PHD

PhD in Classical Studies

Admission Requirements

  1. To apply for a PhD program, you'll need an MA with a minimum GPA of 85, including a grade of at least 85 on your thesis.
  2. A solid working knowledge of both Ancient Greek and Latin is also required.
  3. Applicants will be asked to take an English proficiency exam, which is conducted by the department.

Please note: Admission to the PhD program requires residency in Israel for at least the first year of the program, during which the students will be fully engaged in the department's intellectual and academic environment.

 

Areas of Specialization

Each PhD track is individually designed, based on your research focus and in collaboration with your advisor and the department head.

Students in the program join a vibrant and intellectually diverse department with strengths in Greek and Roman literature, ancient philosophy, historiography, Greek poetry, Roman historiography, mythology, classical reception, Xenophontic and Socratic studies, and the interface between classical and Biblical traditions. 
For a list of our PhD supervisors and their fields of research, see here:

https://classics.biu.ac.il/en/research-fields
 

The program includes language courses, any additional coursework you may need, and of course, your dissertation.

Depending on your research direction, you might also be asked to study another modern language.

 

Credit Requirements

PhD students must learn 12 semester credits within the department, which include mandatory language courses.

Students are required to enroll in an academic English writing course offered by the English as a Foreign Language Unit. This course is worth 2 credit points. For further details: https://efl.biu.ac.il/en/node/2204.

If the students did not complete either of their previous degrees at Bar-Ilan, they will also need to take 8 semester-based credits in Jewish Studies or General Courses before completing their PhD.

You can browse the General Courses catalog here, and for a broader overview of life at Bar-Ilan - including visas, housing, health insurance, and more - check out the International School's Essential Information page .