A brief description of the department:
The UVM Department of Classics is as old as the University itself
(founded in 1795). We offer an MA in Greek and Latin with thesis and
non-thesis options, and, in conjunction with the School of Education, an
MAT in Latin. The Department's curriculum and faculty interests focus on
philology and we provide excellent preparation in both languages. There
is also a strong emphasis here on the history and institutions of
ancient Greece and Rome, and on literary history and the reception of
classical literature.
Particular strengths or unique areas of interest for the department: philology, linguistics, criticism (textual and literary), history, reception
Average number of new graduate students per year: 2-3 (MA only)For “best consideration for admission”, applicants should have (note that there are always special cases, and that meeting the stated numerical goals will not guarantee admission to any program):
Ideally students will have studied both Greek and Latin as
undergraduates and be proficient enough to enter the equivalent of an
upper-level undergraduate reading course; a reading knowledge of a
modern foreign language, usually French, German, or Italian, is also
advisable. GRE scores in the 700 range for each category make our
applicants competitive for University-wide Graduate Fellowships.
Approximate percentage of incoming students given full funding: Two students per annum tend to be fully funded: We are guaranteed one
GTA per year (1 year tuition + approximately 14,000) and our applicants
also tend to fare very well in the University-wide Fellowship
competition (service free; two-year tuition + 10,000, this often
supplemented by other endowed fellowships to bring the total to 15,000)
Number of guaranteed years of funding: See above.
Out of those years, number student will be expected or required to serve as TA, RA, or the like: See above.
PhDs and MAs awarded since January 2004: 5-6 (MA/MAT)
Major changes anticipated in the department over the next few years, if any:
Three new tenure-track hires in 2 years in a faculty of 7 total. New
strengths in Ancient Near East and ancient music, Ovid and Roman
topography, and Cicero and Greco-Roman political philosophy.