Classics M.A. (Ithaca)

Field of Study

Classics

Program Description

Classics, Bridge M.A.

Graduate Handbook of the Field of Classics

The Bridge M.A. Program and Fellowship is designed to advance the field’s commitment to equity and access in the graduate study of Classics. The fellowship is specifically tailored for students with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly potential and have experienced barriers to accessing opportunities that would prepare them for immediate entry into a doctoral program. 

The Field of Classics awards one Bridge M.A. Fellowship each application cycle. This award covers tuition, health insurance, and a living stipend for two semesters and two summers; housing on campus will also be provided for the first six weeks of the initial summer. Recipients who remain in good academic standing in the field will thus receive the award for a total of one academic year and two summers. The Bridge M.A. Fellows will also receive intensive mentoring from faculty and Ph.D. students as the fellow works to develop their independent research project for their M.A. degree. 

Applications are invited from current seniors scheduled to complete in the spring as well as from recent graduates.

Within the Personal Statement, applicants interested in being considered for the Bridge M.A. fellowship should provide details on barriers they have encountered that have limited or complicated their access to advanced studies in Classics as well as lessons learned from any of their lived experiences including but not limited to:

  • being a first-generation college student or graduate (no parent/guardian completed a baccalaureate degree)
  • racial, ethnic, and/or cultural background(s)
  • managing a disability or chronic health condition
  • experiencing housing, food, economic, and/or other forms of significant insecurity
  • being a solo parent
  • gender identity and/or sexual orientation
  • having served in the military

holding DACA, refugee, TPS, or asylee status

Contact Information

Website: https://classics.cornell.edu/bridge-ma-classics-initiative-support-equitable-access
Email: mp694@cornell.edu
Phone: 607 255-7471

120 Goldwin Smith Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY  14853

Concentrations by Subject

  • ancient history
  • ancient philosophy
  • classical archaeology and art
  • classical literature and philology
  • classical myth (minor)
  • classical rhetoric (minor)
  • Greek and Latin language and linguistics
  • Indo-European linguistics (minor)
  • interdisciplinary track

Tuition

Visit the Graduate School's Tuition Rates page.

Application Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadlines:

Fall, March 1

Requirements Summary:

  • transcripts detailing previous coursework
  • three letters of recommendation
  • two required statements – the academic statement of purpose and the personal statement
    • The academic statement of purpose provides an opportunity to reflect on your motivation to pursue graduate studies in Classics and your plans for future research.
    • The personal statement provides an opportunity to describe how your background and experiences influenced your decision and ability to pursue a graduate degree and your potential to contribute to Cornell University’s core commitment to work for an intellectual community for scholars from all backgrounds. It also provides you with an opportunity to provide context on barriers you may have encountered accessing higher education.
  • Writing sample: The writing sample may be a research paper, a chapter of an undergraduate honors thesis, or a creative alternative (presentation, wiki, translation, book or film review, etc.).

 

GRE scores are neither required nor accepted.

The application fee will be waived for all applicants to this program.

Learning Outcomes

The successful fellow will have gained some familiarity with both Greek and Latin, at least four semesters in one and two in the other. We are happy to consider students who have studied one of the languages outside of normal coursework (for example, through self-study or informal tutoring).

The first summer will be dedicated to foundational work in the two languages, with tutoring from advanced PhD students or other instructors. In the fall semester, the fellow will then focus on coursework, developing a thesis proposal, and preparing a strong dossier for applications to Ph.D. programs. During the spring and second summer, the fellow will write the thesis and receive an M.A. upon completion of all requirements.