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Graduate Announcements > College of Arts and Sciences > Departments and Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences > Division of Humanities > Department of Ancient and Medieval Languages and Cultures

Department of Ancient and Medieval Languages and Cultures

Greek and Latin Program

 

Professor	William E. Klingshirn, Margaret H. Gardiner Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of Early Christianity
Professor Emeritus	Frank A. C. Mantello
Associate Professors	Sarah Brown Ferrario, Chair; William J. McCarthy, Director of Graduate Studies
Assistant Professor	Fabio Pagani, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Adjunct Assistant Professors	Sr. Maria Kiely, O.S.B.
Research Associate	Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth, Ph.D.

Greek and Latin Program Website

The Department of Ancient and Medieval Languages and Literatures offers four graduate degrees in Greek and Latin: the M.A. degree in Greek and Latin, the M.A. degree in Greek, the M.A. degree in Latin, and the Ph.D. degree in Greek and Latin.  It also offers three graduate-level language Certificates, in Greek, in Latin, and in Greek and Latin.  The M.A. degree in Greek and Latin may be pursued in sequence with the Ph.D. as an "M.A.-Ph.D." program.  Detailed information about all these programs is available at the Greek and Latin Program website.

Programs at the master's level emphasize the study of classical Greek and/or Latin literature, but may also include approved coursework in history, art and architecture, patristics, post-classical Greek and Latin, Semitic and Egyptian languages and literatures, epigraphy, papyrology, palaeography, theology, philosophy, and other disciplines. M.A. programs do not require a thesis, but degree candidates must submit two substantial research papers for review by the faculty. In the doctoral program there is a special emphasis on the late antique period and on post-classical Greek and Latin, and a general expectation that Ph.D. dissertations will focus on a patristic, late antique, or medieval Greek or Latin topic.

This emphasis at the doctoral level reflects the Greek and Latin Program's reputation as a center for the study of Christian Greek and Latin, which is exemplified by two series of published dissertations it has sponsored over the years--Patristic Studies and Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Latin Language and Literature--and by The Fathers of the Church, a well-known series of English translations published by The Catholic University of America Press and long associated with the Greek and Latin Program. This unique heritage in the study of late antiquity and the medieval period, which is shared by other departments and programs at the university, has also been responsible for the development of a number of projects undertaken by the university press, notably Studies in Christian Antiquity; Medieval Latin: An Introduction and Bibliographical Guide; and the Catalogus translationum et commentariorum, a series devoted to the medieval and Renaissance Latin translations of ancient Greek authors and to the Latin commentaries on ancient Greek and Latin authors up to the year 1600. The most recent initiative is The Library of Early Christianity, a series of texts with facing-page translations published by The Catholic University of America Press.

The Department of Ancient and Medieval Languages and Literatures’ Certificate programs in Greek, in Latin, and in Greek and Latin are special graduate-level qualifications available to post-baccalaureate, graduate, or continuing-education students. They provide concentrated opportunities for intensive instruction in classical and/or post-classical Greek and Latin and for the acquisition of linguistic skills required for advanced studies and research in Classics and a wide variety of fields in the humanities.

The university's John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library houses excellent resources for graduate students, including medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and diplomata and 10,000 volumes from the renowned Clementine Library assembled by Gian Francesco Albani (Pope Clement XI, 1700-1721) and his family. The department also maintains a growing library of its own within its suite, as well as a small collection of Greek and Roman antiquities. Teaching collections of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins are held in the University Archives. The university's membership in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area ensures that students may take courses for credit at participating institutions and have access to their libraries.

Students who wish to become candidates for the department's M.A. programs in Greek and Latin, in Greek, or in Latin should ordinarily have taken one or both of the classical languages as their programs of concentration in college or should have acquired equivalent training before beginning graduate work. Students wishing to be admitted as candidates for the Ph.D. degree should ordinarily have completed a master's degree program in Classics (at this university or elsewhere), and should be interested in studying patristics, late antiquity, or medieval Greek or Latin against the background of ancient Greek and Roman literature and culture. Deficiencies in training for graduate work, in either Greek or Latin, must be made up before students will be eligible for admission to courses conferring graduate credit. Transfer of graduate credits earned at other accredited institutions is permitted in accordance with the university's regulations. Graduate or Certificate students who receive a grade of C in any course are subject to review by the faculty of the department. Those who receive a grade of F or a second grade of C are subject to dismissal. Courses may be repeated only at the discretion of the Chair.

Candidates for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees must take written comprehensive examinations based upon departmental reading lists. A reading knowledge of French and German is strongly recommended from the beginning of graduate studies. Competence in either of these languages is required for the M.A. degrees in Greek and Latin, in Greek, and in Latin; documentation of a reading knowledge of the other, and of any additional relevant languages, is required prior to the three-part comprehensive examination for advancement to doctoral candidacy. For students in the combined M.A.-Ph.D. program, advancement from the M.A. to the Ph.D. requires departmental and school approval of the Application for a Higher Degree. Approval is based on acceptable performance on the M.A. comprehensive examinations and a departmental commitment to mentorship of the student through the Ph.D. exam process, and (presuming advancement to doctoral candidacy) into the dissertation phase.

In any semester in which a graduate student is registered for any comprehensive exams at any level, the student must take one of the following actions in order to remain in good academic standing: 1) take an exam (which may be a preliminary sight-translation or modern language exam); 2) submit a formal proposal for a major field or minor field examination for consideration by the full faculty. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the program Chair.

Program Requirements

Program: M.A. in Greek and Latin	Semester Hours
GR 511: Greek Prose Composition	3
LAT 511: Latin Prose Composition	3
GR 655: Survey of Greek Literature	3
LAT 655: Survey of Latin Literature	3
Six other approved courses	18
Total	30
Modern language examination (French or German)
Comprehensive examinations
Submission of two approved research papers

 

Program: M.A. in Greek	Semester Hours
GR 511: Greek Prose Composition	3
GR 655: Survey of Greek Literature	3
Eight other approved courses	24
Total	30
Modern language examination (French or German)
Comprehensive examinations
Submission of two approved research papers

 

Program: M.A. in Latin	Semester Hours
LAT 511: Latin Prose Composition	3
LAT 655: Survey of Latin Literature	3
Eight other approved courses	24
Total	30
Modern language examination (French or German)
Comprehensive examinations
Submission of two approved research papers

 

Ph.D. in Greek and Latin	Semester Hours
M.A. degree program in Greek and Latin (or the equivalent)	30
CLAS 572: Mediterranean World of Late Antiquity	3
Three courses in Greek texts	9
Three courses in Latin texts	9
One other approved course	3
Total	54
Modern language examination (French or German and any other relevant languages)
Comprehensive examinations
Doctoral dissertation

Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures Program

 

Professor	Edward M. Cook
Professor Emeritus	Rev. Sidney H. Griffith, S.T.
Associate Professors	Aaron M. Butts, Andrew D. Gross,Chair
Adjunct Associate Professor	Janet A. Timbie
Senior Lecturer	Shawqi Talia
Lecturer	Monica J. Blanchard

The Department Ancient and Medieval Languages and Literatures’ Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures Program embodies CUA's historical commitment to integrate religious studies with the arts and sciences. From the beginning, the study of biblical and Christian Near Eastern languages and literatures has been part of the university's curriculum. Graduate programs in Semitic and Coptic languages and biblical and Near Eastern antiquities were formally established in 1895. Two years later the department was founded in the College of Arts & Sciences by Monsignor Henri Hyvernat, the first professor appointed at CUA.

Major programs (M.A. and Ph.D.) in ancient Northwest Semitic languages (hereinafter ANWSL), with a concentration in Hebrew and Aramaic, furnish the linguistic training and other auxiliary studies needed for a scholarly grasp of the texts of the Jewish and Christian Holy Scriptures in their historical and cultural contexts. Major programs (M.A. and Ph.D.) in early Near Eastern Christian languages and literatures (hereinafter NECLL), with concentrations in Arabic, Coptic, and Syriac offer future scholars the opportunity to acquire advanced first-hand knowledge and interpretation of the Christian literatures of the Near East in their historical and cultural settings, including Christian interactions with Muslims especially in the early Islamic period. The department's commitment to research and instruction in the languages, literatures, and history of the Christian Near East is unique in this country, and it is one of the few academic centers where such studies are actively pursued.

The department provides instruction supportive to programs in other departments and schools, primarily programs in biblical studies and theology in the School of Theology and Religious Studies and the interdisciplinary graduate program administered by the Center for the Study of Early Christianity. In addition, the department cooperates with the Schools of Theology & Religious Studies and of Philosophy and the Departments of History and Anthropology in the College of Arts & Sciences in the area of early Islamic studies. The facilities of the department are available to all qualified research workers. These facilities include the library, manuscripts, and collection of Oriental antiquities of the Institute of Christian Oriental Research, founded by Monsignor Hyvernat.

Course Requirements

Thirty credit hours are required for the M.A. Students select two Semitic languages (or Coptic) as their major and minor research languages, subject to faculty approval. The thirty required credit hours must include nine in the student's major language beyond the introductory course or courses and at least six credit hours, beyond the introductory course or courses, in the minor language. Up to six credit hours of Greek (beyond the elementary level) may be counted towards the M.A. requirements but not for major or minor language credit (six credit hours of Greek are required for NECLL students; see “Language Requirements” below for more details). ANWSL students may take history or language courses (including Syriac, Arabic and Coptic) from the NECLL program; NECLL students may take history and language courses (including Hebrew and Aramaic) from the ANWSL program. In addition to these thirty credit hours, the M.A. student must select (with the approval of the chair) two papers written for courses (completed with a grade of B or better) requiring a major research paper. After the courses are completed, the student must revise the papers if necessary and resubmit them to the major professor and to an additional reader for approval.

Students who wish to pursue a program combining aspects of both major programs are urged to consult in advance with all relevant faculty.

The Ph.D. program incorporates the M.A. curriculum and requires an additional thirty credit hours of coursework (i.e., sixty total credit hours). Students who enter at the Ph.D. level must meet the full sixty- credit hour requirement by coursework or transfer credit. For Ph.D. comprehensive exams, students must continue with the same major and minor languages that they chose for their M.A. comprehensive exams, unless given consent by the chair.

Transfer of relevant graduate credits earned at other accredited institutions is permitted in accordance with the university's regulations. Students entering at the M.A. level may transfer up to six credit hours; those entering at the Ph.D. level may transfer up to twenty-four credit hours.

Students are expected to maintain a good overall standing in the program; students who do not do so will be subject to faculty review and dismissal, if warranted. In particular, a student who receives one C may be subject to faculty review and may be placed on probationary standing in the program. A second C may lead to dismissal. A student may repeat a course in which the grade of C was earned, and the grade of the retake may replace the C; this can only be done once and must be done in consultation with the faculty.

Student progress is reviewed on a regular basis by the faculty. In particular, students enrolled through the M.A./Ph.D. plan are subject to faculty review upon completion of their M.A. comprehensive exams to determine their suitability for entering the Ph.D. program. This review takes into account the student’s overall performance in the program. Successfully passing M.A. comprehensive exams does not guarantee entry into the Ph.D. program.

Ph.D. students are encouraged in addition to take two graduate courses, ordinarily six credit hours, outside the department with the consultation of the adviser and the chair. The courses should complement the student's interests and be adjusted to his or her background and training. The courses can be taken in a variety of departments and programs, including biblical studies, theology, early Christian studies, English, modern languages, comparative literature, history, economics, and politics. The student may propose any courses at CUA that fit into his or her program. The courses may be taken in one or more departments. Courses offered elsewhere in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area or at The Johns Hopkins University; the University of Maryland, College Park; or other neighboring schools may be considered.

Language Requirements

Students in the NECLL program are required to take six credits hours of Greek or to have taken a year of coursework in Greek prior to entering the program. The Greek requirement must be completed prior to sitting for M.A. comprehensive exams. Students in the ANWSL program are also encouraged to meet this requirement.

A reading knowledge of French and German is strongly recommended from the beginning of graduate studies. Before sitting for M.A. comprehensive examinations, all candidates must fulfill the modern language requirement in one of the abovementioned languages by either successfully passing the qualification examination or by completing FREN 500 or GER 500. Ph.D. candidates must fulfill the requirement in both French and German. With the consent of the chair, students have the option of substituting Modern Hebrew for French.

Comprehensive Examinations

M.A. degree candidates must, with the permission of the program chair, register for M.A. comprehensive examinations in their major and minor languages. Ph.D. candidates must, with the permission of the program chair, register for doctoral comprehensive examinations in their major and minor language areas. As stated above, for Ph.D. comprehensive exams, students must continue with the same major and minor languages that they chose for their M.A. comprehensive exams, unless given consent by the chair. All degree candidates, whether M.A. or Ph.D., must register for the comprehensive examinations (i.e., either SEM 698 or SEM 998) before the beginning of the semester in which they will take the examinations. These examinations must be passed before work on the Ph.D. dissertation can begin.

Courses Offered

For descriptions of all Semitics courses offered, consult the program website. Consult Cardinal Station for additional information about courses and to determine course offerings by semester.