Master of Arts Program in Classics
For admission a general knowledge of ancient history and literature and reasonable competence in reading both Greek and Latin prose and poetry are required, as indicated by the successful completion of an undergraduate major in classics or its equivalent. Students may apply for the M.A. program only, without fellowship. Students may also apply directly to the Ph.D. program, in which case the M.A. degree may be awarded after the student completes the requirements for the M.A.
Eight graduate-level courses, 32 points, chosen from the 1000-2000 series of courses, including either the Latin survey sequence, Latin Literature: Origins, Republic, CLASS-GA 1003, and Latin Literature: Imperial Period, CLASS-GA 1005, or the Greek survey sequence Greek Prose Literature, CLASS-GA 1009, and Greek Poetry from Homer Through the Hellenistic Period, CLASS-GA 1013, year-long survey and one course from two of the following three areas: 1) prose composition, Greek Rhetoric and Stylistics: Composition, CLASS-GA 1011, or, Latin Rhetoric and Stylistics: Composition, CLASS-GA 1012; 2) Greek or Roman history, and 3) Archaeology or ancient art history. Of the remaining four courses, at least three must be in Greek or Latin authors. The department participates in a consortial agreement with the City University of New York and Fordham University, which makes course offerings in classics at all three institutions readily available to all NYU classics graduate students. On arrival, each student takes diagnostic sight translation examinations in Greek and Latin. A faculty adviser evaluates and discusses them with the student. Before qualifying for the M.A. degree, a student must pass a Greek or Latin translation examination based on reading lists and translation examinations in German and either French or Italian.