DEPARTMENT OF GREEK AND LATIN - Welcome to …pir.cua.edu/.../grad-goals/GRAD-GreekLatin-Updated201… · Web viewdemonstrate a mastery of the literary history of the Latin language

DEPARTMENT OF GREEK AND LATINGraduate Studies

Goals and Assessment of Student Outcomes

Introduction

The instructional and research focus of departments of Classics in the United States has traditionally been the long period of cultural history that begins roughly with the poetry of Homer (8th-7th century B.C.) and continues until approximately A.D. 200. Some of the larger departments may also have one or two specialists in the later period, i.e., from A.D. 200-600, which includes the rise of Christianity and is often labeled “Late Antiquity,” but the usual emphasis is on the languages, literatures, archeology, history, philosophy, fine arts, and civilization of pre-Christian classical antiquity. The postclassical development and use of the Greek and Latin languages are often ignored by Classics departments, even though, as is well known, Greek is the European (and Indo-European) language with the longest attested history, and Latin was Europe’s lingua franca until late in the 17th century.

By contrast, CUA’s Department of Greek and Latin, while sharing this classical or pre-Christian focus at the undergraduate and M.A. levels, has, uniquely among Classics departments, always focused at the doctoral level on the teaching of postclassical Greek and Latin and on the study of the classical tradition as it was reshaped by Christianity. Thus, the department’s faculty study and teach Greek language and literature from Homer through late antiquity, Latin from its beginnings in the 7th century B.C. through the late medieval period, and the history, archeology, fine arts, and civilization of both classical and Christian antiquity. Ph.D. dissertations must focus on a late antique or Medieval Latin topic.

This postclassical focus of the department is best exemplified by such publications as The Fathers of the Church, a well-known series of English translations of Greek and Latin patristic texts with more than 100 volumes to date, and by a second series, recently initiated by CUA Press and entitled The Library of Early Christianity, which has facing-page English translations and is edited by a member of the department’s faculty. Another publication, Medieval Latin: An Introduction and Bibliographical Guide (1996), co-edited by a second member of the department’s faculty, is now the standard guide to that field throughout the English-speaking world. The department has also sponsored two series of published dissertations—Patristic Studies and Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Latin Language and Literature—that have likewise enhanced its reputation as a center for the study of later Greek and Latin.

At the graduate level, the department offers three degree programs, leading to the M.A. in Greek and Latin, the M.A. in Latin, and the Ph.D. in Greek and Latin, and three certificate programs, in Greek, Latin, and Greek and Latin. It also participates in the graduate degree and certificate programs of the university’s Center for the Study of Early Christianity and Center for Medieval and Byzantine Studies, and contributes to the linguistic and historical training of graduate students in many other programs in the

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humanities. The department is small and benefits greatly from the participation in its programs of several affiliated faculty members from other departments, schools, and programs, who may be asked to serve as dissertation supervisors or members of dissertation committees. Moreover, a student exchange program, initiated in 1987 between the Department of Greek and Latin at CUA and the Department of Classics at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, enables graduate students in either of the departments to take courses for credit at the other. Graduate-level courses are also available, through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, in the Department of Classics at the University of Maryland (College Park), the only other graduate program (M.A.) in Classics in the Washington area.

The department’s website (http://greeklatin.cua.edu) provides detailed descriptions of all its graduate programs as well as much other information. All graduate students work under the direct supervision of the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. To prepare enrolled Ph.D. students for careers in academia, the department provides them with carefully supervised opportunities to teach as sole instructors in their own classes or to serve as teaching and research assistants to regular faculty members. The department promotes the publication by its graduate students of distinguished research papers produced in courses, and will pay the registration fees of those who wish to participate in, and present papers at, scholarly conferences. It invites graduate students to participate in lunchtime colloquia initiated in 2012 and also strongly encourages their involvement in all the activities, including lectures and presentations of research in progress, sponsored by the nearby Center for the Study of Early Christianity. One graduate student is selected every year by the Chair to represent the department at meetings of the Graduate Students Association, and there are many opportunities for personal growth through service on campus committees, membership in campus associations, and participation in the religious life of the university.

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MASTERS’ DEGREE PROGRAMS

M.A. in Greek and Latin(30 credit-hours)

Program Description

This aim of this M.A. program is to provide students with opportunities to build securely upon their previous study of Greek and Latin, to acquire broader philological expertise in both the ancient languages and a deeper exposure to Greek and Latin literature, and to develop their skills as scholars, interpreters, translators, and teachers of ancient texts. Degree candidates also receive training in research methodologies and the preparation of formal research papers. Degree requirements consist of two courses in the composition

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http://greeklatin.cua.edu/

of grammatically correct Greek and Latin prose (GREEK 511, LATIN 511), two surveys of the ancient literatures (GREEK 655, LATIN 655), and six other approved courses selected in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies to reflect students’ specific academic needs and interests, as well as their plans beyond the M.A. degree. Reading competence in Greek and Latin and in French or German must also be demonstrated in sight examinations. Formal coursework and sight examinations are followed by comprehensive examinations in each language. As this program does not require completion of a master’s thesis, two research papers completed in courses must be submitted for review and approval by the faculty.

Applications for admission to this degree program are evaluated by a committee of the department’s faculty. Successful applicants must ordinarily have completed a bachelor’s degree in Classics and must provide evidence of significant prior academic achievement in the field. (Applications of high quality from others who did not major in Classics but incorporated Greek and Latin studies in their undergraduate programs, or acquired equivalent training in some other way, are also reviewed.) In addition to the application materials required by CUA, every graduate applicant for admission to the Department of Greek and Latin must also submit an essay of approximately 1000-1500 words detailing academic interests and goals, desired career, and the reasons that prompted an application to this particular program. In this essay applicants discuss their skills and backgrounds in the broader field of Classics, describe the levels attained in both classical languages, outline any special educational experiences they may have had (e.g., an honors project, study abroad, employment as a research assistant or museum intern, etc.), and explain any items in their academic records that may not be representative of current goals and interests. A writing sample of previous academic work, perhaps a section of an undergraduate senior thesis (completed or in progress), is also required. This should be at least seven pages in length, provide evidence of direct engagement with primary sources in the ancient languages, demonstrate familiarity with relevant secondary studies, and include full references and bibliography. Two additional supplementary requirements are lists of all writings—classical, patristic, or medieval—read by the applicant in the ancient languages, and of all modern languages known or studied, with indications of the level and kind of competence attained. The Greek and Latin list is especially important, along with the academic transcript and faculty testimonials, in assessing an applicant’s linguistic training, skills, and potential for studies at the graduate level. Admitted students may also be required to take the department’s placement examinations in Greek and Latin and must make up any deficiencies in training for graduate work before they are eligible for admission to courses conferring graduate credit.

The M.A. program in Greek and Latin provides the strongest possible foundation for additional work in the broader field of Classics and the essential background for the study and interpretation of the Greek and Latin writings of the postclassical era. Graduates often continue their studies toward CUA’s Ph.D. in Greek and Latin or seek admission to doctoral programs in Classics elsewhere. One recent graduate immediately entered a Ph.D. program in Ancient History, equipped with the philological competence needed to

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work with the Greek and Latin sources of his chosen field of study and expertise. Others choose to pursue teaching careers at the middle or secondary school level. Graduates are also well prepared to proceed to careers in law, business, government, publishing, librarianship, and other fields that value those who have a firm command of a broad and diverse body of knowledge and have honed their skills in critical thinking, research, and writing by working closely with complex and challenging materials.

Goals for Student Learning

Students who graduate with the degree of Master of Arts in Greek and Latin will:1. demonstrate advanced proficiency in the disciplinary content taught and studied in all

courses, both required and elective;2. read and write both ancient languages very competently and translate Greek and Latin

prose and poetic texts at very high levels of accuracy and efficiency;3. read and evaluate very competently Greek and Latin texts and associated scholarly

studies, and produce intelligent, clear, and carefully synthesized accounts of their research that demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the field;

4. demonstrate mastery of the literary history of both the Greek and Latin languages and of the history of ancient Greece and Rome;

5. demonstrate a secure working knowledge of the fundamental tools of classical scholarship, both traditional and electronic;

6. demonstrate a reading knowledge of either French or German as found in scholarly journals and studies and in other academic publications.

7. assemble a working set of relevant professional and academic skills.

Student Assessment Outcome Measures

1. All of the department’s graduate students work under the direct supervision of the Director of Graduate Studies, who closely monitors their academic performance by (a) being in regular contact with both the students and their teachers; (b) offering advice about appropriate course selection; (c) reviewing grades; (d) ensuring that students meet all the requirements and expectations of the program; (e) identifying, and seeking to remedy, problems associated with a student’s preparation or approaches to studying and learning; (f) transferring, in accord with CUA’s regulations, graduate credits earned at other accredited institutions. In consultation with the Chair, the Director of Graduate Studies also appoints the two faculty members who will set and grade comprehensive and other qualifying examinations (see below) and the member who will be the second reader of the research papers required for completion of the degree. (In the case of comprehensive examinations, the Chair serves as third reader and evaluator.)

2. Students’ progress in their individual courses is measured by means of quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, papers, or other exercises and assignments, at the discretion of the individual instructors. Final grades are awarded in accordance with CUA’s mandated grading system, and graduate students are expected to receive no grade

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lower than B-, which falls between the university’s “satisfactory” designation for a grade of B and “passing but marginal” for a grade of C. Those who receive a grade of C in any course are subject to review by the department’s faculty and may be required to repeat that course or to substitute another designated by the Director of Graduate Studies; those who receive a grade of F, or a second grade of C, are subject to dismissal.

3. Candidates for this degree must pass, with a very high level of accuracy, sight translation examinations in Greek and Latin and in either French or German. These are taken by arrangement with the Director of Graduate Studies. The sight translation examinations in Greek and Latin, taken without a dictionary, are each one hour in length and consist of a single passage in prose and a single passage in poetry. To pass the sight translation in French or German, students must be able to translate, within one hour and with the aid of a dictionary, approximately one full page of academic French or German into standard formal English. Students who have not previously studied one of the modern languages at the college level are advised first to take and pass the graduate-level reading courses (FRENCH 500, GERMAN 500) offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

4. Students who have successfully completed all their required coursework and passed the sight translation examinations may proceed to take written comprehensive examinations, which are offered by arrangement on the days determined by the department and published in Cardinal Station. These consist of (a) two three-hour translation examinations, one in Greek and the other in Latin, based on official departmental lists of representative Greek and Latin texts from the classical era; and (b) two three-hour essay examinations, in Greek and in Roman literature and history, based on the texts listed in (a) and on official departmental lists of secondary scholarship, with essay questions (one or more required) drawn from official departmental lists of questions known in advance and focusing on issues and topics considered central to the study of the literature and history of the classical era. (All these lists are accessible at the department’s website.) The translation examinations evaluate students’ knowledge of the forms, syntax, and vocabulary of both the classical languages and their ability to translate efficiently and effectively selections from a wide range of representative texts. The essay examinations provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their familiarity with both primary sources and secondary studies and their ability to write critically and with clarity and imagination. A passing grade on comprehensive examinations is 80 % (B-). Each examination is graded separately and receives a “high pass” (90-100), “pass” (80-89), or “failure” (below 80). “High Pass” denotes a translation examination that demonstrates a mastery of the forms, syntax, and vocabulary of the original language; an awareness of the author’s style and diction; and an avoidance of literalism and “translationese.” A grade of “high pass” on an essay examination is awarded for excellent work that clearly and persuasively answers the questions posed, reveals familiarity with all the conventions of essay composition and standard academic prose, and displays a deep knowledge of the material. Students who fail any one of the comprehensive examinations may take it a second time.

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5. In lieu of an M.A. thesis, students must submit two research papers completed in their courses for review and approval first by the Director of Graduate Studies, and then by one other member of the faculty.

Use of Results to Improve Student Learning

1. All the department’s courses are formally and anonymously evaluated twice each semester, by means of one instrument required by the School of Arts and Sciences and a second designed by the department and specific to its programs. Course instructors and the Chair then review the results to identify any instructional weaknesses. In addition to asking students to evaluate their teachers in 16 areas associated with classroom performance, the department’s evaluation form invites recommendations for specific changes and improvements.

2. The department’s small size—with only five regular, full-time faculty members and about fifteen graduate students in residence at any one time—permits and encourages frequent conversations among the faculty about the academic progress of all its graduate students. And more formal discussions about their performance, and about the effectiveness of the department’s programs, are held at regular monthly faculty meetings.

3. As part of the department’s ongoing assessment of the quality of its graduate programs and the learning experience of its students, the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies conduct exit interviews with all students who have reached the end of their programs and/or are leaving the department. These interviews help to identify areas of concern and ways in which the department may better meet the needs of its students and the educational goals of its programs. This information is shared with faculty either privately or in formal group discussions about the design of individual courses, the content of the department’s programs, the expansion or reduction of course offerings, the structure of the assessment process, and other related issues.

4. The Chair is charged with implementing all curricular and other program changes.

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M.A. in Latin(30 credit-hours)

Program Description

This aim of this M.A. program is to provide students with opportunities to build securely upon their previous study of Latin, to acquire broader philological expertise in that language and a deeper exposure to Latin literature, and to develop their skills as scholars, interpreters, and translators of Latin texts. Degree candidates also receive training in research methodologies and the preparation of formal research papers. It is an especially useful program for continuing or future teachers of Latin, as it enables them to become

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skilled, self-motivated readers and researchers, and it polishes their linguistic competence to a high level, ensuring that they will always feel comfortable and confident in front of a classroom. Degree requirements consist of one course in the composition of grammatically correct Latin prose (LATIN 511), a survey of Latin literature (LATIN 655), and eight other approved courses selected in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies to reflect students’ specific academic and professional needs and interests. (Those who enter this program may also elect the study of Greek to enrich their work, although this is not required.) Reading competence in Latin and in French or German must also be demonstrated in sight examinations. Formal coursework and sight examinations are followed by comprehensive examinations. As this program does not require completion of a master’s thesis, two research papers completed in courses must be submitted for review and approval by the faculty in lieu of a thesis.

Applications for admission to this degree program are evaluated by a committee of the department’s faculty. Successful applicants must ordinarily have completed a bachelor’s degree in Latin (or Classics) and must provide evidence of significant prior academic achievement. (Applications of high quality from others who did not major in Latin or Classics but incorporated Latin studies in their undergraduate programs, or acquired equivalent training in some other way, are also reviewed.)

In addition to the application materials required by CUA, every graduate applicant for admission to the Department of Greek and Latin must also submit an essay of approximately 1000-1500 words detailing academic interests and goals, desired career, and the reasons that prompted an application to this particular program. In the essay applicants discuss their skills and backgrounds in the broader field of Latin (or Classics), describe the levels attained in Latin, outline any special educational experiences they may have had (e.g., an honors project, study abroad, employment as a research assistant or museum intern, etc.), and explain any items in their academic records that may not be representative of current goals and interests. A writing sample of previous academic work, perhaps a section of an undergraduate senior thesis (completed or in progress), is also required. This should be at least seven pages in length, provide evidence of direct engagement with primary sources in Latin, demonstrate familiarity with relevant secondary studies, and include full references and bibliography. Two additional supplementary requirements are lists of all writings—classical, patristic, or medieval—read by the applicant in Latin, and of all modern languages known or studied, with indications of the level and kind of competence attained. The Latin list is especially important, along with the academic transcript and faculty testimonials, in assessing an applicant’s linguistic training, skills, and potential for studies at the graduate level. Admitted students may also be required to take the department’s placement examination in Latin and must make up any deficiencies in training for graduate work before they are eligible for admission to courses conferring graduate credit.

The M.A. program in Latin has been designed especially for those who are pursuing, or anticipate, careers as Latin teachers, but it will also greatly benefit students with completed B.A. degrees in other fields who have some background in Latin and who are headed for graduate studies in a wide range of fields, particularly in the humanities, that

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require, for research purposes, an advanced reading knowledge of Latin. Graduates are also well prepared to proceed to careers in law, business, government, publishing, librarianship, and other fields that value those who have a firm command of a broad and diverse body of knowledge and have honed their skills in critical thinking, research, and writing by working closely with complex and challenging materials.


Students who graduate with the degree of Master of Arts in Latin will:1. demonstrate advanced proficiency in the disciplinary content taught and studied in all

courses, both required and elective;2. read and write Latin very competently and translate Latin prose and poetic texts at

very high levels of accuracy and efficiency;3. read and evaluate very competently Latin texts and associated scholarly studies, and

produce intelligent, clear, and carefully synthesized accounts of their research that demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the field;

4. demonstrate a mastery of the literary history of the Latin language and of the history of ancient Rome;

5. demonstrate a secure working knowledge of the fundamental tools of classical scholarship, both traditional and electronic;

6. demonstrate a reading knowledge of either French or German as found in scholarly journals and studies and in other academic publications.



1. All of the department’s graduate students work under the direct supervision of the Director of Graduate Studies, who closely monitors their academic performance by (a) being in regular contact with both the students and their teachers; (b) offering advice about appropriate course selection; (c) reviewing grades; (d) ensuring that students meet all the requirements and expectations of the program; (e) identifying, and seeking to remedy, problems associated with a student’s preparation or approaches to studying and learning; (f) transferring, in accord with CUA’s regulations, graduate credits earned at other accredited institutions. In consultation with the Chair, the Director of Graduate Studies also appoints the two faculty members who will set and grade comprehensive and other qualifying examinations (see below) and the member who will be the second reader of the research papers required for completion of the degree. (In the case of comprehensive examinations, the Chair serves as third reader and evaluator).

2. Students’ progress in their individual courses is measured by means of quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, papers, or other exercises and assignments, at the discretion of the individual instructors. Final grades are awarded in accordance with CUA’s mandated grading system, and graduate students are expected to receive no grade lower than B-, which falls between the university’s “satisfactory” designation for a grade of B and “passing but marginal” for a grade of C. Those who receive a grade

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of C in any course are subject to review by the department’s faculty and may be required to repeat that course or to substitute another designated by the Director of Graduate Studies; those who receive a grade of F, or a second grade of C, are subject to dismissal.

3. Candidates for this degree must pass, with a very high level of accuracy, sight translation examinations in Latin and in either French or German. These are by arrangement with the Director of Graduate Studies. The sight translation examination in Latin, taken without a dictionary, is one hour in length and consists of a single passage in prose and a single passage in poetry. To pass the sight translation in French or German, students must be able to translate, within one hour and with the aid of a dictionary, approximately one full page of academic French or German into standard formal English. Those who have not previously studied the language at the college level are advised first to take and pass the graduate-level reading courses (FRENCH 500, GERMAN 500) offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

4. Students who have successfully completed all their required coursework and passed the sight translation examinations may proceed to take written comprehensive examinations, which are offered by arrangement on the days determined by the department and published in Cardinal Station. These consist of (a) one three-hour translation examination in Latin, based on an official departmental list of representative Latin texts from the classical era; and (b) one three-hour essay examination in Roman literature and history, based on the texts listed in (a) and on an official departmental list of secondary scholarship, with essay questions (one or more required) drawn from an official departmental list of questions known in advance and focusing on issues and topics considered central to the study of the literature and history of ancient Rome. (All these are accessible at the department’s website.) The translation examination evaluates students’ knowledge of the forms, syntax, and vocabulary of the Latin language and their ability to translate efficiently and effectively selections from a wide range of representative Latin texts. The essay examination provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their familiarity with both primary sources and secondary studies and their ability to write critically and with clarity and imagination. A passing grade on comprehensive examinations is 80 % (B-). Each examination is graded separately and receives a “high pass” (90-100), “pass” (80-89), or “failure” (below 80). “High Pass” denotes a translation examination that demonstrates a mastery of the forms, syntax, and vocabulary of the original Latin; an awareness of the author’s style and diction; and an avoidance of literalism and “translationese.” A grade of “high pass” on an essay examination is awarded for excellent work that clearly and persuasively answers the questions posed, reveals familiarity with all the conventions of essay composition and standard academic prose, and displays a deep knowledge of the material. Students who fail any one of the comprehensive examinations may take it a second time.

5. In lieu of an M.A. thesis, students must submit two research papers completed in their courses for review and approval first by the Director of Graduate Studies, and then by one other member of the faculty.

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3. As part of the department’s ongoing assessment of the quality of its graduate programs and the learning experience of its students, the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies conduct exit interviews with all students who have reached the end of their programs and/or are leaving the department. These interviews help to identify areas of concern and ways in which the department may better meet the needs of its students and the educational goals of its programs. This information is shared with faculty either privately or in formal group discussions about the design of individual courses, the content of the department’s programs, the expansion or reduction of course offerings, the structure of the assessment process, and other related issues.


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DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMPh.D. in Greek and Latin

(30 credit-hours)

Program Description

Designed to build upon the M.A. program in Greek and Latin, the doctoral program aims to provide students with the broadest possible philological expertise in both the classical and postclassical forms of Greek and Latin and a carefully focused experience of later Greek and Latin texts within an interdisciplinary framework. Degree candidates develop their skills as scholars, interpreters, translators, and teachers of ancient texts and receive training in research methodologies and the preparation of formal research papers, to the point where they are ready to complete a doctoral dissertation. Degree requirements consist of three courses in Greek texts and three in Latin texts; CLAS 572 (History of the

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Ancient Mediterranean); and three other approved courses selected in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies to reflect students’ specific academic needs and interests. As the M.A. program in Greek and Latin requires that students pass a modern foreign language examination in either French or German, reading competence in the other language, and in any additional foreign languages (e.g., Italian, Spanish, modern Greek) essential for research purposes, must be demonstrated in sight examinations. Comprehensive examinations (three parts) and a doctoral dissertation follow formal coursework and language examinations and complete the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

Applications for admission to this degree program are evaluated by a committee of the department’s faculty. Most applicants admitted to this program enter with a B.A. degree in Classics and complete an integrated and interdisciplinary curriculum of 60 credit-hours leading to both the M.A. (30 credit-hours) and Ph.D. (30 credit-hours) in Greek and Latin, and structured to focus chiefly on the classical era at the master’s level and on the postclassical period (late antiquity and/or the Latin Middle Ages) at the doctoral level. Students who are admitted to the joint M.A-Ph.D. program in Greek and Latin therefore study late antiquity and/or Medieval Latin against the background of ancient Greek and Roman literature and culture and are required to complete a doctoral dissertation on a late antique or Medieval Latin topic. (Applications of high quality from others who have not already completed degrees in Classics, but who have incorporated Greek and Latin studies in their previous programs, or acquired equivalent training in some other way, are also considered.) In addition to the application materials required by CUA, every graduate applicant for admission to the Department of Greek and Latin must also submit an essay of approximately 1000-1500 words detailing academic interests and goals, desired career, and the reasons that prompted an application to this particular program. In the essay applicants discuss their skills and backgrounds in the broader field of Classics, describe the levels attained in both classical languages, outline any special educational experiences they may have had (e.g., an honors project, study abroad, employment as a research assistant or museum intern, etc.), and explain any items in their academic records that may not be representative of current goals and interests. A writing sample of previous mature academic work, perhaps a section of an undergraduate senior thesis or of a master’s thesis (completed or in progress), is also required. This should be at least seven pages in length, provide evidence of direct engagement with primary sources in the ancient languages, demonstrate familiarity with relevant secondary studies, and include full references and bibliography. Two additional supplementary requirements are lists of all writings—classical, patristic, or medieval—read by the applicant in the ancient languages, and of all modern languages known or studied, with indications of the level and kind of competence attained. The Greek and Latin list is especially important, along with the academic transcript and faculty testimonials, in assessing an applicant’s linguistic training, skills, and potential for studies at the graduate level. Admitted students may also be required to take the department’s placement examinations in Greek and Latin and must make up any deficiencies in training for graduate work before they are eligible for admission to courses conferring graduate credit.

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Graduates with completed doctoral degrees typically obtain faculty positions in departments of Classics, but they are also well prepared to proceed to careers in teaching, law, business, government, publishing, librarianship, and other fields that value those who have a firm command of a broad and diverse body of knowledge and have honed their skills in critical thinking, research, and writing by working closely with complex and challenging materials.


Students who graduate with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Greek and Latin will:1. demonstrate exceptional proficiency in the disciplinary content taught and studied in

all courses, both required and elective;2. read and write both ancient languages expertly and translate Greek and Latin prose

and poetic texts at the very highest levels of accuracy and efficiency;3. read and evaluate perspicaciously Greek and Latin texts and associated scholarly

studies, and produce intelligent, clear, and carefully synthesized accounts of their research, including a doctoral dissertation, that demonstrate exceptional and wide-ranging expertise in the field;

4. demonstrate a very confident working knowledge of all the tools of classical and postclassical scholarship, both traditional and electronic;

5. demonstrate a reading knowledge of French and/or German and of any other relevant foreign languages as found in scholarly journals and studies and in other academic publications.



1. All the department’s graduate students work under the direct supervision of the Director of Graduate Studies, who closely monitors the academic performance of all enrolled graduate students by (a) being in regular contact with both the students and their teachers; (b) offering advice about appropriate course selection; (c) reviewing grades; (d) ensuring that students meet all the requirements and expectations of the program; (e) identifying, and seeking to remedy, problems associated with a student’s preparation or approaches to studying and learning; (f) transferring, in accord with CUA’s regulations, graduate credits earned at other accredited institutions. In consultation with the Chair, the Director of Graduate Studies also appoints each student’s faculty adviser (who will also serve as dissertation supervisor) and the two faculty members who will set and grade the student’s modern foreign language examination(s) and comprehensive examinations. (In the case of the latter, the Chair serves as third reader and evaluator.) The Director of Graduate Studies and faculty adviser assist the student in identifying the “major field” and “special field” of studies that will be the bases for comprehensive examinations and dissertation research. The content of the “major field” is very broadly conceived around a topic, theme, or genre

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(e.g., “Early Christian Asceticism,” “Late Antique and Early Medieval Epistolography,” etc.); the “special field” focuses in detail on some aspect of the “major field” or on another area of the student’s choice.

2. Students’ progress in their individual courses is measured by means of quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, papers, or other exercises and assignments, at the discretion of the individual instructors. Final grades are awarded in accordance with CUA’s mandated grading system, and graduate students are expected to receive no grade lower than B-, which falls between the university’s “satisfactory” designation for a grade of B and “passing but marginal” for a grade of C. Those who receive a grade of C in any course are subject to review by the department’s faculty and may be required to repeat that course or to substitute another designated by the Director of Graduate Studies; those who receive a grade of F, or a second grade of C, are subject to dismissal.

3. Candidates for the doctoral degree must pass, with a very high level of accuracy, sight translation examinations in either French or German (the choice is determined by which of these language was not examined as a requirement of the M.A. program) and in any other languages considered essential for the student’s areas of specialization and dissertation research. (The addition of any such modern languages requires the approval of the faculty of the department.) These language examinations are taken by arrangement with the Director of Graduate Studies. To pass, students must be able to translate in one hour, with the aid of a dictionary, approximately one full page of academic prose into standard English. Those who have not previously studied French or German at the college level are advised first to take and pass the graduate-level reading courses (FRENCH 500, GERMAN 500) offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

4. Students who have successfully completed all their required coursework and passed the translation examination(s) may proceed to take written comprehensive examinations, which are offered by arrangement with the Director of Graduate Studies on the days determined by the department and published in Cardinal Station. At the Ph.D. level these consist of: (a) One four-hour translation examination in Greek and Latin, based on an ad hoc reading list of Greek and Latin texts from the postclassical period, i.e., patristic/late antique texts exclusively, or some combination of patristic/late antique and Medieval Latin texts, and reflecting broadly the content of the student’s “major field.” This reading list, developed by the student and his/her faculty adviser, must be submitted for approval to the faculty of the department, who may require changes. (b) One six-hour essay examination in late antique/patristic literature/history and/or Medieval Latin, based on an ad hoc reading list of secondary studies that reflects broadly the content of the student’s “major field” and organized around specific questions (one or more required) known in advance. Both the reading list and the questions will be developed by the student and his/her faculty adviser, and must be submitted for approval to the faculty of the department, who may require changes. (c) One three-hour essay examination in the student’s “special” field, i.e., some aspect of the “major field” or another area of the student’s choice, based on an ad hoc reading list of primary texts and secondary studies and organized around specific questions (one or more required) known in advance. Both the reading list and the questions will be developed by the student and his/her faculty adviser, and

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must be submitted for approval to the faculty of the department, who may require changes. The translation examination evaluates students’ knowledge of the forms, syntax, and vocabulary of postclassical Greek and Latin texts and their ability to translate efficiently and effectively selections from a wide range of representative texts. The essay examinations provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their familiarity with both the primary sources and secondary studies on their reading lists and their ability to write critically and with clarity and imagination. A passing grade on comprehensive examinations is 80 % (B-). Each examination is graded separately and receives a “high pass” (90-100), “pass” (80-89), or “failure” (below 80). “High Pass” denotes a translation examination that demonstrates a mastery of the forms, syntax, and vocabulary of the original language; an awareness of the author’s style and diction; and an avoidance of literalism and “translationese.” A grade of “high pass” on an essay examination is awarded for excellent work that clearly and persuasively answers the questions posed, reveals familiarity with all the conventions of essay composition and standard academic prose, and displays a deep knowledge of the material. Students who fail any one part of the comprehensive examinations may retake that part a second time.

5. The faculty of the department next carefully evaluate a student’s performance in courses and comprehensive examinations to determine if he/she is qualified to undertake the research required for the preparation of a doctoral dissertation and therefore to be admitted to doctoral candidacy. Upon the recommendation of the faculty, and with the approval of the Chair and the Dean, the student’s candidacy will begin on the first day of the following semester.

6. In consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and faculty adviser/dissertation supervisor (also called the “major professor”), the student begins the process of identifying a precise dissertation topic, choosing the second and third members of the dissertation committee, and preparing a draft proposal.

7. Once the student has completed assembling this proposal, it is presented for review to the Director of Graduate Studies and the three members of the dissertation committee.

8. After any required revisions have been made and the Director of Graduate Studies and all three members of the dissertation committee have agreed that the proposal is ready for the department’s consideration, a colloquium is scheduled. The Chair presides at this event and invites the doctoral candidate, the three members of the dissertation committee, and all remaining departmental faculty members to discuss and evaluate the proposal and, perhaps, suggest further revisions.

9. Once the Chair and faculty adviser/dissertation supervisor are satisfied that the proposal has reached its final form, the dissertation topic, proposal, and proposed membership of the dissertation committee must be formally endorsed by the major professor and submitted for the endorsement of the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and the approval of the vice provost and dean of graduate studies. After this formal approval has been granted, the student may begin full investigation of the dissertation topic.

10. The department expects the process of approving a doctoral dissertation topic and committee to be completed within six months of a student’s admission to candidacy. Registration for dissertation guidance during this process is mandatory.

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11. Progress on the dissertation—which must under ordinary circumstances be completed, defended, and deposited no later than five years after the date of the doctoral candidate’s formal admission to candidacy—is closely monitored by the Director of Graduate Studies and the major professor. It is considered ready for oral defense when the major professor informs the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair that all the members of the dissertation committee are in agreement that the candidate has completed all required revisions and satisfied the relevant criteria of the university for acceptability of the dissertation, which the committee must now be willing to state has reached its definitive, “defensible” form.

12. The Director of Graduate Studies will next supervise the procedure that leads to the formal oral examination of the dissertation.

13. The oral examination is graded “Pass with Distinction,” “Pass,” or “Not Passing.” To “pass” the candidate must demonstrate complete mastery of the content of the dissertation and of previous scholarship in the field; defend convincingly any and all research methods and techniques employed and the accuracy of results obtained; delineate clearly the place and importance of the dissertation within the larger field, and those elements of the dissertation that represent a fresh contribution to the knowledge of that field; and respond fully, articulately, persuasively, and confidently to all questions and critical comments.

14. The passing candidate will next take care of any minor revisions (typically of an editorial kind), obtain signatures of final approval from committee members, deposit the dissertation, and proceed to graduation.




3. As part of the department’s ongoing assessment of the quality of its graduate programs and the learning experience of its students, the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies conduct exit interviews with all students who have reached the end of their programs and/or are leaving the department. These interviews help to identify areas of concern and ways in which the department may better meet the needs of its students and the educational goals of its programs. This information is shared with faculty either privately or in formal group discussions about the design of

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individual courses, the content of the department’s programs, the expansion or reduction of course offerings, the structure of the assessment process, and other related issues.


**********GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

in(1) GREEK, (2) LATIN, and (3) GREEK and LATIN

(15 credit-hours)

Introduction

These programs of Greek and Latin language certificates are modeled on, but also differ from, “post-baccalaureate” programs. Offered by a small number of Classics departments, such programs are specifically designed for students who already have the B.A. degree and some background in Greek and Latin, but who are linguistically under-prepared for graduate studies in Classics and related fields like classical archeology and ancient history. “Post-bac” programs provide full-time, intensive instruction in the classical forms of the Greek and Latin languages and literatures. Students are typically in residence for one academic year, and enroll in two courses each semester. Some programs also permit students to enroll in one or two more courses or to audit others (undergraduate and graduate), depending on their interests, and provide advice about career planning and application to graduate schools. Enrollees are not required to pass comprehensive examinations, produce a thesis, or satisfy the other requirements and obligations of a traditional degree program.

The Certificate programs of the Department of Greek and Latin are special graduate credentials or qualifications that differ from post-baccalaureate programs in the following important ways: (1) they offer not only an emphasis on the classical languages and literatures comparable to that provided by “post-bac” curricula available elsewhere, but also, in keeping with the department’s special expertise in later Greek and Latin, opportunities to study the postclassical linguistic and literary forms of those languages; (2) they have been designed to satisfy the needs of students, especially fresh recipients of B.A. degrees, who are headed for, or considering, graduate studies not only in Classics, but also in a wide range of other fields, particularly in the humanities—early Christian studies, medieval studies, Byzantine studies, medieval history, Church history, patristics, historical theology, medieval philosophy, canon law, comparative literature, liturgical studies, art history, history of music, Renaissance studies, history of science, etc.—and who wish, for research purposes, to acquire competence in postclassical Greek and Latin; (3) they offer curricula that can, if enrollees so desire, bring them in one calendar year (two semesters plus one summer) or fifteen months (two semesters plus two summers), from the introductory level of each language to an advanced level of linguistic competence sufficient for the study of texts and documents in Greek or Latin; (4) they

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may be completed as independent programs (at a special tuition rate) or in combination with CUA graduate degree programs already in progress; (5) they may incorporate other, non-required, specialized courses (e.g., paleography, diplomatics, epigraphy, textual criticism, other languages, etc.) that will enhance the possibility of enrollees’ admission to the graduate programs of their choice or provide them with research competence in fields usually unavailable elsewhere.

Program Description

The graduate Certificate programs provide students with carefully supervised opportunities to study, through 15 credit-hours of coursework, one or both of the ancient languages at an advanced level and to achieve the high level of linguistic proficiency that may be used to enhance a degree program in progress, applied to graduate research, or brought into the classroom to teach. Requirements by program are as follows:

Certificate in Greek: GREEK 511 (Greek Prose Composition, i.e., the formal composition of grammatically correct Greek) and four approved advanced courses in Greek texts.Certificate in Latin: LATIN 511 (Latin Prose Composition, i.e., the formal composition of grammatically correct Latin) and four approved advanced courses in Latin texts.Certificate in Greek and Latin: GREEK 511, LATIN 511, one approved advanced course in Greek texts, one approved advanced course in Latin texts, and one approved advanced course in Greek or Latin texts. (The bilingual Certificate functions, like a traditional “post-bac” program, as a very strong foundation for further work in the broader field of classical studies.)

All admitted Certificate students with little or no background in Greek and/or Latin begin their programs at the elementary level. Those with some prior knowledge of one or both of these languages must, for purposes of appropriate placement in the selected Certificate program, take the department’s own placement examination(s) or, in the case of Latin only, they may substitute the Latin SAT II Examination of the College Board. Certificate students begin their programs at the elementary, intermediate, or advanced levels, as determined by scores on these placement examinations. No academic credit is awarded for coursework at the elementary or intermediate levels.

Applications for admission to Certificate programs are evaluated by a committee of the faculty and fall into two categories: (1) those from students already enrolled in a graduate degree program at CUA; and (2) those from external applicants who seek to complete a certificate alone. Admission of those in the first category is based on a brief internal application (available at the department’s website) that is accompanied by a 500-word statement of purpose, a resume or curriculum vitae, a recent copy of the applicant’s CUA transcript, and a statement of previous levels of attainment in Greek and/or Latin, including a list of any writings read in the original language(s). Applicants in the second category use the “CUA Non-Degree Application” and submit transcripts and the following supplementary materials: a 1000-word statement of purpose, a resume or

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curriculum vitae, a statement of calendar time to be spent in pursuit of a certificate, and a letter of recommendation. Graduate Record Examination scores are not required but may also be submitted.

The department’s graduate Certificate programs provide valuable learning opportunities for beginning graduate students with B.A. degrees who wish to acquire, either quickly or at a more leisurely pace, the language skills they will need for graduate studies in Classics and in many other fields in the humanities. They serve the linguistic needs of CUA graduate students who require more than a basic reading knowledge of Greek and/or Latin for their research and who wish to improve their chances of academic employment by completing the requirements of a separate credential. They enhance the qualifications of librarians, curators, and other professionals charged with the care of Greek and/or Latin manuscripts, diplomata, incunabula, and rare books. They are useful to high school teachers and others without undergraduate degrees or advanced course in Classics or Latin who have a professional or personal interest in acquiring expertise in Greek and/or Latin.


Students who complete a certificate program do not attain the level of competence expected of candidates for advanced degrees but will:1. demonstrate a confident reading proficiency in one or both ancient languages;2. translate prose and/or poetic texts in one or both languages accurately and efficiently;3. read and evaluate competently Greek and/or Latin texts and associated scholarly

studies, and produce intelligent, clear, and carefully synthesized accounts of their research;

4. demonstrate a secure working knowledge of the fundamental tools of scholarly research in Greek and/or Latin, both traditional and electronic.


1. The department’s Certificate Adviser closely monitors the academic performance of all enrolled Certificate students by (a) being in regular contact with both the students and their teachers; (b) identifying, by use of the department’s placement examination(s), the correct level of language placement for individual Certificate students; (c) offering advice about appropriate course selection; (d) reviewing grades; (e) ensuring that students meet all the requirements and expectations of their programs; (f) seeking to remedy any problems associated with a student’s preparation or approaches to studying and learning.

2. Students’ progress in their individual courses is measured by means of quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, papers, or other exercises and assignments, at the discretion of the individual instructors. Final grades are awarded in accordance with CUA’s mandated grading system, and Certificate students are expected to receive no grade lower than B-, which falls between the university’s “satisfactory” designation for a

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grade of B and “passing but marginal” for a grade of C. Those who receive a grade of C in any course are subject to review by the department’s faculty and may be required to repeat that course or to substitute another designated by the Director of Graduate Studies; those who receive a grade of F, or a second grade of C, are subject to dismissal from the program.

3. A student is considered eligible to receive a Certificate upon satisfactory completion (see no. 2 above) of GREEK 511 and four other approved, advanced, three-credit-hour courses in Greek (= Graduate Certificate in Greek); LATIN 511 and four other approved, advanced, three-credit-hour courses in Latin (= Graduate Certificate in Latin); or GREEK 511, LATIN 511, and three other approved, advanced, three-credit-hour courses in both languages (= Graduate Certificate in Greek and Latin).



2. The department’s small size—with only five regular, full-time faculty members and about fifteen graduate students and six certificate students in residence at any one time—permits and encourages frequent conversations among the faculty about the academic progress of all its graduate students. And more formal discussions about their performance, and about the effectiveness of the department’s programs, are held at regular monthly faculty meetings.

3. As part of the department’s ongoing assessment of the quality of its graduate programs and the learning experience of its students, the Chair and Certificate Adviser conduct exit interviews with all certificate students who have reached the end of their programs and/or are leaving the department. These interviews help to identify areas of concern and ways in which the department may better meet the needs of its students and the educational goals of its programs. This information is shared with faculty either privately or in formal group discussions about the design of individual courses, the content of the department’s programs, the expansion or reduction of course offerings, the structure of the assessment process, and other related issues.


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Documents

DEPARTMENT OF GREEK AND LATIN - Welcome to …pir.cua.edu/.../grad-goals/GRAD-GreekLatin-Updated201… · Web viewdemonstrate a mastery of the literary history of the Latin language