A brief description of the department:
Cornell’s Classics department is one of the oldest in the US. Thanks to its international faculty with a large range of interests and expertise, the department offers five concentrations for the PhD: ancient philosophy, ancient history, classical archaeology, classical literature and philology, and Greek and Latin languages and linguistics. The graduate field of Classics allows students to collaborate with faculty from our cross-disciplinary program in archaeology and inter-departmental programs with History, Linguistics and Philosophy.
Particular strengths or unique areas of interest for the department: ancient philosophy, late antiquity, classical philology, historiography.
Application deadline: Jan. 5
Unusual features of the application: No
GRE scores required: Yes
Writing sample required: The writing sample is a crucial element of the application. It is important that the topic and the approach of the writing sample be relevant to the concentration chosen.
For “best consideration for admission”, applicants should have (note that there are always special cases, and that meeting the stated numerical goals will not guarantee admission to any program):
Three years of Latin and Greek is normally expected for all concentrations except classical archaeology.
Average number of new graduate students per year: 3 for the PhD. We do not admit students for a MA degree.
Approximate percentage of applicants this represents: 7%
Number of new students entering program this fall: 1 PhD
Approximate percentage of incoming students given full funding: 100%
Number of guaranteed years of funding: 5 years of guaranteed funding and possibility of a sixth year.
Out of those years, number student will be expected or required to serve as TA, RA, or the like: 3
International students eligibility for financial aid: Yes
PhDs and MAs awarded since January 2005: 6 PhDs
Major changes anticipated in the department over the next few years, if any: We expect some retirements and therefore new hires in the next few years. The Department will maintain its traditional strength in the fields of Latin and Greek literatures while enhancing its recent opening to archaeology and history.
Best contact person for questions: Eric Rebillard er97@cornell.edu