This is a named option within the Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies M.A.
Soon after the founding of the University of Wisconsin in 1848, the department was created as one of the first academic units at the university. The Department of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies (CANES) has enjoyed a long tradition of excellence inphilological scholarship,literary criticism,archaeology, andancient history. At the graduate level, the department offers the master of arts and doctor of philosophy in classical and ancient near eastern studies. Students may follow one of two courses of study,classical languages and literatures, orHebrew bible.
Theprimary goalof the program is to familiarize students with thecore linguistic,historical, andphilologicalaspects of classical and ancient near eastern studies. Students also learn toconduct original researchin such varied areas asgender studies, literary theory, translation studies, and classical receptionunder the guidance of established scholars in these areas.
In addition to specified coursework, students participate indirected readingswith individual faculty members in their areas of specialization and gain valuable professional experienceteachingin courses on the languages, literature, and culture of the ancient world. Additional work may be done in allied fields such asarchaeology, art history, linguistics, comparative literature, history, philosophy, and political science. Affiliated faculty in many of these fields regularly offer courses, supervise theses and dissertations, and participate in department activities.
A wide range ofprofessional networksprovides graduate students with enhanced opportunities for education and career development. In addition to faculty connections to scholars and institutions in their fields of study, the department has formal affiliations with the Society for Classical Studies, the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the American Schools of Oriental Research.
The Pillinger Library and Mansoor Reading Room, both located within the department, provide convenient access to a large number of texts, while the larger Greek and Latin Reading Room in the Memorial Library contains an extensive, noncirculating research collection of texts and commentaries. The Memorial Library maintains an excellent research collection of books and periodicals in classics and Hebrew bible, with many of its resources available online.