GENERALThe average course load is nine semester hours. Moreover, Assistant Instructors, Teaching Assistants and other Assistants employed by the University for 20 hours per week or more are required to register for at least nine semester hours, as are holders of University fellowships.
Continuation from semester to semester in the Graduate School requires (1) that the student maintain a 3.0 (B) average in all work undertaken for a graduate degree, and (2) that satisfactory progress be made in meeting academic requirements. Departmentally, such requirements will be enforced, and the student's progress checked, by the Graduate Studies Committee. In the case of Ph.D. candidates, continued enrollment in the Program will be contingent on passing the various qualifying examinations. Students working on a Master's Report or Thesis or Ph.D. Dissertation must be registered during the semester in which the degree is to be awarded.
See also the following section on student evaluations.
The Graduate Studies Committee will formally evaluate each student at the end of the second and fourth year. Part of the evaluation is a statement provided by you on your progress and objectives. Also considered are the brief written evaluations required each semester from all professors who have worked with you. These evaluations form part of your file, which is open to you, and they give you the opportunity for serious ongoing discussions with your professors about the direction of your study. Again we ask you to take an active role in shaping your own persona as a scholar. The result of the formal reviews will be communicated to you in writing.
We have found these formal steps helpful, as have our current students. At the same time, communication about your progress and performance is not limited to these occasions. Most of our counseling and interaction is informal, aided by the easy accessibility of faculty and the Graduate Adviser--never hesitate to ask or drop by a faculty member's office.
Upper Division Undergraduate Courses
Some upper-division courses may be taken by a graduate student for credit (nine semester hours of such courses are the maximum allowable in the M.A. program of work, of which no more than six hours may be in either the major area or in the supporting work). Besides relevant courses in Greek and Latin, there are also various courses in Classical Civilization, History, Philosophy, Linguistics, Art and Archaeology which (though not always cross-listed) may be of use to the graduate student in Classics, and for which the current Course Schedule should be consulted.
Time Frame
All work for an M.A. degree must be completed within one six-year period to satisfy Graduate School requirements. The Department, however, advises students, in particular those proceeding to further research work after obtaining the M.A. degree, to complete all their M.A. requirements before the beginning of their third year in the program and should strive to advance to candidacy by the beginning of their fifth year. The Ph.D. should ordinarily be completed in six or seven years. Moreover, the University imposes certain general limits on time to completion of the dissertation after advancement to candidacy and on availability of financial aid to very long-time students. See also below for specific deadlines for the Greek translation, Latin translation, and modern language examinations.Interpretation of the rules below (e.g. what courses meet the archeological field methods requirement) are the responsibility of the Graduate Advisor and such field Advisors as are appointed by the department. Exceptions to the rules (e.g. exemptions from requirements for comparable work done at another institution) are at the discretion of the GSC. Note also that some of the requirements recorded here are imposed by the University and cannot be modified by the department. Students should address special concerns or complaints to the GSC Chair, Graduate Advisor, or Dept. Chair in accordance with the grievance procedures detailed in the Handbook of Operating Procedures (Ch. 1, Part II, Sec. D: http://www.utexas.edu/policies/hoppm/h012.html#h012D ; cf. Graduate Student Policy Manual at http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/gspolicymanual/33.html#3311 ).
All students who do not already have an MA in Classics must obtain a Master's Degree before advancing to the PhD program.
Course Requirements for the M.A. Degree
The requirements are: with a two-semester Thesis, 30 semester hours of course work including Thesis course, or--and this is the norm--with a one-semester Report, 33 semester hours, including Report course [see below, under Research]. Not more than nine hours of upper-division courses numbered 320 or higher are permitted in a candidate's program. There are also limits on the number of courses that may be taken on a pass/fail basis. In their first Fall semester, all graduate students take a one-semester, one-hour proseminar on resources and methods, designed to introduce them to members of the faculty and to basic research tools and methods in the various areas of classical studies. Students generally receive the M.A. by the end of their second year.
There are no specifically required courses. Since we endeavor to keep the M.A. program adaptable to individual needs, each M.A. candidate will plan a course program in consultation with the Graduate Adviser. Eighteen to twenty-four semester hours must be in the major field (Greek, Latin, or Archaeology).
A minimum of six semester hours is required in a supporting subject outside the major field. For Classicists with a major in Greek or Latin, the minor is most often Latin or Greek; Philosophy, History, Archaeology and Linguistics are acceptable alternatives.
An M.A. candidate has no formal qualifying examinations prior to the Report or Thesis. The study of Greek and Latin automatically fulfills the Graduate School's Foreign Language Requirement. However, the Department expects M.A. candidates who may be entering the Ph.D. program to have passed the Ph.D. translation exam in either Greek or Latin (see below) and an exam in one modern foreign language before the end of the fourth semester.
The University allows two options. In the Classics Department the normal option is the one-semester Report (398R). It is not as nearly as long as the Thesis and is normally based on a term paper, or other similar research previously submitted in a graduate class or seminar. The total hour requirement in this case is 33 hours, including the Report. The other is the two-semester Thesis, for which six semester hours of credit (698A and 698B) are granted. This is a substantial work of research, generally 150-200 pages long. Thirty course hours, including the Thesis, are required in this case.
The emphasis at this level is primarily on the importance of learning how to use research facilities in a professional manner; to sift, correlate, and judge evidence; and to express one's findings in a clear, coherent, logical, well-organized manner, with full documentation. Beyond these basic requirements, the extent to which a candidate demonstrates evidence of significant original research is very much up to him or her.
Format of Master's Thesis Guidelines
Ph.D IN CLASSICS
There are no specific course requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Classics at UT.
All students who intend to serve as AIs are required by The University to take a graduate course in Teaching Methods which the Department offers each spring semester.
The aim of graduate courses is to provide students with the opportunity to learn how to open up an area of research for themselves, and how to acquaint themselves with the requisite methodology and the relevant scholarly and interpretive issues. After taking a few courses in various areas, students should have the knowhow to proceed on their own, and the Ph.D. Seminars that meet as a class may therefore be the norm for the first three years only. These seminars thrive on the active participation and contribution of all seminar members. After the fourth year, course work will consist mainly of research courses where you can pursue your own work under a professor's direction (perhaps you and one or more of your fellow students may get together to investigate a special topic; we value initiative) and the dissertation hours. The mix will depend at all times on a student's needs and ability--there is considerable flexibility. The main goal in all these course formats is the same: you need to produce evidence of serious commitment and achievement, which can then be attested in the letters of recommendation at the time of the job search.
University regulations require Assistant Instructors, Teaching Assistants, and holders of fellowships to take a minimum course-load of nine semester-hours during any semester in which they are enrolled.
Proficiency in German and one other modern foreign language (usually French or Italian) is required for the Ph.D. in Classics. Proficiency is tested by a one-and-a-half hour written translation test (the use of a dictionary is permitted). Students should have passed one exam before the end of their fourth semester, the other before the end of their sixth semester of graduate work. Special courses for graduate students, with emphasis on reading skills, are offered by the Departments of French-Italian and Germanic Languages.
1. Greek and Latin Translation
These are three-hour written exams designed to test students' ability to read the two languages, and their familiarity with the styles and genres represented by the authors on the reading lists (see below). Students are required to pass one of the translation examinations before the end of their fourth semester, the other before the end of their sixth semester of graduate work.
Examinations consist of six passages (three poetry, three prose) of about 25 lines each in styles and genres represented by the authors on the Reading Lists; two passages (one prose and one poetry) are drawn from texts specified on those Lists. Examinees have three hours to translate four passages, two from each group (poetry and prose). To ensure anonymity, examinees use pseudonyms known only to the Graduate Coordinator. Instructions are as follows: "Translate two passages from Group A (Prose) and two passages from Group B (Poetry). Translations should be accurate and demonstrate understanding of syntax."
Examinations are offered twice annually: in the third week of the Fall semester and the ninth week of the Spring semester. In exceptional cases, students may request an exam at times other than the regularly scheduled dates. Requests should be directed to the GSC Chair, who is authorized to approve requests on reasonable grounds (such as study or research abroad).
Examinations are prepared and evaluated by two GSC Committees appointed jointly by the GSC and Department Chairs. Each Committee consists of a Chair and two readers; membership rotates minimally, one member changing each year so far as faculty schedules permit. The Chair selects and prepares passages subject to approval by the two readers (glosses are optional). The readers evaluate the exams independently, assigning each pseudonym a Pass or No pass and marking each passage likewise; their agreement is decisive, and only split verdicts are referred to the Chair for a final decision. There is no formula for Pass; for example, three passages at Pass and a fourth No pass may or may not demonstrate proficiency. Examiners are strongly encouraged to provide corrections and constructive advice.The Graduate Coordinator handles arrangements for scheduling and administering examinations; s/he also oversees evaluation and records results. The Graduate Advisior notifies examinees of their results in writing; a copy of this letter is placed in each student's file along with all marked copies of exams.
The reading lists reflect the range of authors and works you should have read by the time of the translation exams.
Separate three-hour written examinations are required in Greek and Roman History. Concentration in Greek History is on the Archaic and Classical Periods. In Roman History, the period of concentration is from 133 B.C. to A.D. 68, though background knowledge from the early Republic to the death of Constantine is assumed. Students will be expected to show familiarity with the main primary and secondary sources, and a critical grasp of simple historiographical principles. Students normally fulfill this requirement by taking the sur vey courses in Greek and Roman History (offered in alternate years) and passing the final exam in each course.
Separate examinations are required in Greek and Roman Literature. The three-hour written examination consists of one comprehensive essay question (out of two or three choices), extensive comment on the style, content, etc. of three literary passages from a choice of five, and one fact-oriented or literary-historical essay question. There is a short oral exam. Students should demonstrate the ability to deal with a complex and significant topic of literary history in a sustained and organized manner. Some sophistication in the techniques of literary criticism is required, as is some understanding of the historical continuity of ancient literature and ideas. Some emphasis is also laid on methodology and ancillary disciplines.
In preparing for the literature exam, students are expected to consult well in advance with the chair and other members of the examination committee. An important purpose of these consultations is to review course and other work so as to identify their individual strengths and weaknesses and from this to devise an individualized course of study designed to complement and round out their general knowledge and areas of specialized study. The use of conference courses--though no more than one for each exam--is recognized as a valid means of filling in various gaps in the students' knowledge while preparing for the exams. Further reading lists (below) offer some more guidance as to the kind of range expected on the exam.
Both of these exams should have been completed by the end of the fourth year. These are normally the last of the qualifying exams.Every student must write a dissertation which will make a significant contribution to scholarship in the field. In the year the students advance to candidacy, they present a colloquium, open to all graduate students and faculty, on their intended topic and planned course of investigation. After completing the dissertation, students will defend it before their dissertation committee, which must approve the final result.
Format of Dissertation Guidelines
The Program in Ancient Philosophy
Students with a particular interest in Ancient Philosophy are encouraged to take advantage of the close relationship existing between the Department of Classics and the Department of Philosophy, which is also in Waggener Hall. The two departments sponsor an active joint program--including a yearly conference--which includes a special degree program in Classics. Students in this program take the same examinations as philology students, except that they must substitute for one of the History examinations a comprehensive examination in Ancient Philosophy, and they may meet the literature requirement by passing the appropriate survey courses rather than taking the exams describe above. The students are also required to complete two courses in the Philosophy department--at either the graduate or advanced undergraduate level--in either the History of Philosophy (post-classical) or a philosophical field (e.g., Ethics, Epistemology, Metaphysics); course work completed at other institutions may be counted toward fulfillment of this requirement.
The Program in Ancient History
The Program in Ancient History is set up to provide students with specialized training in ancient history and historical methods and a strong foundation in classical languages and literature. Specialized exams in ancient history are individually set to reflect students' interests. Areas represented by faculty include Bronze Age scripts, archaeology, epigraphy, economy, historiography, ancient law, medicine, and religion. The training is designed to make students competitive for ancient history positions in both Classics and History Departments, as well as for generalist positions in Classics with an ancient history emphasis.
Students within the concentration will take Ph.D. qualifying examinations in the following areas:
1. Greek translation
2. Latin translation
3. Either Greek literature or Latin literature. This requirement may be met by taking the examination described above or by passing the survey course in the appropriate literature.
4. Greek and Roman historiography
5. A chronological period of ancient history (e.g. archaic/classical Greek history, Gracchi to Nero)
6. A special field or topic in ancient history (e.g. Roman religion, ancient law, social history, Aegean scripts and documents) or a second chronological period.Students normally fulfill the Greek and Roman Historiography requirement by taking a seminar (offered in alternate years) and passing the final exam. The period and topic exams will be developed in consultation with the examining committee and with the approval of the Graduate Advisor. In addition to exams, students will be required to complete two graduate-level courses in nonclassical history (normally in the History Department), at least one of which should have a substantial historiographical component.
The Program in Classical Archaeology
Students who elect this major for the Ph.D. degree have different course and exam requirements.
1. Courses
During the first two years you must take two standard courses--Greek archaeology survey, Roman archaeology survey--and any one course treating problems and approaches in Classical archaeology. The former two courses will conclude with a research paper or general examination read by a faculty committee. In special cases you may fulfill the requirements in all these courses by independent examination.
You must also take two courses in the areas of archaeological theory or method in other departments (including but not limited to Anthropology and Geography).
2. Specialized Examinations in Archaeology
Before beginning the dissertation, you must also pass an archaeological examination in a special Regional/Chronological area (for example, Aegean Bronze Age, Etruscans, Western Greeks, Anatolia, the Roman Provinces) and in a special field (such as Vase painting, Aegean scripts, Faunal analysis, Numismatics, Ancient religion, etc.). Fields will be determined in consultation with the examing committee and with the approval of the Archeology advisor. Normally, these examination requirements will be fulfilled by passing a final examination after one or a series of specialized seminars.
3. Translation Examinations
You are required to take, in either Greek or Latin, the same exam required of Classics majors. Proficiency in the other language may be demonstrated in one of two ways:
a) by passing the regular translation exam
b) by passing two organized, three-hour graduate courses and one senior-level or graduate course with an A or B (an A is required in a senior- level course), each with a significant language component. Other courses may be counted with advance permission from the Archeology advisor.
4. Greek and Roman History
You are required to take the same examinations as Classics majors.
5. Modern Languages
The same requirements apply as in the Classics program.
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