The Special Topic exam is a written exam of 3 hours designed to prepare students to undertake original research in a specialized area. The topic’s scope should be well defined (i.e. a single ancient author, a genre of ancient texts, a key theme or method in the study of the ancient world, or a corpus of ancient material culture). In all cases, the topic’s boundaries should be clearly defined in terms of genre, geography, and chronology. In the exam, students will demonstrate knowledge of relevant sources and objects, their provenance (including manuscript transmission for literature-based topics), and situate them in their cultural, aesthetic, and historical contexts.

To prepare, students work with a faculty advisor to develop mastery of a significant body of ancient sources (literary, documentary, and/or material culture) and relevant scholarship. Students, with advice from their advisor, should determine the scope of the topic and bibliography to be consulted. Because each subfield’s emphases and methods are different, the advisor should determine the design of the exam. The topic exam’s design and parameters (i.e., number and type of questions) must be finalized and shared with the student and the Director of Graduate Studies in writing no later than the third week of the semester in which the exam is to be taken. The exam will be graded by the faculty advisor and a committee of two other faculty members invited by the faculty advisor in consultation with the student.

Students should begin preparation for the exam immediately upon completion of the qualifying exams in Greek and Latin translation. Students are expected to pass the Special Topic within two semesters of completing their qualifying translation exams in Greek and Latin. Students who take longer than two semesters to pass the exam may be deemed to have not made satisfactory academic progress. Students may need to prepare for the exams while finishing their required coursework to meet the University’s minimum necessary credits for graduation.

Students should register for Research in Greek and Latin (CLAS C875) during the semester(s) in which they are preparing for the exam. Students should take this course for no more than 2 semesters. The special topic must be selected and shared in writing with the Director of Graduate Studies no later than the third week of the first semester of CLAS C875, though students are encouraged to begin developing a topic as soon as they complete their qualifying translation exams. Successful completion of CLAS C875 is based on two assignments. The first is a 40-item bibliography of material to be read in preparation for the exam. A polished draft of this bibliography must be submitted by the end of the first semester of C875. The second assignment is 6,000-9,500 words of analytical prose discussing a significant portion of the scholarship presented in the bibliography, developed in consultation with the advisor. The prose assignment must be submitted and graded before the Special Topic exam. The advisor will grade these two items and provide feedback with a view towards the development of a dissertation topic.