All candidates for the Ph.D. must pass examinations in German and either French or Italian. Each examination will involve translating one page (approximately 200 words) of scholarly prose accurately and into idiomatic English (not translation-ese), and then writing a short summary, not a translation, of a second passage. The exam is two hours long. Use of a dictionary is permitted. Students are urged to attempt these examinations as early in their careers as possible. The examinations will be given in October and March at dates set by the Graduate Chair; in exceptional circumstances, they may be offered at other times. A student who has still not passed by October of the third year will be put on probation and required to meet regularly with her advisor until the time of the March exams. Failure to pass the exams at this time may constitute grounds for dismissal from the program.
NOTE for present students: The requirements described here are new, and apply to students entering in fall 2023 and later. Present students are, strictly speaking, subject to the old requirements, but the spirit of the new requirements will be applied wherever possible, following this transition plan.
The Qualifications Evaluation Examination is given every May. All students are required to take it at the end of the first year. If they pass one or both of the languages at this time, they do not need to take the exam again in the following year (although they will, of course, still participate in any required language and literature courses not yet taken, such as the Reading Greek/Latin courses and Advanced Language and Composition). Students must demonstrate an appropriately high level of linguistic competency in these exams, even if, as is common, they do not yet quite meet the bar to pass. Taken in the first year, the exam is a useful diagnostic tool, which allows faculty to give students suitable advice on language work at this stage. Failure to perform at a sufficient level of linguistic competency on the first year Qualifications Examination may constitute grounds for dismissal from the program.
Second-year students are required to take the examination if they have not already passed, and must pass it before being allowed to continue in the program.
The Qualifications Examination will consist of two two-and-a-half-hour translation examinations, one in Greek and one in Latin. In each exam, students will be required to translate:
- Two of four “prepared” passages, selecting one of two prose passages and one of two verse passages. These will come from the official Short List, a 150 OCT-page list determined in the most recent Reading Greek/Latin course (and kept up-to-date on the department website); students must also answer several brief factual questions about the texts (on author, work, date, meter, dialect, genre, etc.). The passages will be graded as “prepared” passages, and students must demonstrate close comprehension of each.
- Two of four passages, again selecting one of two prose passages and one of two verse passages. These will come from authors on the official Long List, a list of approximately 30 authors also posted on the department website. Passages will be graded as sight passages, but a satisfactory performance depends not only on good sight-reading strategy but also a robust vocabulary and prior experience in reading the given author’s style, dialect, and genre.
Our main goal in setting these exams is to test whether students are able to demonstrate a high level of competency in reading Greek and Latin, as demonstrated through close familiarity with specific texts, sound knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, and effective sight-reading strategies.
Effective methods for preparing this exam include: GREK/LATN 6610 Reading Greek/Latin (which will typically include practice exams as part of regular coursework); GREK & LATN 5801 Advanced Language and Composition; independent reading and sight-translation practice; an optional GREK & LATN 6699 Graduate Reading Group; and use of past exams or practice exams.
The Preliminary Examination is taken during the third year, normally in two parts, as follows:
Part one, "Generals," is taken at the beginning of the third year, normally in September. This part is focused on field-awareness: it is intended to test the student’s knowledge of Greek and Latin literature and culture and of major topics in scholarship and debate. The exam has two components. The first is a written exam completed at home within 48 hours, answering one (of two) questions on Greek literature, one (of two) questions on Latin literature, and one (of two) general questions on Greek and Roman literature and culture. The written exam is open-book, allowing the student to consult reference works on matters of detail. Examiners, however, will be looking not only for control of factual or historical information but for a synthetic and creative response to each question. The second component is a 90-minute oral exam, usually taken 1–2 weeks later, in which the student is asked to review the written exam, explain and expand upon previous answers, and address additional questions.
Methods of preparation for “Generals” include: the introduction to literary history provided in ANCH/CLST 6000 Proseminar; discussions of literary history conducted in GREK/LATN 6610 Reading Greek/Latin; explorations of literature and culture in other coursework and independent studies; reading of key primary texts in Greek and Latin from the Short List and Long List; past exams and other opportunities for practice in discussion and debate. General "histories" of Greek and Latin literature may be used for preparation, but they do not on their own provide sufficient practice in the synthesis and argumentation required in the exam.
A student who does not pass part one of the Preliminary Exam at the beginning of the third year will be judged not to be making normal progress towards the degree, and may thus be dismissed from the program or may forfeit funding. A student who fails part one of the exam and who is allowed to remain in the program may request to take a new exam in the following January. A second failure will constitute grounds for dismissal from the program.
Part two, “Specials,” will be taken at the end of the third year, normally in May. This part is focused on special topics and research, including discussion of the student’s dissertation prospectus. The special topics are two selected areas in which the student has conducted semester-long exploration in partnership with a faculty advisor in two CLST / GREK / LATN 9991 Special Topics. Normally one of these topics is from Greek culture, one from Roman culture, but they are determined in consultation with the graduate chair; such special subjects may include a historical period, a major author or genre, or any comparable area within the broad field of classical studies. Students should try to decide on their Special Topics before the beginning of the third year, ideally in the summer before the semester begins. Both topics serve as a foundation for future research and teaching, and they may relate closely to the dissertation topic or not.
This part also has two exams, written and oral, in both of which the student is expected to demonstrate detailed familiarity with the special topic and the state of research, and to engage in effective synthesis and argumentation. The written component is a three-hour closed-book exam, answering two questions (of five given) on Special Topic 1 and two questions (of five given) on Special Topic 2. In the 90-minute oral component, again taken 1–2 weeks later, the student is asked to review the written exam, explain and expand upon previous answers, and address additional questions; this exam concludes with a discussion and evaluation of the dissertation prospectus, often with the participation of the expected dissertation advisor and/or committee members. At that stage, the committee will decide whether to approve the prospectus or not, and if not, what revisions are needed before it can be reconsidered. Failure to produce a viable prospectus can constitute grounds for dismissal. After approval of the dissertation prospectus, the student can advance to candidacy, and will work with the Graduate Chair to configure a dissertation committee, consisting of a director and two readers.
Primary methods of preparation for “Specials” are the two required CLST 9991 Special Topics independent studies with a faculty advisor, and ANCH/CLST 9000 Dissertation Prospectus Workshop.
Administration of Examinations
The Graduate Chair will ensure that at least three examiners participate in every Ph.D. preliminary oral examination, appointing supplemental examiners as necessary. Examiners are usually chosen by the Graduate Chair.