The Graduate Group in Classical Studies trains students in the languages, literatures, and history of the ancient Greek and Roman world. Students are encouraged to combine this work with the investigation of such related fields as Art History and Archaeology, Comparative Literature and Literary Theory, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Women's Studies.
Penn offers superb resources for the study of classical antiquity. We have a world-class faculty, who specialize in a wide range of sub-fields within the discipline, and who take seriously the responsibility of training graduate students for careers in and beyond academia.
All candidates for the Ph.D are required to teach for at least two semesters under the supervision of the Graduate Group. In practice, students normally teach four semesters, during the second and third years of the program.
All candidates for the Ph.D must take a series of exams including Modern Language Examinations, the Qualifications Evaluation Examination in Greek and Latin translation, and the Preliminary Examination on the literary history of Greece and Rome, along with special topics chosen by the student. The dissertation is normally completed by the end of the student's fifth year in the program.