Master of Arts in Classics

Whether as a preparation for doctoral studies or as a terminal degree, the MA program in Dalhousie's Department of Classics offers an intimate, collegial, and intellectually rigourous environment to carry out graduate-level work on some aspect of the ancient, late-ancient, or medieval world.

Dalhousie's MA program generally has between 8 and 16 students. Graduate seminars are small, treating ancient texts seriously and in their original language in high-level discussions of literature, history and philosophy. Our MA students also have the opportunity to serve as teaching assistants for undergraduate classes and are carefully mentored by faculty in their development as scholars.

In addition to our offerings in literature and history, the Classics Department has a long tradition of advanced graduate work in ancient, late-ancient and medieval philosophy which distinguishes it from most other Classics programs in North America. With four faculty members who focus on philosophy, Dalhousie's Department of Classics is an excellent place to work on the Platonic and Aristotelian traditions broadly conceived.

Our MA in Classics program is an excellent choice if you are interested in going on to do a PhD. Our students are extremely successful in securing external funding for their studies, and we have an excellent record of placing graduates of our MA program into first-rate PhD programs in several disciplines (Classics, philosophy, religious studies, medieval studies, to name a few).

Our MA program is not only for students looking to take the academic route through taking a PhD to become a university professor. It is also an excellent capstone for an academic career, if you would like to solidifying your ancient languages and carry out an independent research project before embarking on a non-academic career.

Transcript submission for new applicants-
For your initial application to graduate studies, we only require your unofficial academic transcripts for each post-secondary institution you have attended.
Two letters of reference are required for admission into a graduate degree.
Four-year bachelor's degree.
Minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B average) in the last 60 credit hours of study.
Degree granted by a university of recognized standing.
IELTS (Academic) - Minimum acceptable score 7
TOEFL iBT - Minimum acceptable score: 92