Original research. Our programs train students to produce work of original research that contributes to debates on the topic.
- Advanced language skills. All our students obtain extensive training in either Ancient Greek or Ancient Latin, and most in both. Graduates of our PhD programs will be able to teach at least one classical language at the advanced level.
- Breadth and broad-mindedness. Our programs foster intellectual curiosity both within and beyond the field. Students are encouraged to explore the full geographical and chronological scope of Greco-Roman antiquity and to engage with a range of methodologies.
- Interdisciplinarity. Our students are encouraged to pursue research that crosses disciplinary boundaries within and beyond the field.
- Diverse transferrable skills. Our programs teach students skills of analysis, communication, and critical thinking that can serve them in a variety of future career paths. Graduates of our PhD program obtain a wealth of experience in teaching on a broad array of topics.
Programs Offered
The Department admits students to the one-year and two-year MA programs and to the PhD program. Students who have completed an undergraduate degree, or who will soon do so, may apply to any of the three programs. Admission to our program is competitive and we encourage you to carefully read over the information provided.
Year 1
GRK and LAT 1000 (prose composition); students who have already taken an equivalent course or who pass the diagnostic exams with a grade of at least B+ may be exempt.
Two additional courses per semester, chosen in consultation with the graduate coordinator from among the Reading Seminars (1800-level courses) and upper-level undergraduate courses in Greek and Latin, depending on the student’s language background. Students might also enrol in a research seminar.
Year 2
Three research seminars (5000-level courses)
Additional reading seminars (1800-level series)
CLA 2000Y (Graduate Research Paper)
Qualifying exams in both Greek and Latin must be passed with at least a B- by the end of the year; students in the Ancient History stream may choose to satisfy this requirement by completing either the Greek or the Latin Qualifying Exam with a grade of at least B- and by completing one language course in the other language with a grade of at least B+. Either the Greek or the Latin Sight Translation Examination with a grade of at least B- is required for successful completion of the MA program.
Year 1
GRK and/or LAT 1000, unless exempt (see above)
3 Research seminars (5000-level) and, possibly, reading seminars from the 1800-series
CLA 2000Y (Graduate Research Paper)
Qualifying exams in both Greek and Latin must be passed with at least a B- by the end of the year; students in the Ancient History stream may choose to satisfy this requirement by completing either the Greek or the Latin Qualifying Exam with a grade of at least B- and by completing one language course in the other language with a grade of at least B+. Either the Greek or the Latin Sight Translation Examination with a grade of at least B- is required for successful completion of the MA program.
The PhD program at the University of Toronto is a five-year program to which students are admitted either from an MA program (at Toronto or elsewhere) or directly from a strong undergraduate degree (the “direct-entry” PhD). Students who already possess the MA normally enter with advanced standing and complete the PhD in four years. The first year of the direct-entry PhD is spent refining language skills and preparing for the Qualifying Exams; subsequent years follow the normal progression of seminars in the second year, the Major Field in the third, and the dissertation in the fourth and fifth years.
Year 1
GRK and LAT 1000, unless exempt (see above)
Reading seminars (1800-level), as needed, and Research seminars (5000-level)
CLA 2000Y (Graduate Research Paper)
AMP 2000Y or SRD 4444Y (Proseminar series)
Year 2
Research Seminars (usually 3 per semester), chosen in consultation with the graduate coordinator
AMP 2000Y or SRD 4444Y
Qualifying examinations in one language must be passed with a grade of at least B+ by end of Year 2.
Year 3
Finish up research seminar requirements (if needed)
Sight translations and modern language examinations must be passed before taking the Major Field. Students must pass both sight exams with a grade of at least B+; students whose Field is Greek and Roman History only may satisfy this requirement with a grade of at least B+ on the Sight Translation Examination in one language and a grade of at least B on the Sight Translation Examination in the other language.
Qualifying examinations in the other language must be passed with a grade of at least B+ by the End of Year 3.
Stream-specific qualifying examinations
Major Field preparation. Major Field exam taken in Spring. Prepare dissertation prospectus.
Year 4-5
Dissertation. The dissertation should be defended in Spring of the 5th year.
Affiliated Programs and Collaborative Specializations
The Department works closely with related units such as the Departments of Anthropology, Art History, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, and the Study of Religion, the Centres for Medieval Studies and Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies, the Archaeology Centre, and the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. We encourage interdisciplinary work, especially at the PhD level.
This new specialization brings together the skills and experiences of faculty from Classics, Art, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, Anthropology and Religion to forge a unique blend of expertise and guidance for those pursuing advanced study in Mediterranean Archaeology. Students will obtain a degree in one of the collaborating departments with additional coursework focused on interdisciplinary approaches to the archaeological record and participation in field projects. More information is available on the MACS website.
The Department of Philosophy and the Centre for Medieval Studies cooperate with the Department of Classics in the Collaborative Specilalization in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (CSAMP), which combines specialist training in the tools and methods of the history of philosophy with graduate-level study of philosophical topics. For students enrolled in the Program through Classics, two of the five research seminars will normally be taken in non-historical fields of philosophy. Supervision is provided by faculty from Classics, Philosophy or Medieval Studies, according to the field of research. The collaborative program sponsors conferences, workshops, and visiting speakers; the program also offers a regular proseminar (AMP2000Y) which meets weekly during the academic year. For further information, consult the program website.
University of Toronto graduate departments in conjunction with Massey College sponsor an interdisciplinary program in Book History and Print Culture (BHPC) in which the rich physical and human resources of the University of Toronto are brought to bear on multiple aspects of the creation, transmission, and reception of the written word. For further information, consult the program website or contact the Program Director.
The Collaborative Specialization in Women and Gender Studies (CWGS) provides students with an opportunity for advanced feminist studies in concert with a MA or PhD degree in another discipline. The program offers a rich interdisciplinary environment in which to grapple with how gender and sexuality are tangled with questions of race, citizenship, embodiment, colonialism, nation, global capitalism, violence, aesthetics, and other pressing concerns.
The CWGS is administered by the Women and Gender Studies Institute (WGSI). The CWGS brings together 34 graduate programs, more than 100 courses, and over 100 graduate faculty members across seven faculties (Arts & Science, Information Studies, Law, Medicine, Nursing, OISE, and Social Work). Our core faculty brings transnational feminist commitments to the study of diverse sites and their interconnection, with particular focus on Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the United States.
Students who successfully complete the requirement of the collaborative program will receive the notation “Completed Collaborative Specialization in Women and Gender Studies” on their transcript, in addition to the master’s or doctoral degree from their home graduate unit. For further information, contact the Graduate Administrator.
The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies offers a collaborative graduate program (MA and PhD). For further information, consult the program page or contact the Program Administrator.
The Department of Classics is a collaborating member of the Centre for Jewish Studies, one of the most comprehensive Jewish Studies programs in North America. Drawing on faculty from a variety of disciplines, the Centre for Jewish Studies is distinguished by the chronological coverage and methodological diversity of its faculty and course offerings. For further information, consult the program page or contact the Graduate Director.
The Department of Classics is a collaborating member in the Editing Medieval Texts Collaborative Specialization. The program is administered by the Centre for Medieval Studies. The program offers intensive training in all aspects of manuscript-related work in both Latin and the medieval vernacular languages, including palaeography, textual criticism, codicology, and diplomatics and diplomatic editing. For further information, consult the program page.