Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research): Classics (Master 2024-2025) - Prospectus

First year

Course	EC	Semester 1	Semester 2
First semester
Common Course: Fragments	10
Electives, select 20 EC of these courses:
Greek
Seminar Greek: Ancient Narratives of Migration	10
Latin
Seminar Latin: Talking Objects: Poetry, Materiality, and the Epigrammatic Tradition	10
Cultural historical
Administration, society and culture in Roman North Africa, 46 BC - AD 429	10
Research Workshop: Greek and Latin Epigraphy (5 EC)	5
Research Workshop: Greek and Latin Epigraphy (10 EC)	10
Greek Papyrology	10
Seminar Ancient Philosophy: Plato’s Theaetetus: Ancient and Modern Readings	10
Masterlanguage
Masterlanguage Creative Imitation in Latin literature (Antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance)	5
Masterlanguage Greek Epigraphy	5
Research School electives
OIKOS Reading List Greek/Latin	variable
Concepts & Methods in the Ancient Near East: Social Worlds of Ancient Art Producers	10
Second semester
Electives, select 30 EC of these courses:
Greek
Seminar Greek: Ancient Greek and Roman Theories of Beauty and Art	10
Latin
Seminar Latin: Aulus Gellius's Attic Nights: Canons and Canonization	10
Cultural historical
Editing Greek Papyri	10
Core Course: Methodologies and Theories – Medieval & Early Modern	10
Jesus of Nazareth in his 1st century Jewish-Palestinian Context	10
Natural Disasters in Antiquity	10
Philosophy in Late Antiquity	10
Masterlanguage
Masterlanguage Canonicity	5
Masterlanguage Latin Epigraphy on Location	5
Research School electives
OIKOS seminar: Neo-Latin Literature: Augustus, the Augustan Era and its Renaissance Reception	10

Second year

Course	EC	Semester 1	Semester 2
Whole year
5 EC of the Research Career Seminar takes places in Semester 1 and 5 EC in Semester 2.
Research Career Seminar	10
5 EC of the MA Thesis takes places in Semester 1 and 25 EC in Semester 2.
MA Thesis Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research)	30
First semester
Common Course: Fragments	10
Electives, select 10 EC of these courses:
Greek
Seminar Greek: Ancient Narratives of Migration	10
Latin
Seminar Latin: Talking Objects: Poetry, Materiality, and the Epigrammatic Tradition	10
Cultural Historical
Administration, society and culture in Roman North Africa, 46 BC - AD 429	10
Research Workshop: Greek and Latin Epigraphy (5 EC)	5
Research Workshop: Greek and Latin Epigraphy (10 EC)	10
Greek Papyrology	10
Seminar Ancient Philosophy: Plato’s Theaetetus: Ancient and Modern Readings	10
Masterlanguage
Masterlanguage Creative Imitation in Latin literature (Antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance)	5
Masterlanguage Greek Epigraphy	5
Research School electives
OIKOS Reading List Greek/Latin	variable
Concepts & Methods in the Ancient Near East: Social Worlds of Ancient Art Producers	10
Second semester
Electives (for those who have not yet earned the required amount of elective credits):
Greek
Seminar Greek: Ancient Greek and Roman Theories of Beauty and Art	10
Latin
Seminar Latin: Aulus Gellius's Attic Nights: Canons and Canonization	10
Cultural Historical
Core Course: Methodologies and Theories – Medieval & Early Modern	10
Editing Greek Papyri	10
Natural Disasters in Antiquity	10
Philosophy in Late Antiquity	10
Masterlanguage
Masterlanguage Canonicity	5
Masterlanguage Latin Epigraphy on Location	5
Research School electives
OIKOS seminar: Neo-Latin Literature: Augustus, the Augustan Era and its Renaissance Reception	10

Career Preparation

The program of the MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations provides comprehensive training in the languages, literatures and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean region and the Near East. But how will you be able to use your knowledge of the ancient world and your academic skills on the job market? What skills will you develop, and how can you best prepare yourself for the future? We discuss these questions at several moments during the MA program, and there are several opportunities for you to receive more information. We organize job market events and meetings with alumni, and we can help you to find internships.

Thesis Seminar; Internships Leiden Antiquity Network Meetings Humanities Career Service Humanities Career Event Forum Antiquum and Ancient World Network (Lunch Talks) Transferrable Skills Meetings with the Study Advisor

Thesis Seminar

The job market is one of the central topics of the Thesis Presentation and Research Proposal Seminar. The seminar focuses on skills that you need to develop for academic jobs, including PhD positions, as well as many non-academic jobs. These skills include the writing of a conference abstract, the composition of a professional CV, the writing of a research proposal, academic integrity, and the planning of a research career.

Internships

Internships are very useful for students who wish to familiarize themselves with the job market. We have established firm connections with several institutions and companies that have agreed to offer annual internships for students of Classics and Ancient Civilizations: Brill Publishers, Uitgeverij LAMBO, NINO and RMO (the National Museum of Antiquities). Other internships are also possible. The Board of Examiners must approve your internship plan, which can be either part of your study program (10 EC) or extracurricular. For more information, contact the internship coordinator and visit the website Finding and arranging an internship.

Leiden Antiquity Network Meetings

The program annually organizes Leiden Antiquity Network Meetings: at these events students can meet alumni with different jobs. Apart from presentations by alumni about their careers, the Leiden Antiquity Network Meeting may include ‘speed-dating’ sessions for students and alumni.

Humanities Career Service

The Faculty of Humanities Career Service provides Humanities students with professional advice and guidance concerning (international) internships and jobs, courses in career planning and job application, and job application readers. The internship coordinator and the career advisor assist you in exploring your individual interests and abilities, and guide you towards the most appropriate internships and job.
Please consult the Humanities Career Service webpage for more information.

Humanities Career Event

This career day is organised by the Faculty of Humanities. It is meant for students who are preparing themselves for a future career in The Netherlands. There are various things to do during this event. There are inspiring keynote speakers; organisations and companies give workshops about work experience from employees and the career opportunities for Leiden University alumni; and there are also workshops about for example Linkedin, networking, and applying for jobs.
Check out the next Humanities Career Event

Forum Antiquum and Ancient World Network (Lunch Talks)

For students who wish to pursue an academic career, there are two lecture series where you can meet scholars and learn about new approaches to the ancient world.
Forum Antiquum is the lecture series that focuses on research in Classics. Lectures are organized every other week during the semester on Thursdays. Every semester, a number of national and international speakers are invited, both well-known experts and promising young researchers.
The Ancient World Lunch Talks provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and latest research in an informal atmosphere with an audience of MA and PhD students, Postdocs and Faculty and all interested students. There is free pizza and everyone is welcome to bring lunch!
If you are not in the mailing list and you would like to receive e-mails about the lunch talks, please contact the study advisor.

Transferrable Skills

Your future employers will not only be interested in your knowledge of Classics and Ancient Civilisations, but also in the skills that you have developed during your studies. Therefore, it is important that you are aware of the skills that you are training in your MA programme. The course descriptions in the e-Prospectus tell you which skills you will acquire.
In the MA programme you learn how to analyse a problem, how to formulate a research question, how to select and assess your sources, how to assess secondary literature, how to give a clear and well-argued oral presentation either for specialists or for a wider audience, and how to write a clear and well-argued paper. You will be training the following transferrable skills:

critical thinking (formulating questions, checking assumptions, assessing sources and scholarship)
analytical skills (selecting, ordering, sorting out, and solving a problem)
oral presentation skills (speaking, listening, discussing, receiving feedback)
writing skills (reporting, summarizing, presenting an argument, with structure and style)
independence (self-discipline, initiative, motivation)
project management (planning, demarcation of a topic, discipline, meeting deadlines)
flexibility (adapting to changes)
creativity (curiosity, developing new ideas and innovative topics)
academic integrity (acting with honesty, fairness, and responsibility)
collaboration (working together with other students on a joint project)

Meetings with the Study Advisor

Students who have questions about their orientation on career prospects can contact the study advisor of the MA programme Classics and Ancient Civilizations.