How to Apply

Graduate Programs in Classics

Information regarding the Fall 2025 application can be found on the Admissions page of the Office of Graduate Studies website.

PhD applications will be due on December 1st, 2024; MA applications on January 1st, 2025.

Every prospective applicant should get acquainted with the admissions requirements, structure, and goals of their target program (Standalone MA or PhD). Detailed descriptions of the programs can always be found online in our current graduate handbook. Guidance on the logistics of the application process can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences website, where there is also lots of information about Washington University for prospective students. For questions about qualifications or the program itself, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies or the department office at classics@wustl.edu. 

Application Requirements:

  • Application: The completed application form.
    • Language Background: Please be sure to include your years of Greek and Latin study, in addition to any other languages you have studied, in the section on language preparation. The Classics Admissions Committee looks for MA applicants to have the equivalent of (minimum) two years each of college-level Greek and Latin. PhD applicants with (minimum) three years in each language will have an advantage. 
  • Transcripts: For the purposes of initial review of applications, the Classics Admissions Committee accepts unofficial transcripts (inclusive of all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework) be uploaded to the application system.  If transcripts do not reflect all your work during the year of application, please be sure to indicate elsewhere on the application what your remaining coursework entails. Official Transcripts will only be required if you are admitted to our program and accept the offer, at which point you should have them sent to Washington University (instructions on the OGS website).
    • NB: The university requires all transscripts to be in English.
  • Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation from current or past instructors acquainted with your accomplishments to date. These are extremely important for the Classics Admissions Committee; aim to assemble a combination of recommenders who can, between them, describe your work in both ancient languages and in research in Classics or a related field.
  • Personal Statement: A personal statement expressing your goals in seeking a graduate degree in Classics, describing the background that qualifies you to do so and the particular advantages you see in the program at Washington University. Reference to specific faculty members can help, but is not essential. The Admissions Committee is interested in applicants who (besides looking like a good fit for our program) show an understanding of what is entailed in graduate work and an ability to articulate their goals. We therefore recommend that you seek advice from instructors on crafting the personal statement. 
  • Writing Sample: A scholarly writing sample of ca. 15 pages, representing your work on a topic in Classics or a related field. The ideal submission makes use of both secondary sources and ancient text(s) in the original. If you do not have a single piece of writing that meets all these criteria, you may submit two shorter papers that meet individual criteria. Longer writing samples are acceptable, but applicants are also welcome to supply excerpts from longer works such as theses.
  • English Competency: For applicants whose native language is not English, the university requires test scores for one of their authorized tests (TOEFL, IELTS, or GATEWAY) scores. These scores must be no older than two years, and must arrive by the application deadline. See the OGS Admissions page (under "Test Scores") for minimum scores. Waivers for applicants who have earned degrees at English-speaking institutions may be requested through the Director of Graduate Studies in advance of the deadline.
  • GRE: Please note that the application no longer requires Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores for the Department of Classics.
  • Application fee ($45): Applicants who wish to request a fee waiver should contact the Office of Graduate Studies at artscigrads@wustl.edu for information. The Department of Classics cannot grant fee waivers.

Ready to apply?

Please check the application website regularly until all materials are reported received.

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What comes next?

The review of applications involves both the Classics Admissions Committee and the OGS. When the review is done, you will hear news first via an official letter on the OGS application website and subsequently via email from the Director of Graduate Studies in Classics, typically in February. In the meantime, you can stay in touch directly with the Classics DGS and/or faculty, and are encouraged to send questions. The department will be able to invite some accepted students to visit campus, typically for a couple of days in late February or March. Funding for this is limited, but if you express your interest as soon as possible, the chances of such a visit are good.
 
Competition for both programs is significant, and one result is that a number of applicants to each program will be placed on a ranked alternates list. We are authorized to notify these individuals of their alternate status very shortly after we make admissions offers. The specific ranking does not and cannot change after the initial list is made. However, if you are placed on this list, you should take heart; you have been placed there due to space and funding limitations, not because you’ve been judged unqualified to enter the program, and you have a good chance of getting a place. The wait time for updates can be long, often lasting into April; we understand that this wait is very difficult on your end, and so we aim to communicate as swiftly as possible when there is any change. By the same token, accepted applicants need adequate time to make their decision. Those offered admission at any point before April 1st are asked to accept or decline the offer by April 15th; those receiving later offers have two weeks to decide. 
 
Applicants who are rejected from either program are welcome to ask follow-up questions about their applications and our selection process. If you are rejected, do not assume that it had entirely to do with the quality of your application. Sometimes we can predict that an applicant will not be able to pursue his/her specific interests in our program. Often, again, it is simply a matter of space and funding. In some past cases, an applicant has reapplied with success.