Masters Program
Stanford Classics offers an intellectually vibrant and broadly transdisciplinary exploration of the ancient Mediterranean world. Masters students specialize in literature, history, archaeology, or philosophy and the history of science; their training combines core skills and methods with innovative and theoretically informed approaches.
The masters degrees are only open to Stanford students. It is a one-year terminal degree program and does not qualify applicants for admittance to the Stanford Ph.D. program. If you are considering studying Classics at Stanford, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with our approaches to the fields of study here. Review the requirements of the program below and be in contact with our Director of Graduate Studies if you have any questions.
Financial Aid
Stanford is a private university with high costs, sometimes prohibitively so. The department does not provide funding to assist co-terminal masters students with these costs. We strongly encourage applying for outside grants or loans to finance a graduate education. The Office of Graduate Admissions has a helpful breakdown of estimated costs for graduate students.
M.A. Tracking Form
Language Requirements
Depending on the student's chosen track, the department requires facility in both ancient and modern languages.
Modern: all M.A. students are required to pass one modern language exam in either German, French or Italian. Since the program is so short, it is strongly recommended that prospective students be well advanced in one of these languages before matriculation.
Ancient: Language and Literature track students (and those in the Joint Program in Ancient Philosophy) are required to pass a translation exam in either Latin or Ancient Greek. Classical Archaeology track students are also required to take an exam. Ancient History track students are not required to pass a translation exam.
Other Requirements
Stanford students are welcome to apply for either the co-terminal masters program (only open to current Stanford undergraduates) or the masters degree program (applicant must be matriculated in another Stanford graduate degree program). Interested students should contact the department directly.
Stanford University requires M.A. students to complete a minimum of 45 units of coursework. Each track within the M.A. program requires different sets of coursework to complete within the 45 units of residency. These requirements are listed in detail in the Stanford Bulletin. A Master's thesis is optional to complete the degree, but is highly recommended for students going on to apply to doctoral programs.
Have Questions Along the Way?
Contact the team at classics [at] stanford.edu (classics[at]stanford[dot]edu)