CLASS-PHD - Classics (PhD)

Students who completed graduate coursework at another institution are encouraged to transfer course units in the winter quarter of their first year of doctoral study. The Director of Graduate Studies will evaluate the transfer of units on a course-by-course basis. Graduate work accepted for transfer of residency does not automatically exempt a student from having to complete a course requirement for the degree.

The Department of Classics is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by the advisor and the advisee.

The goal of advising in the graduate program is to help students select courses that best suit their intellectual pursuits, design and conduct research, navigate degree requirements, explore academic and professional opportunities, and prepare for their postgraduate careers.

Graduate students are expected to be active collaborators in the advising relationship. They are responsible for seeking academic and professional guidance and informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for the PhD program. 

An essential part of the advisee-advisor relationship is for students to discuss their expectations for the adviser-advisee relationship with the advisor and revisit these expectations periodically. 

Students must choose a primary dissertation advisor before they are evaluated for candidacy, and no later than week 8 of spring quarter of their second year.

Director of Graduate Studies (DGS)

A Department faculty member is the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The DGS monitors the degree progress of all PhD students, offers advice on meeting department and university requirements, and coordinates departmental advising and Teaching Assistant (TA) assignments.

PhD students are admitted to one of three tracks within the Classics Department, each with its own requirements (Archaeology, History, and Language and Literature). Each track also has an individual advisor in the pre-dissertation stage, advising on track-specific coursework, training in research methodologies, and professional development. Entering students should meet routinely (at least once per quarter) with both the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and the track advisor, who approve a course of study, monitor progress, and provide advice about funding opportunities, strategies for scheduling general and other exams required for degree progress, and to provide support if difficulties arise.

PhD students are expected to meet regularly with their advisors and to keep them informed about their academic progress. To facilitate this, each student must meet with the DGS and the Track Adviser at the beginning of autumn quarter, again in winter quarter, and early in spring quarter during their first two years in the program.

Unless permission is granted by the degree program, enrolled graduate students are required to maintain a significant physical presence on campus throughout each quarter of enrollment. Prior to requesting approval to be physically distanced from campus, students should consult with the degree program as well as other university offices about potential funding, visa or other implications.