Learning Outcomes for Classics M.A./Ph.D.

PLO 1. Core Knowledge

• Students will be able to: translate Latin and Greek texts from program reading list; translate (with dictionary) modern scholarship in German and either French or Italian; demonstrate knowledge and understanding of ancient history; demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the history of ancient literature.

PLO 2. Research Methods and Analysis. 

• Students will gain an understanding of Classics research at the scholarly level. This includes various sub-disciplines such as classical philology and textual criticism.
• Students will also gain familiarity with relevant theoretical approaches from other disciplines (modern literary, cultural, social-scientific).
• Students will engage in extensive research at the graduate level in order to write a dissertation expected to lead to the first book.

PLO 3. Pedagogy

• Students will be able to: lead group discussion sections; grade papers and exams fairly; comment on papers and exams in a way that supports student learning; hold office hours and answer questions on course content and assignments; give short lectures; plan courses and construct syllabi; select appropriate books for courses; deal appropriately with issues of academic dishonesty; direct students to campus resources when needed (e.g., counseling center, academic counselors, student health center, etc.)

PLO 4. Professional Engagement and Communication

• Students should gain familiarity with the ‘state of the field,’ i.e., the current questions being addressed by scholars;
• Students should also: present their own work-in-progress in on-campus forums; present papers at conferences; submit papers to professional journals

PLO 5. Professionalization

• Students should be able to assess their own commitment to the profession and determine whether they are suited to it. Students should also be able to:
• Perform well in interviews (i.e., discuss their research and teaching in a competent and engaging way);
• Understand institutional issues and participate in department discussion of policy, appointment decisions, etc.;
• Contribute to program development and to solving problems at the program level;
• Develop their own readiness to become faculty members at post-secondary institutions.