Application Procedure
Application/Admission to Program
The Department reviews applications for admission to the graduate program in February or March of each year for entry at the beginning of the following academic year (i.e., late the following August). Individuals who wish to gain admission to the program should thus file a complete application by January 15 in order to guarantee that they will receive full consideration, including consideration for financial assistance. The Department does not normally accept applications for entry in the middle of the academic year (i.e., January). All applicants for admission to the Ph.D. program are automatically considered for financial assistance in the form of a teaching assistantship unless the applicant specifically indicates that he/she does not wish to be considered for this. Applicants to the M.A. program are not normally eligible for financial assistance. In some cases it is possible to extend an offer of financial assistance to applicants who are initially admitted to the program without such an offer at some point during the spring or summer as additional teaching assistantships become available to the Department. The department expects entering graduate students to have completed at least two years of ancient Greek and two years of Latin at the college level.
In order to apply for admission to the graduate program please do the following:
- Complete the on-line interactive application (See below for the link). Please be certain to indicate whether you wish to be admitted to the M.A. program or the Ph.D. program and to include your personal statement.
- Arrange for the following materials to be sent directly to the Department of Classics:
- Your scores for the Graduate Record Examination;
- Three letters of recommendation written by persons well qualified to discuss your qualifications for graduate work in Classics;
- An official transcript from each institution of higher education that you have attended.
It is also recommended, though not required, that you submit a writing sample. This should consist of a paper ten pages or more in length that you have written, preferably on some topic relating to Classics, that will enable the faculty to evaluating your aptitude for undertaking graduate-level work in Classics.
These materials should be sent to:
Director of Graduate Studies
The Department of Classics
MFAC 338
The University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Buffalo, New York 14260-0011
Please note that applications that are not complete will be rejected.
- Guidelines for admission to University at Buffalo Graduate School
- University at Buffalo Graduate School interactive graduate application for Classics
Entering the Program
Entering students who will serve as a teaching assistant should arrive in Buffalo no later than the third week of August so that they can settled in in time to participate in a required four-day training seminar sponsored by the University prior to the opening of the academic year.
Immediately upon entering the program the student meets with the Director of Graduate studies so that he/she can be assigned an advisor. This is generally a member of the faculty with expertise in the area of Classical studies that is of specific interest to the student. The advisor assists the student in his/her selection of courses and supervises his/her progress within the program and more general development within the field. Also at this time each entering student must complete two diagnostic examinations, one in ancient Greek and one in Latin, so that the Director of Graduate Studies can determine what level course is appropriate for the student in each of these two languages.
International Students
Students educated abroad are expected to meet the same general application requirements as those educated in the United States. Applications from International students should be complete and in the hands of the department by January 15 for Fall admission and October 1 for Spring admission.
After approval by the department, applications are processed by the Office of Admissions. Students whose native language is not English must demonstrate a satisfactory command of the English language by passing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and must have sufficient funds available in the United States to meet their expenses and Immigration and Naturalization Service regulations.