Ancient Studies Collaborative Program

University of Toronto

General Description and Requirements


Nature of the Collaborative Program
Faculty and Range of Course Offerings
Admission
Program Requirements
Requirements for the MA
Requirements for the PhD
Nature of the Collaborative Program
 
The graduate departments of Classics, History of Art and Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations offer a Collaborative Program in Ancient Studies providing an interdepartmental structure in which the expertise of the faculty and the resources of the three departments are pooled. The program is available at the MA and PhD levels and provides students with an opportunity to combine the study of material culture with literature or history, historical and cultural studies linking the Greco-Roman world and the Near and Middle East, or studies comparing Aegean or Greco-Roman with Near and Middle Eastern art, myth, literature, society, or history. The participating departments contribute courses and provide facilities and supervision for graduate research. Students may also be able to participate in excavations and other types of archaeological research.
Students in the program apply to and register in one of the participating departments (the home department); the home department is responsible for each student’s funding and general academic standing. Students in the program follow a course of study acceptable to both the home department and to the Ancient Studies Program Committee. Upon successful completion of the requirements, students receive the MA or PhD degree in their department of registration, with the notation ‘Completed Collaborative Program in Ancient Studies’ on their transcripts.

The Collaborative Program is administered by a Program Committee consisting of a Director (appointed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies on the recommendation of the Chairs of the participating departments), the Graduate Coordinators of the participating departments or their designates, and one member from each participating department other than that in which the Director has his or her primary appointment.

Faculty and Range of Course Offerings
 
The faculty in the participating departments cover a broad spectrum of Ancient Mediterranean and Mesopotamian culture. Classics is one of the largest and most diverse departments in North America, offering courses in Greek and Roman history, languages, literature, science, and philosophy. History of Art has three full-time faculty members in the Ancient area, and their expertise includes the art and archaeology of the Mediterranean world from the Bronze Age to the end of the Roman period. The Walter Graham/Homer Thompson Chair in Aegean Prehistory provides distinctive strength in that field. Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations is one of the largest departments of its kind in North America. It offers programs in the languages, literatures, history, and archaeology of ancient Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Western Asia. Allied departments such as Anthropology and Medieval Studies provide depth, further enhanced by cross-appointed faculty at the Royal Ontario Museum.

For specific courses, see the separate departmental listings.

Admission
 
Each student must satisfy the admission requirements of the department in which the student is registered (the home department) and should choose the department he or she applies to for admission accordingly. See the separate listings for each participating department. The Director of Ancient Studies can provide helpful advice on admissions.

In addition to meeting the admission requirements of their home department, students who wish to be admitted to Ancient Studies must have: (1) a substantial preparation in subject areas covered by at least two of the collaborating departments; (2) an appropriate level of training in at least one ancient language (some areas of doctoral research will require more than one ancient language). Otherwise qualified students whose preparation is insufficient in one or more areas may be advised to enrol in a preliminary year in the MA program or as special (non-degree) students.

Admission to the home department is determined by each department; enrolment in the Collaborative Program is determined by the Program Committee normally at the time of admission (although later enrolment is also permissible).

Program Requirements
 
The aim of each department’s PhD program in Ancient Studies is to prepare students for a career in university-level teaching and research, combining expertise in one or more ancient languages and cultures. Students may enter the PhD program directly from a strong BA. Those entering with an MA in an appropriate field may begin the PhD with advanced standing.

The aim of each department’s MA program in Ancient Studies is to prepare students for its interdisciplinary doctoral program in the field.

Requirements for the MA
 
Ancient Studies students in all departments must fulfill the program requirements of the home department and pursue a program of study approved by the Collaborative Program Committee. In addition to, or in conjunction with, the fulfilment of the requirements of the home department, as specified by the home department, students must:
1. successfully take at least one half-course equivalent of study in the subject area of another participating department.
2. demonstrate competence in at least one ancient language relevant to the student’s research, as approved by the Collaborative Program Director, by passing a sight translation examination with a grade of B- or better.
Requirements for the PhD
 
Ancient Studies students in all departments must fulfill the PhD requirements of their home departments and pursue a program of study approved by the Collaborative Program Director. In conjunction with, or in addition to the requirements specified by the home department, students enrolled in the Ancient Studies Program are required to take two full-course equivalents and one or more exams: an examination in the minor field in the subject matter of another collaborating department, and an examination in an ancient language. Accordingly, Ancient Studies students will:
1. by the end of the first year of PhD registration, fulfill all the requirements for the MA (above). Students with an MA in Ancient Studies will have done so already.
2. by the end of the first year of PhD registration, demonstrate competence in at least one ancient language relevant to the student’s research, as approved by the Program Director, by passing a sight translation examination with a grade of B+ or better.
3. complete all required coursework before the major field/comprehensive examinations are attempted. A total of four half-course equivalents must be taken in the subject area of another participating department (this includes courses taken during the MA). This may require courses beyond the number prescribed by the home department.
4. demonstrate reading knowledge of two modern languages of research (other than English and normally including German) before the major field/comprehensive examinations are attempted.
5. complete a major field/comprehensive exam, according to the requirements of the home department and normally within the subject area of the home department, and also a minor field within the subject area of another participating department. The major field/comprehensive exam and the minor field are tested by special examination. The major field/comprehensive exam provides context for the candidate’s dissertation topic. The minor field is designed to develop the student’s competence in a second discipline.
6. complete a dissertation by the end of the fifth year.

PhD candidates whose major field involves the study of material culture will normally be required to spend three months undertaking approved research outside North America.

The contents of these pages are subject to change without notice.
Please contact the program director for the latest information.