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Teaching
This course teaching is provided through seminars, classes, and individual supervision. Students are assigned an academic advisor; they work closely with the advisor or another appropriate supervisor on two pieces of work and a thesis. A student follows a course of study of their choosing, reflecting their own interests and specialisms. The two pieces of submitted work consist of either an essay, an examination in a classical or another ancient language, or an exercise in a specialist subject (e.g., numismatics). In addition, all students attend MPhil seminars in both research skills and subject areas within Classics. These teach new knowledge and skills, and enable them both to learn from academics other than their supervisor and to engage with their peers through presentation and discussion. Additionally, students taking a Classical language paper in place of an essay also attend several classes in Greek or Latin per week in preparation for an examination.
| One to one supervision | Normally, a minimum of four hours per term. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University's expectations regarding supervision. |
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| Seminars & classes | Twenty-four hours per year. All MPhil students will be expected to attend a series of six seminars on Research Skills for Classics postgraduates and must attend at least one MPhil Text and Topic seminar in the first term and one in the second term. They must also attend a single dissertation seminar in the third term. These series change annually in accordance with the Faculty's research agenda. They are also expected to attend one or more of the weekly speaker seminars organised by the various sub-disciplines of Classics. |
| Lectures | There is no expectation that an MPhil student will attend any particular number of lectures. MPhil students are encouraged to take advantage of lectures provided both in the Faculty of Classics and more widely across the University. |
| Posters and Presentations | Presentations are required in the context of the seminars, which are put on especially for MPhil and at which attendance is compulsory. |
Feedback
Written report after each piece of work and termly online reports.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The thesis should be between 8,000–12,000 words, followed by an oral examination.
Essays
Two pieces of submitted work which can be either:
- an essay of about 4,000 words
- an exercise of comparable substance in another ancient language
- a language examination consisting of a timed exam in Greek or Latin translation and an exercise in translation and a commentary of about 2,000 words in length
Written examination
A language paper in Greek or Latin may be required.