Overview

Classics students at University of British Columbia develop competence to the highest level in Greek and Latin; Ancient History students master as least one of Greek or Latin and undertake additional coursework outside of the Department to develop marketable expertise in a second field; Classical Archaeology students become experts in archaeological practice and theory. Students in all streams attain advanced reading skills in Latin, Greek, and relevant modern languages.

Features

Students develop range and breadth through coursework and comprehensive examinations in Years 1 and 2 of the program; after that, students will be encouraged and enabled to narrow their focus so that they become world experts in their chosen dissertation topic.

Programme Structure

Research

Our strengths in Classics include ancient Greek and Roman material culture, drama and performance, philosophy, reception studies, social history, and translation. Our faculty employ a range of perspectives to the interpretation of ancient texts, including gender, performance, and reception.

PhD students complete coursework and a dissertation. In addition, PhD Classics-steam and Ancient History-stream students complete a sight translation exam in Greek and Latin and comprehensive translation exams from set reading lists in Greek and Latin.

Students in the Classical Archaeology stream write two essay-based comprehensive exams from a choice of four set reading lists. All doctoral students must demonstrate reading knowledge of two of French, German, Italian, or Spanish, usually through a translation exam or additional coursework.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 72 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-03 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-01-05 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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Credits

18 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Classics View 6 other PhDs in Classics in Canada

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of British Columbia and/or in Canada, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

9690 CAD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 9690 CAD per year during 72 months.
National

5515 CAD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 5515 CAD per year during 72 months.

Living costs for Vancouver

1590 - 2686 CAD /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Classics.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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