The Yale Department of Classics is a leader in the training of graduates in the study of Mediterranean antiquity. The graduate program entails a range of experiences, moving from coursework to independent research, allowing students to sample different disciplines as they narrow their own particular focus. In these pages you will find information about us and our courses.
Questions? For more information about our program, please reach out to us at dgs.classics@yale.edu.
A program emphasizing the study of Ancient Greek and Latin language and literature
A program focused on the philosophical traditions of the ancient Mediterranean
A program offering comprehensive training in the study of ancient Mediterranean, western Eurasian, and northern African history
A program centered on the study of ancient Mediterranean material culture
A program combining the rigor of classical philology with the methods of comparative study
A program that studies the continuities, discontinuities, and connections between the ancient and early modern worlds
We offer generous funding and unparalleled access to world-class resources and instruction. Our graduates produce high-quality scholarship, forge life-long academic connections, and go on to hold positions around the world.
The interests of the faculty range from traditional topics in classical philology to theories and methods in comparative literature, linguistics, comparative grammar, papyrology, numismatics, philosophy, and legal and comparative history. A special strength of Yale is the ability of our students to take courses in fields related to their work offered in affiliated departments. These include instruction in Egyptian language (including demotic and Coptic), archaeology, Assyriology, art history, literary theory, and palaeography, to name but a few.
Many of our graduate students travel to conferences, seminars, and excavations during their time at Yale, which the Department is fortunate to be able to support. This broadens horizons and gives graduate students important professional exposure. We warmly welcome graduate students from other departments at Yale to our courses and events. We commit to anti-racism in our pedagogy, practice, and institutional life: discrimination on any axis has no place in our community. Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee is working in various ways to provide ideas, support, and creative engagement.
Over the course of their graduate careers, our students learn with world-class instructors, demonstrate their knowledge through examinations in language and topics of special interest, teach undergraduates, and write a book-length dissertation. The opportunities available to students and the expectations of their chosen programs are detailed in our graduate handbook.
For general information about the graduate school and life at Yale, please visit the Graduate School website
