Post-Baccalaureate
Classical Studies Program
General Information for Prospective Students
The Post-Baccalaureate Program in Classical Studies has been designed for students who already have the B.A. and some background in Latin and Greek, and who wish to continue their study without immediately entering an M.A. or Ph.D. program. The Post-Bac Program gives such students a rigorous, yet flexible, way to improve their facility in the languages as well as to test their motivation for graduate work and to experience life in a large university. The program is officially housed in the College of General Studies (see link in menu above left) but is administered by the Department of Classical Studies.
The Post-Bac Program requires full-time study in residence for two semesters. Each term two special Post-Bac Seminars are offered (one in Greek and one in Latin); these are essentially reading courses at a pace that is brisk and challenging, yet always reasonable. A large consideration in the admissions process is a determination of students' abilities to function profitably in those seminars. In addition to taking these courses designed especially for them, most Post-Bac students take advantage of the other resources available to them at a top research university, including ongoing colloquia, special lectures from visiting scholars, attendance at museum events, and resources for research in the libraries. Some students, after consulting with their Post-Bac advisor, register for a third course. International students attending on an F-1 student visa must enroll in a minimum of four course units and may not register to audit courses. Finally, each student receives advising about career planning and application to graduate schools.
Students, with the exception of international students, are required to enroll for a minimum of two course units of work per semester (called Classical Studies 402 [Greek] and Classical Studies 403 [Latin] on the transcript). Tuition and fees for this are subject to change in each fiscal year; in 2006-2007 they total approximately $3,700 per semester for two course units of study. International students on the F-1 visa are required to enroll for a minimum of four course units per semester. Tuition and fees for four course units for 2006-2007 is approximately $8,300 per semester. Click here for further information on tuition.
Room and board in University facilities are available, but most students choose to live on their own in the city and surrounding neighborhoods. U.S. citizens may qualify for very limited financial aid in the form of loans, and many students are able to find part-time employment (no more than 20 hours a week) through the university and in the surrounding community. For more information follow links to Penn's Housing, Student Financial Services and Student Employment Office websites on the Student Information page listed at the top of this page.
We cannot guarantee what credit, if any, from this program other institutions will apply to their graduate degree programs. This University will award at least four undergraduate course units, equivalent to 12 or 16 semester hours elsewhere (more credit is awarded if students register to take additional courses). Nevertheless, a year devoted to the concentrated, supervised study of both languages cannot but improve a student's credentials for further work. In addition, such a year, free from the distractions and obligations of ordinary work towards a degree, can be an unusually fruitful educational experience in itself.
The Post-Bac Program has been an unqualified success since its inception. While some students decide not to pursue further study after their year here, many go on to graduate work in Classics. Recent alumni of this program have enrolled at Berkeley, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Chapel Hill, Harvard, Michigan, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Penn, Princeton, Vanderbilt and Yale.