“The Brock Classics MA program stands out because of its dynamic and engaged faculty, and for the many opportunities for experiential learning available both at the university and beyond. Students can engage with faculty not only in the classroom, but also in our offices and hallways, in the department’s Cypriote Museum and Archaeology Lab, and especially through our annual research and study programs in the Mediterranean.”

— Dr. Fanny Dolansky (Graduate Program Director)

The Master of Arts in Classics emphasizes a holistic approach to the Greek and Roman worlds and engages students in the study of languages, literature, history, and material culture. Students have the option to continue their study of Greek and Latin to ensure that they can access the wealth of literary and documentary sources which have survived and still continue to surface. The program also assigns prominence to historical context and material culture, promoting active archaeological research and travel to the Mediterranean, in particular. The program is structured on the principle that these diverse approaches inform one another and produce a cross disciplinary, well-rounded, and thus broader understanding of the world and legacy of the Greeks and Romans.

Highlights

The Department regularly offers overseas courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including archaeological field schools and study tours to Greece, Italy, and Turkey. Graduate students who have not previously excavated or participated in a study tour can enroll in these courses, and those that have may qualify for teaching assistant positions for these. In recent years, courses in advanced archaeological research have been offered in Greece and Turkey.

Faculty members conducting research overseas frequently take students to assist them: Dr. R. Angus K. Smith has worked with Brock students on Bronze Age sites in Crete and the Peloponnese; Dr. Elizabeth S. Greene has taken students to work on shipwreck sites off the coasts of Turkey and Sicily, and to study artifacts in the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology; and Dr. Carrie Ann Murray has worked with students on the island of Pantelleria at the Lago di Venere site. Some financial assistance for overseas projects is available.

Upon completion of coursework, students have the opportunity to spend a semester in Athens through an internship program with the Canadian Institute in Greece.

Specializations

In addition to the general MA program (Critical Ancient Studies), students may specialize in one of two “fields”: one in Classical Art and Archaeology and one in Text and Culture.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants should have a BA Honours, or equivalent degree, in Classics, with a minimum overall average of B and a minimum major average of 75%. Applicants to the Critical Ancient Studies program and to the Text and Culture specialization will normally have balanced strength in Greek and Latin or substantial experience in one of the ancient languages. There are no formal ancient language requirements for admission to the Art and Archaeology specialization, but students are encouraged to align their study of ancient languages with their academic interests.

Questions

Please contact the Graduate Program Director, Dr. Fanny Dolansky (fdolansky@brocku.ca or x5372) or send an email to maclassics@brocku.ca.