Latin and Classical Humanities

Graduate Program Tracks
Special Features of our Program

Our innovative approaches to teaching Latin put the department at UMass Boston in the vanguard of Latin teacher training.  We are pleased to offer three tracks within the Masters in Latin and Classical Humanities. (For specific requirements click on "Requirements" on the left-hand bar.)

• The most popular track is the MA with Licensure in Latin and Classical Humanities, designed for those who seek a content-area masters that includes a Massachusetts teaching license (grades 5-12).  Four education courses and a teaching practicum are required.  Massachusetts licensure requirements are rigorous, and the Commonwealth has reciprocity agreements with virtually every state in the nation.
• The Applied Linguistics track is for students seeking increased expertise in Latin as well as theoretical and applied understanding of second language acquisition.  Four courses in applied linguistics are required. No education courses required.
• A Greek/Latin track is for students seeking to build up their knowledge of Ancient Greek and Latin languages and literatures.  Course requirements are divided equally between Greek and Latin. Graduates have successfully moved on to PhD programs or are working in other fields.
• ‹We also offer two degrees in conjunction with the College of Education and Human Development. For information concerning the MEd with Professional Licensure click here; for information concerning the Masters in Secondary Education with Initial Licensure click here. 

Special features of our programs

Innovative active Latin pedagogy.  Our instruction frequently incorporates the use of active Latin–speaking and writing, in addition to listening and reading–with the goal of producing Latinists who have a deep and broad understanding of the language.  These skills are crucial for high school language classrooms.

Accessibility and affordability.  Summer, evening and online courses make the program accessible for in-service teachers.  As the only public university in the Boston area, UMass Boston is considerably less expensive than neighboring private institutions. 

** Note that teaching assistantships are awarded to many of our full-time graduate students. 

Post-Graduation Successes.  100% of our Licensure Track and Applied Linguistics Track graduates are employed as Latin teachers.  Our Greek/Latin track students have gone on to PhD programs in Classics and English, or to jobs in other fields, including the Boston-area IT world.

National and international reputation.  Most of our part-time graduate students teach Latin at schools within driving distance of our campus, but full-time students come from across the country.  The Conventiculum Bostoniense attracts Latin speakers from around the globe.

Prize-Winning Faculty.  Learn how to teach from master teachers. Prof. Jacqueline Carlon, the Graduate Program Director, won the 2017 Society for Classical Studies Award for Excellence in Teaching at the Collegiate Level. Her course on "Methods of Teaching the Latin Language" is a mainstay of the program.  Prof. Kenneth Rothwell, who regularly teaches Greek language and literature, won the 2017 UMass Boston Award for Excellence in Teaching.  

For further information, please contact Prof. Peter Barrios-Lech ([email protected])

Visit our Graduate Admissions page!

• Choose which graduate program is the best fit.
• Review your program’s application requirements and deadlines.
• Submit your application, statement of purpose, and transcripts through Liaison’s Centralized Application System (CAS):

• Graduate Nursing Application for all nursing programs
• BusinessCAS for all College of Management programs
• GradCAS for all other programs!

• Order transcripts electronically in the Centralized Application System (CAS) or by requesting official hardcopies be mailed to the address for your CAS:
  • BusinessCAS Transcript Processing Center
    P.O. Box 9221
    Watertown, MA 02471
     
  • GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
    P.O. Box 9217
    Watertown, MA 02471
     
• If GRE or GMAT scores are required for your program, request official scores be sent to the University of Massachusetts Boston (institution code 3924).
• If you are an international applicant, please review our bachelor’s equivalency and English language proficiency requirements. If submitting TOEFL or IELTS scores, request that they be sent to the University of Massachusetts Boston (institution code 3924).
• If we are unable to determine international degree equivalence, we may ask applicants to submit an external evaluation from the Center for Educational Documentation (www.cedevaluations.com). The foreign evaluation does not replace the official transcript requirement.

If you need to submit other hardcopy materials or cannot send materials to a P.O. Box, you can send materials directly to our office (please allow for additional processing time):
UMass Boston Graduate Admissions
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125