Classics

First year

Meer info

Objectives
Programme
Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

2009-2010

Objectives

The regional Master’s degree programme in Classics builds on the Bachelor’s degree
programme. It shares the general objectives of that programme, but aims to achieve
them at a more advanced level. The Master’s programme therefore sets out to provide
a diverse, balanced and nuanced view of Greco-Roman Antiquity on the basis of an
in-depth analysis of the integrated linguistic, cultural-historical and literary sources
used in the Bachelor’s programme. The sources on which this analysis is based are, first
and foremost, representative primary texts in Greek and Latin and, to a lesser extent,
material evidence. The analysis of the sources can be approached from either a linguistic
or a literary perspective. A further objective is to ensure that graduates of the Master’s
programme in Classics can expertly and critically relate their knowledge of Antiquity
to texts and other cultural phenomena of later periods. Moreover, after completing this
programme, students will have the knowledge and competence required for an upper
secondary teaching qualification or for a PhD candidature and for positions outside the
university that require an academic level of thinking.

Please note: if you have completed an Educational Minor as your optional subject, you
are allowed to follow a fast-track Educational MA (30 ects instead of 60 ects). Please see:
iclon.leidenuniv.nl

Programme

Sector Plan

The Master’s programme is part of the Regional Sector Plan and is offered in close
collaboration with the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Vrije Universiteit (VU).
Each student follows 10 ects at one of the sister institutions. At least 40 ects of the 60 ects programme consist of courses offered by Leiden University.

Structure

The programme has two tracks: one in Literature, the other in Linguistics. Both of these
contain a number of compulsory elements, including a limited number of courses from
the cultural-historical disciplines. There is also an area of free choice, in which culturalhistorical
subjects and/ or languages may be included.

The programme consists of the following components: 30 ects in the form of seminars; 10
ects of tutorials (supervised independent study); 20 ects in the form of a thesis.
Both tracks meet the nationally determined requirements for the language component,
and with that also the requirements for admission to the Master’s Education programme.
In principle, the compulsory cultural-historical component in the Bachelor’s programme
together with the academically more advanced cultural-historical element in the Master’s
programme provide an adequate grounding for a teacher in pre-university education.

Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

In order to graduate, students must have successfully completed the 60 ects programme
and have completed their final thesis as a component of that programme. The thesis for
the Classics Master’s programme is worth 20 ects, and as a rule contains a maximum of
17,000 words including notes, bibliography and appendices. All theses are based on a
substantial amount of primary texts in Greek or Latin relevant to the line of investigation,
which is either of a linguistic or literary nature, or of a cultural-historical nature; in the
case of the latter, there are two supervisors, a lecturer from one of the language sections
and one from the cultural-historical disciplines.
Also see: hum.leiden.edu/students/regulations.jsp.
Also see: arts.leidenuniv.nl/students > regulations.