Funded MAs, Bridge Programs, and Pre-Doctoral Fellowships – Classics and related

Additions and Corrections Welcome!

NEW for 2023: Cornell, Princeton and Duke (and possibly UBC) are the ONLY programs thus far on this list that cover the local cost of living, but in all cases you must consider if the program is a good fit for YOU. I recommend talking to alums and current students, especially those who are from a similar background as your own. Fourth place goes to Cincinnati which has gotten the differential between stipend and cost of living down below 5k.

NEW for 2022: Where funding levels are clearly indicated I have provided supplementary data on local cost of living and minimum wage. These calculations rely on MIT data, but a very rough. Potential applicants and those advising them are encouraged to have realistic conversations with local individuals about how previous students have made ends meet: accruing debt? access to cheaper housing?, working a second job? something else?

NOTE on HEALTHCARE: Some programs have specifically asked me to mention healthcare benefits and I have done so to honor their requests. Healthcare including mental healthcare is typical of most if not all programs listed here, but the nature of that care and coverage vary campus to campus and state to state. It may be that your personal cost of living may be lower than the MIT estimate, IF the healthcare provided by the campus covers a significant portion of expenses you may have incurred otherwise. You may also wish to review how each state may restrict access to healthcare depending on your sex assigned at birth or that of any of your dependents. (reproductive health map; gender affirming care access map).

Those marked in bold are specifically designed to help those from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Generally speaking these programs offer more learning, for less grunt work. Many MAs funded by teaching provide departments with cheap labor. Some do a great job of supporting rather than exploiting those students, but you should think hard about whether you can really live on the money they are offering and whether you can learn what you want to learn while engaging in the teaching they require. You will likely want to teach eventually, but doing so your very first semester of graduate studies is a big ask.

Open(ish) Deadlines

Humboldt Research Track Scholarship (Berlin) – Rolling deadlines! Provides funding and support for those preparing to apply to PhDs. Uncertain

Yale Post-Bacc – Nov 1 to 28 Feb (earlier is better!) A stipend of $27,200 over 12 months for living expenses. Participants also receive financial support that covers tuition for one or more courses per semester during the academic year, health insurance, GRE preparation material provided by Kaplan Review, a new laptop computer, and travel-related expenses to attend one national conference.  Participants live in New Haven and use a portion of their stipend to cover housing and other living expenses. *Note the living wage salary equivalent for New Haven is 37,109 per year according to MIT calculations; 27,200 is roughly equivalent to the salary of someone working full time on minimum wage (14 per hour) in New Haven* -9,909

December

Most Canadian departments facilitate Government Funding for MAs that have Dec 1 deadlines! (even if program deadline may be later) – Toronto, Victoria (but see details below under Feb !), McMaster, Western Ontario, Calgary, Queen’s, Waterloo, and Alberta. While these scholarships are typically for Canadian citizens is highly recommended to contact the department to discuss your individual circumstances regardless of citizenship status. – Information and encouragement to apply from Prof. Peter Miller of U Winnipeg via Twitter. He writes: “I am happy to talk with prospective students, especially those from outside the Canadian system. Since I am at an institution with no graduate program, I have no skin the game so to speak.” Uncertain

Pre Doctoral Bridge Program at Duke – Dec 14 deadline, “designed to lower barriers to graduate study for talented students from underrepresented communities (including first generation students and students from low-income backgrounds) who would benefit from an additional year of language training before they matriculate into our PhD program.” NO TEACHING, “total stipend support for AY 23/24 is $38,600; that includes the academic year and the summer months. Support for Bridge students is *identical* to that of students who matriculate directly to the PhD program (same stipend, same health coverage, everything). Support commences in August.” Contact department for a fee waiver! MIT estimates a living salary pre taxes in Durham, NC to be $38,282. +318 (updated 2023)

Funded  MAs at University of Colorado, Boulder (mainly by teaching)– Our M.A. in Classics is a two-year program that allows students to choose between five different concentrations (Classical Antiquity, Classical Art and Archaeology, Greek, Latin, Teaching of Latin). Submit applications by December 15^th to be considered for funding. In 22/23 stipends for TA’s were over $21,000 plus $780 in fellowship.  TA packages come with full tuition and benefits.  Additional funding of $7,500 is available for the recruitment of diverse students.  Applicants winning (competitive) university fellowships receive offers worth $27,000 plus tuition and enjoy one year without teaching responsibilities. *A living wage estimate for Boulder is $42,286/year; the local minimum wage is the FTE of $24,492 (MIT).* -21,168

some funding options for MAs at UToronto – Dec 15 – NEW 2021 additional diversity funding options Uncertain

Pre Doctoral Fellowship Princeton – December 15. $47,880 Stipend. The cost of living is $38,001 (MIT). +9,879 (updated 2023)

Funded Bridge MA in Classics, U Michigan – Dec 15, two summers and two semesters of funding, with a summer matriculation (June 1). Cost of living $38,838 (MIT).  Uncertain

Funded (by teaching) MA at FSU – Dec 15, alum endorsed! Uncertain

Funded (by teaching) MA at UMass Boston – uncertain deadline. Incoming 2023 student reports: “full tuition remission, health benefits, 22k TA stipends a year, and ample funding to do research or study abroad.” *Current cost of living in Boston is $45,120/year; local minimum wage is $14.25; (MIT)* no more than -23,120

January

Funded (partly by teaching) MAs at UGA – Jan 1 – UGA offers two tracks, an MA in Classics that focuses on languages and/or material culture and culminates in a thesis, and an MA in Latin (non-thesis) designed for students who want to teach Latin at the K-12 level that culminates in a pedagogical project. Students receive full tuition, health insurance, and a stipend, funded in the first year by assisting faculty in their classes and in the second year by teaching beginning Latin. There is also a summer MA program designed for teachers. Additional funding is available for students from underrepresented backgrounds. There are opportunities for travel in Europe through working with faculty on UGA’s study abroad programs. – Information from Dr. Peter O’Connell, a past Graduate Coordinator (current coordinator is Prof. Jordan Pickett). Alumni endorsed! A current (2022) student reports their annual stipend as $14,850.76 but with a total a fee liability of $1,280 per semester. *A living wage salary in Clark County, GA is $33,862; the local minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, or about $15,000 annually* -21,571.24

Funded (by teaching) MA at Kansas – “early January” = Jan 1; Graduate Teaching Assistants pay no tuition, and they receive health benefits in addition to a stipend. The annual stipend is approximately $17,000. Additional scholarships and research positions are also available *The estimated living wage for Lawrence,KS is $33,300/year; $17,000 is equivalent to working full time at $8.72 per hour, slightly higher than local minimum wage (MIT)* -16,300

Funded MA at U British Columbia (Canada)  Jan 5, 2024. ALL graduate students are funded! The MA comes with 20 months of guaranteed funding. A typical minimum funding package is ca. CAD 24,000-CAD 30,000 per annum from a combination of student appointments (TAships and/or RAships) and scholarship funding. PHD students are provided with 5 years guaranteed funding – the minimum funding package is ca. CAD 30,000 to CAD 35,000 per annum. Employment funding is typically less than a third of funding packages. In addition, there are top-up funds available for supporting graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds (IBPOC and primary care-givers) in our fields and the department provides financial support for student travel and research abroad. These funding packages represent the minimum guaranteed and it is not uncommon for students to exceed their funding guarantee through external awards and additional opportunities for employment in the department. The cost of living in Vancouver is very high. Prospective students can consult cost of living estimates from the university, but are also encouraged to get in touch with Sheri Pak, Graduate Student Advisor, at amne.grad@ubc.ca, who can put them in touch with current students to get a more accurate sense of the current cost of living. 0 CAD? (updated fall 2023)

Funded (primarily via teaching?) MA at UIUC – Jan 4; funding level not found on website; ideally 6 semesters of one language and 4 of the other, but some wiggle room. Endorsed by alum, Charlotte Hunt of Cornell Uncertain

Funded MA at Washington University, St. Louis, MO – Jan 15; M.A. students in Classics at Washington University in St. Louis receive the following support for up to two years, contingent on maintaining full-time enrollment and making satisfactory academic progress in accordance with degree program requirements: (1) 100% full tuition scholarship; (2) 90% health fee subsidy (see note at top of this page and MIT estimates to consider how this may reduce your cost of living); (3) opportunities to assist in teaching, research and/or departmental administration, for which they can earn up to $10,200 per academic year and an additional $2500 during the summer after their first year of study. Total available funding. First year: $22,700. Second year: $20,200 for F24 admissions. *A living wage estimate for St. Louis is $33,244/year or $16.62/hour; the local minimum wage is $12, the poverty wage is $6.53. $22.7k per annum is equivalent to $11.35 per hour (MIT).* -10,544 (updated Jan 2024)

Funded (primarily via teaching?) MA at Notre Dame – Jan 15, every student we admit receives a full tuition waiver plus an annual stipend, which ranges from $12,500 to $17,300, but in some cases could reach up to $22,100, depending on teaching duties.  Note that the cost of living in South Bend is lower than in many urban areas (and yes, there are things to do here!).  There are also subsidies available toward health care premiums. *A South Bend living wage is $30,880/year; Local minimum wage is the salary equivalent of $15k (MIT)* -8,780 to -18,380

Funded MA at U Cincinnati – Jan 15 “offers to successful applicants full funding and tuition waiver for two years (MA), or six to seven years (PhD, depending on whether they enter with or without an MA). The funding is not based on teaching, although the program does offer students ample opportunity to teach. We are primarily a PhD granting program, but we also have MA programs. We do consider applicants on individual basis and accept those who need a bridge to the PhD, especially if they are from traditionally underrepresented groups.” – Prof. Markovich via email, feel free to contact him. The minimum stipend for Fall 2024 will be $28k with a teaching assistantship of no more than 20 hours per week. *Cincinnati has an estimate living wage of $31,910/year; local minimum wage is equivalent to $21,008/year (MIT)* -3,910 (updated 2023)

Funded MA at Indiana U – Jan 15. Some teaching, some fellowships: packages vary. For Fall 2023 $22,000 stipend, with about 20 hours of work a week for the associated teaching assistantship, summer funding is also available. *Monroe County, Indiana has an estimated living wage of $34,094/year; local minimum wage is the salary equivalent of $15k (MIT)* -12,094, less with summer funding. (Updated 2023)

Funded MA at U Missouri – Jan 15, “The MA degree in Ancient Mediterranean Studies includes three main areas (Languages and Literatures; Archaeology; Arts and Humanities). Graduate funding packages vary depending on the track, but usually combine teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships from departmental, school or university sources. For Fall 2021 we are specifically advertising up to three MA positions available in the Archaeology track, fully funded through graduate fellowships that come with stipend (the current minimum is $16,389), tuition and health benefits, and no teaching obligations. Students from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. “ – Prof. Mogetta via Email, who is also happy to be contacted directly *The estimated living wage for Columbia, MO is $30,596/year; $16,389 is equivalent to working full time at $8.19 per hour, significantly lower than local minimum wage of $11.15 per hour (MIT)* no more than -15,170

Funded MA at Texas Tech -Students are funded via work as TA’s (in 1 or 2 classes), GPTI’s (e.g. teaching Latin), or Editorial Assistants to the journals Interexts and Helios, as well as some Fellowships: we accept applications until all funded positions are filled, but the deadline for Fellowships is Jan.15th. For Fall 2022, we will have several such MA positions available. For further information about these matters, contact David.Larmour@ttu.edu (Graduate Advisor). For information about funding levels and estimated costs, contact Carla.Burrus@ttu.edu. Uncertain

MA in Roman Studies, Manitoba – deadline Jan 15. Min $17,500 a year in stipend, BUT tuition and fees not covered (tuition is $2874 per term for domestic students; $6373 per term for international, fees uncertain). “a preference for (but not limited to) a research topic that pertains to the Roman army or the Roman Middle East.” Uncertain

MA in Classics, University of Florida – deadline Jan 17. Funded by .50 FTE work, typically teaching Latin or assisting in Classics courses. Approximately $19,700 equivalent to a full-time salary for an hourly rate of $9.47, local minimum wage is $11.00. The cost of living in Alachua County is $33,781 (MIT). -14,081

February

Funded (by teaching) MA at UMaryland – Feb 1 deadline, “We have five funded teaching assistantships, which provide tuition remission and a living expense stipend (amount unlisted). Our TAs take three courses a semester while assisting in discussion sections of an undergraduate course taught in English. Our stipends for funded first-year MA students in our program are ca. $19,000 and for second-year MA students is ca. $19,500. Full medical coverage is included and in non-COVID times there are opportunities for free trips to Europe for our TAs for our study abroad programs. Except for our Pellegri Fellow (who gets a semester off from TAing to work on a research project), our funded MA students TA one course per semester. They serve as leaders of discussion sections and graders for our larger courses. The number of students they teach can differ, but it’s never more than 75 per semester.” – Prof. Adler via Twitter (Rob Santucci, a program alum now PhDing recommends the program). For more information, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Francisco Barrenechea, at fbarrene@umd.edu. *The estimated living wage for Prince George’s County, MD is $44,168/year; $19,000 is equivalent to working full time at $9.50 per hour, significantly lower than local minimum wage of $12.50 per hour (MIT)* -24,668 to -25,168

Funded MA at the University of Victoria (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada):  funding through a combination of scholarships and teaching assistant work.  Rolling deadline but for financial support the deadline is February 1.  2 year MA with funding through the intermediary summer semester.  We welcome international students and we are accepting applications for September 2021. Uncertain

Funded (by teaching) MAT in Latin and the Classical Humanities, UMASS Amherst – Feb 1 deadline. ~$26k stipend. This Master of Arts in Teaching Latin and Classical Humanities is the equivalent of an M.A. degree in Classics with supplementary graduate-level work in Education. *A living wage salary for Hampshire County would be $33,866; $26k is equivalent to working full-time for a full year at an hourly rate of $12.50, local minimum wage is $15 an hour (MIT)* The program has let me know they consider the stipend as closer in equivalence to an hourly rate of $16.67 as it is compensating 9 months of work, not 12; students have no teaching or other work commitments in summer. Healthcare is covered. -7,866 (Updated Fall 2023)

Funded (by teaching) MA at U New Mexico – Feb 1, teaching two courses a semester, stipend level unclear. No more than two weeks sick leave before pay reduction. Program recommended by Sarah Keith of UMich on twitter. *Another alum on twitter reports that in the period 2015-2018 a typical per semester pay rate was ~$7k. The estimated living wage for Albuquerque is $31,3340/year; $14,000 per year is equivalent to working full time at $7.18 per hour, significantly lower than local minimum wage of $11.50 per hour (MIT), but NOTE this rate is per semester not per annum, potential applicants should assume the a need to work over the summer, also this calculation is for current cost of living and only 5 year old stipend data was available* no more than -17,340

Funded MA at Tulane – February 1, Funding level(s) not on website. “We generally accept two students per year, who receive tuition, stipend, and health benefits while working as TAs for one class each semester. It depends on the class and level; largest would be 35-40 students. Our TAs help with grading, hold occasional office hours, and might lead a lecture or discussion once or twice a semester (they do not lead regular discussion sections, etc.). We try very hard not to exploit our students and to use the TA-ships as additional preparation for them.” – Prof. Emmerson via Twitter. “For 2022/23, MA funding at Tulane included a tuition scholarship of $61,035 (full tuition) and a stipend of $18,295. The department provides $3000 guaranteed summer travel funding between the first and second year. Summer travel funding is available for the summer before the first year and the summer after the second year by application. In both years, we cover membership fees to a professional organization of the student’s choice, typically AIA, SCS, or CAMWS. In the second year, we encourage students to submit an abstract to an annual conference; we will then provide funding (registration, travel, accommodation) for them to attend that conference, regardless of whether or not the abstract was accepted.”  *New Orleans has an estimated living wage of $32,640/year; the local minimum wage is equivalent to 15k a year* -14,345

Funded (by teaching) MA at Oregon – February 1 Uncertain

Funded (by teaching) MA at Boston College – Feb 1 app deadline – “…program emphasizes rigorous language training, the mastery of texts as literary works within their cultural and historical contexts, and the development of research skills and methods. One-on-one scholarly and professional mentoring from our entire faculty will support you as you pursue these goals and chart your course after graduation. Accepted students typically receive full tuition support, a one-semester stipend (c. $10,000) in the form of a teaching assistantship, and support for research travel and conference presentations. I am delighted to talk with interested students – send me an email at eisenfel@bc.edu!” – Prof. Hanne Eisenfeld *Current cost of living in Boston is $45,120/year; local minimum wage is $14.25; 19k per annum = $8.50 hourly (MIT)* -40,120

Funded MAs at Rutgers – Feb 15 app deadline, The two-year fellowships include tuition remission and an annual stipend of $30,000. Funded MA = 2 years fellowship, no teaching. PhD = fellowship years 1, 3 and 5; teaching (self-standing courses—not TA—as instructor of record) years 2 and 4. The estimated living wage for Middlesex County, NJ is $41,037/year; $25,000 is equivalent to working full time at $14.42 per hour, just above local minimum wage of $14.13 per hour (MIT)* -11,037 (updated 2023)

Funded MA Medieval Institute at WMU – Feb 15 app deadline. “Offers some research and international conference travel funding for M.A.s, as well as funding both through teaching and, unusually, publishing internships. While it’s “Classics-adjacent,” Latin is still a key part of the program, as you might imagine.” – Professor Anise Strong. Stipend is 14k per year; “sometimes possible and grad students can be paid for working at the Medieval Congress booths, usually ~$100-500 over 4 days”. *The estimated living wage for Kalamazoo, MI is $31,960; local minimum wage is equivalent to $19,740/year (MIT)* -17,960

Funded MA at the University of Arizona. Application deadline, Feb. 15. Starting in Fall 2022, the University will increase the stipend for graduate assistants to between $10,000–20,000 for 9 months depending upon the nature of the appointment. Most admitted students receive two years of funding, plus a full tuition waiver and the option to enroll in student health insurance with premium fully covered. Funding packages are based on teaching assistantships. Additional fellowships, scholarships, and travel funds for research and conferences are available.  Contact DGS: Dr. Courtney Friesen, friesen@arizona.edu. *The estimated living wage for Tucson, AZ is $30,920.00/year; $20,000 is equivalent to working full time for a full yearat $10.26 per hour below the minimum wage of $12.80 per hour (MIT); note this program is explicit that the funding is only for a 9 month period, not a full calendar year* -10,920 to -20,922

March

Funded Post Bacc Fellowship at Columbia – March 1 app deadline. Two fellowships “per year part of the university’s commitment in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion, include full coverage of tuition and fees, a $25,000 combined living stipend and housing subsidy, and support for the student to participate in excavations held over the summer at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli.” *A living wage in NYC is $45,420.00/year; local minimum wage for full time employment equals $31,200 per year* -20,420

Bridge to Doctorate Fellowships at UVa – March 1 app deadline, Students will receive $30,000 per year in living support and full payment of their tuition, fees and single-person coverage in the University’s student health insurance plan for a period of two years. *The estimated living wage for Charlottesville, VA is $38,688/year; $30,000 is equivalent to $14.42 per hour working full time slightly above the local minimum wage of $12 per hour (MIT)* -8,688 Not admitting new students for Fall 2024, but will be offering places in future years (updated 2023)

Funded Bridge MA in Classics, Cornell – March 1, two summers and two semesters of funding, with a summer matriculation (June 1). Housing on campus will be provided for the first summer (June 1-August 15). Website link is temporarily down as they wait for new program details to be announced, contact dept directly if interested. Academic year stipend F23-S24: $32,494; Summer stipend: $6,846; six weeks of summer housing prior to academic year enrollment: costs are fully covered. Cost of Living: $37,986 (MIT). +1,354

Post Bacc, UPenn, Elsie Phare Fellowship – March 1 for Post Bacc, but April 15 for Fellowship: “This year, it was 2 scholarships and both got $20k stipend. The tuition is waived.” – Dr. Emily Wilson via Twitter. **The estimated living wage for Philadelphia, PA is $34,720/year; $20,000 is equivalent to working full time for a full year at $10.26 per hour well above the local minimum wage of $7.25 per hour (MIT)* -14,720

Funded (mostly? through teaching) MA at UMinnesota Uncertain

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This list was originally compiled with the help of many on twitter (special shout-out to Chris Thoms Bauer of Rutgers). Now most updates come in via email.