General Exams

One of the main goals of the general exams is to assist the student in the development of a dissertation topic. The general exams are structured as follows for each of the three tracks:

Ancient History

  • Major field (5 hours)
  • Minor field (either language and literature or Mediterranean archaeology; 3 hours)
  • Translation (Greek and Roman historians; 2 hours Latin, 2 hours Greek)

Language and Literature

  • Major field (5 hours)
  • Minor field (either ancient history or Mediterranean archaeology; 3 hours)
  • Translation (ancient Greek literature; 2 hours; Latin literature; 2 hours)

Mediterranean Archaeology

  • Major field (5 hours)
  • Minor field (either language and literature or ancient history; 3 hours)
  • Translation (ancient Greek and/or Latin texts relevant to Mediterranean archaeology; 2 hours)

Structure of Field Exams

For each of the three exams, the student works with a committee consisting of two members of the faculty to develop subjects for study, study questions and (in the case of translation exams) a reading list of ancient texts. Each exam may be retaken once. If a student fails an exam a second time, he/she will be terminated in the program.

A student’s research focus (archaeology, history or language and literature) will be his/her Major Field. The Minor Field will be one of the two remaining subjects. The student must select either Greek or Roman subjects as his/her Primary Area of the Major Field exam, and the other as his/her Secondary Area, and likewise for the Minor Field exam.

To advance to candidacy, PhD students are required to pass field exams on two separate sub-areas of classical studies. The exam requirements are as follows:

Major Field (either archaeology, history or literature)
5-hour exam (2 hours in morning, 3 in afternoon)

  No. of questions prepared with advisors No. of questions appearing on exam that student must answer
Primary Area (Greek or Roman) 3 hours 5 3
Secondary Area (Greek or Roman) 2 hours 3 2

Minor Field (either archaeology, history or literature)
3-hour exam

  No. of questions prepared with advisors No. of questions appearing on exam that student must answer
Primary Area (Greek or Roman) 2 hours 3 2
Secondary Area (Greek or Roman) 1 hour 2 1