General

How do I arrange to meet with a professor?

Ask them if you can come by their office hours.  These should be listed on the course syllabus; otherwise you can e-mail and ask.  Individual professors have different practices: some simply commit to be in their offices and will meet with students on a first-come, first-served basis; others will schedule appointments during their office hours. Sometimes professors will combine both systems: schedule meetings when they are helping students get started on a paper and an open first-come, first-serve system the rest of the time.  During their office hours, professors will usually leave their doors open; if they aren’t, just knock.

If I need extra help in a Latin or Greek course, what should I do?

First, see the instructor during their normal office hours to see if s/he can help. If you think you need a tutor, please contact Classics@colorado.edu, for a list of graduate students whom you can hire.

How do I find out about departmental events?

If you are a major or graduate student, you will probably receive e-mail announcements of visiting lectures and other events.  You can also find events listed on the website by clicking the events tab—logically enough.

How do I get the departmental newsletter?

You can download the Classics Newsletter as a PDF.  See our Newsletter Signup Page for info on how to signup for an email or hard copy.

How do I get involved in the Classics Club?

Find out more at Classics Club or contact the current faculty point-person, Zach Herz.

How can I get additional preparation in Greek or Latin before entering graduate school?

The University of Colorado makes its courses available to non-degree-seeking students through a program called ACCESS; registration begins on the first day of class, though you are encouraged to inquire ahead of time whether the instructor expects there to be space available in the class.  In addition, the Classics Department sometimes offers Greek and Latin in the summer through the Summer Session or the Division of Continuing Education.  Contact the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies for details.

What kinds of library resources are available in Classics at CU Boulder?

See Subject Guide for Classics or Subject Guide for Classical Art and Architecture for resources available at Norlin Library as well as online resources to which CU Libraries subscribe.  The Classics Department also has a small, non-circulating collection of basic texts and reference works housed in the Eaton Humanities Building.

Where are faculty mailboxes located?

Faculty mailboxes are located in the departmental office on the 3rd floor of the Humanities building.

Undergraduate

Where do I find information about completing an Honors Thesis?

See the Honors page

What does the CU-Classics Club do?

The CU-Classics Club is dedicated to promoting community between fellow Classics majors through game nights, informational sessions, and an annual "Classics themed" dinner and movie night in Boulder.

Find out more!

What can I do with Classics?

What can I do with a major or minor in Classics, Greek, or Latin?

Many of our majors and minors go on to graduate school in Classics, Archaeology, English, History, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Information Science, or Museum Studies. Alumni who began their careers as Classics majors have also gone on to become doctors, lawyers, teachers and administrators, members of the diplomatic service, engineers, leaders in business and industry, and entrepreneurs of all types. Undergraduates interested in law or medicine will be especially pleased to discover that law schools and medical schools have a long history of accepting Classics students. You will leave Boulder with a good education because you have learned not only to pay attention to detail and to memorize facts but also to analyze and interpret; because, through your study of Latin and Greek, your knowledge of language and its use will be vastly improved; and because you have pondered the irrational, noble, corrupt, idealistic, mundane, and creative qualities that characterize the contributions of ancient Greece and Rome to world culture.

 

Graduate

I am a new graduate student. Who is my advisor?

The graduate director, officially the associate chair for graduate studies, is the advisor for all graduate students. They will meet with each of you each semester to help you decide on courses for the next semester and answer other questions. It is often also helpful to consult with and get to know a professor with whom you feel a bond or who works in your field.  In the final stages of your doctorate, you’ll have an official advisor, the professor directing your dissertation. S/he will probably both work with you on your thesis and provide career advice and support.

The current graduate advisor is Peter Hunt.  He can be reached at peter.hunt@colorado.edu, 303-492-6447.

Which of the department admins should graduate students consult?

The Graduate Program Assistant will be your main contact.  They are located in office HUMN 340.

If you are a funded student and have questions about your funding or your employment with CU, please contact Sandy Brown, Program Assistant, at sandra.brown@colorado.edu, 303-492-2632, or HUMN 382.

What’s the language requirement for M.A. applicants?

The basic requirement is demonstrated proficiency in reading Greek or Latin.  Not all M.A. degree tracks require the same amount of further language study, and the classroom experience of recently admitted students covers quite a range from two or three college years of one language to four or more of both.  Reading proficiency in modern foreign languages (especially German and French or Italian) is strongly encouraged and is acquired by our students either before they arrive or during their graduate studies.

Is the GRE required for admission?

No.  GRE scores are optional and most applicants do not submit them.

What kinds of financial support are available to graduate students in Classics at CU Boulder?

Applicants to the graduate program in Classics may be nominated for campus- or college-wide fellowships such as the Chancellor’s Fellowship, Devaney Fellowship, or Center for Humanities and the Arts Fellowship.  In addition, we employ both M.A. and Ph.D. students as Teaching Assistants in undergraduate classes and as Research Assistants.  These appointments, which typically come with a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a contribution towards fees and costs such as health insurance, are awarded on a competitive basis.  TAs assist in large lecture classes, lead discussion sections attached to large lecture classes, or teach sections of Beginning or Intermediate Latin or Beginning Greek.  RAs are paired with a faculty member to do research in an area of shared interest.   Finally, the department distributes a modest amount of cash support funded by the University Fellowship Program.

Tuition and fees are just one part of the overall cost to attend CU Boulder. The full cost of attendance for an academic year could include expenses such as on-campus housing and food, books and supplies, and items that are not billed by the university, such as personal expenses, transportation and medical insurance. View the full cost of attendance.