MA in Greek & Roman Studies Program
MA in Greek & Roman Studies Program
Learn from world-class faculty and expand your knowledge in Philology, History, Classical Art or Archaeology.
Students begin our MA program from a variety of Greek & Roman Studies backgrounds and choose McMaster for our focus on language proficiency, our wide-ranging course offerings and our faculty members who offer supervision in all of the main areas of study.
Many humanities graduates become professional chameleons of sorts. We leave university with these highly developed critical thinking and communication skills and can apply them to any number of industries.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Admission Requirements
Applicants for the MA Program in Greek & Roman Studies may be admitted as Regular Students if they are graduates with at least B+ standing of any Honours program taken at McMaster or any other university, which includes:
- At least 12 units of either Ancient Greek or Latin and at least six units of the other language with an average of at least B in each language.
- At least 36 additional units of Classical Civilization, Greek, Latin, Ancient History or other courses approved by the Department of Greek & Roman Studies, at least 12 of these units to be in upper-level courses.
Graduates without sufficient specialization may be admitted with the requirement that they complete extra prerequisite courses with a grade of at least B+.
Candidates will not be allowed to take a graduate course in a language or area in which the Department feels they do not have sufficient background.
Application Process
In addition to the online application and two referee reports required by the School of Graduate Studies, applicants are asked to submit the following application documents:
- Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended**
- Statement of interest
- Writing sample of 5-10 pages
**Unofficial transcripts can be accepted for the application review process. If an offer of admission is received and accepted, the applicant will then be required to submit official, printed copies of transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.
Program Timelines
Timeline for the MA degree with thesis:
Year 1:
- Six half-courses (one-term courses) offered by the Department, of which at least two must be graduate or undergraduate Latin or Greek (permission of the Graduate Advisor is required to take a course at the undergraduate level).
- A thesis proposal of approximately 5-6 pages (including bibliography), approved by the supervisory committee in June; thesis writing commences thereafter and is ongoing.
- Modern language exam in French or German or Italian.
Year 2:
- Four half-courses (one-term courses) offered by the Department, of which at least two must be graduate or undergraduate Latin or Greek (permission of the Graduate Advisor is required to take a course at the undergraduate level).
- Ongoing thesis research and writing to produce a thesis of approximately 80 pages.
- An oral examination to defend the thesis.
Notes: Courses will be selected in consultation with the Graduate Advisor. Students must pass at least one language class at the graduate level in each ancient language. A grade of at least B- is required in all courses. Upon entry into the program all students will take diagnostic exams in Ancient Greek and Latin to determine appropriate language level placement.
Timeline for the MA degree without thesis (by special permission of the Department):
- Six half-courses offered by the Department, of which no more than two may be at the undergraduate level, and of which at least two must be graduate or undergraduate Latin or Greek (permission of the Graduate Advisor is required to take a course at undergraduate level). Courses will be selected in consultation with the Graduate Advisor. Upon entry into the program all students will take diagnostic exams in Ancient Greek and Latin to determine appropriate language level placement.
- A project consisting of a major research paper to be written during the summer, under the supervision of a faculty member.
- Modern language exam in French, German or Italian; exemption from this test may be granted to candidates who have completed an equivalent test at this or other universities.
Tuition & Program Fees
Visit McMaster Graduate Studies to learn more about tuition, supplementary fees and everything else you need to know about being paid as a Teaching or Research Assistant. Tuition fees are assessed on a term by term basis, depending on the number of courses a student takes or if they are paying by term.
Faculty Scholarship Adjustments Guidelines
The McMaster Graduate Scholarship (MGS) is the most common form of scholarship support available to graduate students in our program. The MGS ensures that students receive a guaranteed minimum level of scholarship support. Adjustments to the MGS will depend on other available scholarships.
The Faculty of Humanities Adjustments guidelines policy is available for review.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GRADUATE SUPERVISORS
SEE OUR CURRENT AND FORMER GRAD STUDENTS
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
The Department of Greek & Roman Studies offers MA Program courses in three different streams: Literature, Art and Archaeology, and Ancient History. For a full list of course offerings, visit the Graduate Course Calendar. NOTE: Not all courses may be offered every semester.
Fall 2024
GKROMST 702 – Latin Reading List (only open to Year 1 PhD students), Dr. Claude Eilers
GKROMST 710 – Research Methods in Greek and Roman Studies, Dr. Martin Beckmann
GKROMST 721 – Greek Epic Poetry (Topic: Homer’s Iliad), Dr. Kathryn Mattison
GKROMST 761 – Latin Love Elegy and Lyric Poetry (Topic: Poets and Lovers), Dr. Mariapia Pietropaolo
GKROMST 766 – Studies in the Social and Cultural Life of Antiquity (Topic : Ancient Letters), Dr. Claude Eilers
Winter 2025
GKROMST 701 – Greek Reading List (only open to Year 1 PhD students), Dr. Kathryn Mattison
GKROMST 728 – Greek Historical Writers, Instructor TBA
GKROMST 734 – Latin Epigraphy (Topic: Introduction to Latin Epigraphy), Dr. Emily Lamond
GKROMST 738 – Greek Colonizations, Dr. Spencer Pope
GKROMST 758 – Sallust, Cicero, and Catiline, Dr. Claude Eilers
Students may apply to the E.T. Salmon fund in Roman Studies, the Edith Wightman Travel Fellowship and the Raynsford-Eatock Travel Bursary in Greek Studies to support their research in the field or on-site. Learn more about McMaster scholarships.
Students are encouraged to apply for both an OGS (Ontario Graduate Scholarship) as well as for funding from the SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada).
- OGS (Ontario Graduate Scholarship)
- SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada)
OGS awards can be held only at Ontario universities, but out-of-province students are eligible and should apply. SSHRC awards can be held across the country.
Note that the application deadlines for both are considerably earlier than the deadline for admission to most graduate programs; please read the scholarship websites carefully and be sure to apply in time.
All applicants and current students will be considered for funding support from McMaster, including TAships.
