Academic Information

Effective July 1, 2025

I. The Ph.D. Program in Classics

This document sets out the rationale and requirements of the program leading to a Ph.D. in Classics. When in doubt about its provisions, consult the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).

Curriculum
The Princeton Classics Ph.D. program recognizes the importance of the diverse aspects of the discipline and aims to offer all students an opportunity to develop a comprehensive and varied course of study. The Department currently offers five curricular tracks:

Literature and Philology (LP)
Program in the Ancient World (PAW)
Program in Classical Philosophy (PCP)
Medieval and Byzantine Language and Literature (MBLL)
Contact, Transmission, and Reception (CTR)

Students concentrating on History are normally members of the Program in the Ancient World (PAW); those concentrating on Philosophy, of the Program in Classical Philosophy (PCP); those concentrating on Byzantine and Medieval Studies, of Medieval and Byzantine Language and Literature (MBLL); those concentrating on cultural contact within antiquity or the reception and transmission of classical texts, materials, or events, of Contact, Transmission, and Reception (CTR). This document applies to all students. Provisions applying only to a specific curricular option are indicated below.

Students select their curricular track at the beginning of the program, though changes are possible in consultation with the DGS and the Graduate Committee.

Advising
The entire continuing faculty administers the Graduate Program through a Graduate Committee chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Students in years 0(predoctoral)-3 of the program are advised formally by the Director of Graduate Studies and meet regularly with the DGS to discuss progress toward the degree. Students in these years are assigned in addition formal mentors from the faculty, with whom they should meet at least once per semester. Students from year 4 onward are advised and mentored by their dissertation supervisor and committee.

II. Coursework and Papers

Coursework
Students in all programs are required to take the Surveys in Greek and Latin Literature, offered in alternate years, in their first two years of doctoral study. Students must receive a passing grade or higher or retake the course for credit the next time it is offered and pass. PAW and LP students are similarly required to take the Proseminars in Greek and Roman History in their first two years (these courses are again offered in alternate years). Here, too, they must receive a passing grade or retake the course for credit the next time it is offered and pass.

Students in the predoctoral year follow an individualized plan of study agreed with the DGS and mentors, which is intended to prepare them to enter first-year coursework. At the beginning of the predoctoral year, students take placement tests in Greek and Latin, which help to guide course selection. Ordinarily, predoctoral students enroll in all courses on a Pass/Fail basis, with the exception of 100-level LAT/CLG courses, which are taken for a letter grade.

Seminars
The Department requires each student to take for letter grade or pass/fail a total of twelve graduate (500-level) courses over three years; this includes the required Surveys and Proseminars. Ordinarily, courses below the 500-level will not count toward the seminar requirement, with the exception that up to two LAT/CLG courses at the 400-level, when taken for a letter grade, may be counted. Up to two relevant graduate (500-level) courses in other departments, selected in consultation with the DGS, may count toward the seminar requirement.

The following course distribution patterns are recommended (required courses are marked with an asterisk):

PAW students must additionally demonstrate expertise in two special fields: material culture and methodology. This requirement may be satisfied by either taking seminars with a significant material culture or methodological component; participation in summer courses devoted to archaeology, such as those at the ASCSA or AAR or work at an archaeological excavation; or an independent study directed by a faculty member (which may, but need not, culminate in a paper).

Papers
Students are required to produce at least six research papers, each normally of around 5,000 words in length, before they can be certified as having completed Generals. Four of these papers must be seminar papers, one must be the independent MA paper, (discussed below) while the sixth may be either a seminar paper or an independent paper. All work toward these papers should be completed after matriculation at Princeton.

Students complete seminar papers when they elect to take a graduate seminar for a letter grade (the Surveys and Proseminars are always taken for a letter grade, though students do not produce formal seminar papers for them); this represents a commitment to submit a paper on the standard departmental timeline. Students must inform the instructor by the first Monday after Fall or Spring Break whether they have chosen the letter grade or pass/fail option, and record their choice with the graduate administrator. With approval of the DGS, one of the four seminar papers may be written for a seminar taken outside of Princeton (subject to the same expectations outlined above). All seminar papers are due one week in advance of the deadline for submission of graduate grades for the term. INC grades are only possible in exceptional circumstances, and must be approved by the instructor and DGS. The Graduate School automatically converts all INC grades to F grades on the first day of the term one year from the start of the term in which the paper was to be written (e.g., papers for the fall term must be submitted before the first day of the fall term the following year).

Students complete independent papers when they secure the commitment of a faculty member to advise an independent project that will lead to the submission of a paper. They should lay out a firm timeline for the paper’s submission at this point. Students ordinarily meet twice with their advisor (once at the planning stage and once during the writing process) before submitting the paper, which is then graded by the faculty advisor.

One independent paper must be the MA Paper, which may be a revision of a previously-written seminar paper or work on a new topic, and will be longer and more substantial than a standard seminar paper (8,000-10,000 words). The student must seek out a supervisor for the MA paper (who will often be the prospective dissertation advisor) and submit a proposal to the supervisor and DGS (5 pages, inclusive of bibliography) by October 1 of the third year.

It is expected that first-year students will complete at least one seminar paper in each semester and three papers total by the end of the first summer (one of which may be independent); that second-year students will complete at least one paper in each semester; and that third-year students will complete the MA Paper by January 15 of their third year as a condition of advancing to the reading course.

Subject to prior approval by the DGS and (if applicable) seminar instructor, students are permitted to write one collaborative paper (though this cannot replace the MA paper). Students who would like to propose a collaboration should submit a brief description of the project, and the work to be done by each collaborator well in advance of beginning the project.

The following chart sets out the chronological distribution of seminar and paper requirements:

Reading Course
All students complete a Reading Course (in addition to the twelve seminars) as the final stage of their preparation for the dissertation project. This is generally undertaken in the spring of the third year, and is advised by the faculty member most likely to be the dissertation committee chair. The Reading Course follows a syllabus constructed by the student, and involves regular meetings between the faculty and student, with written assignments as agreed. The syllabus for the Reading Course must be approved by the start of the spring term, and culminates in the production of the dissertation prospectus, which is due by May 1 of the third year.

III. Examinations

All students take a series of examinations, which must be completed by the end of the third year in order for a student to advance to the dissertation stage. A firm schedule is essential for the timely completion of the degree requirements within the limits of funding provided; students who fall behind schedule may be denied re-enrollment for the following academic year or may be re-enrolled only on condition that they make good certain deficiencies by a specific date. In general, students begin taking their examinations in the second year, and all exams must be attempted by January of the third year.

Diagnostic and Translation/Commentary exams are offered three times a year, in August (in the week before classes begin), and during the University exam periods in January and May.
General examinations are administered twice a year, during the University exam periods in January and May (the October examination period is reserved for exceptional situations).
Modern language examinations are offered only in the Fall and are administered by the relevant department (German or French and Italian).

Diagnostic (“Sight”) Examinations:
This is commonly known as “the sight examination” because the passages set are chosen with an eye to their representative character as prose or poetry and are the sort that a student well prepared in the ancient languages should be able to translate without prior acquaintance or preparation, that is, “at sight”: they are accompanied by such notes as the examiners think necessary, but no other aids are allowed. One hour is allotted for each component (Greek prose, Greek poetry, Latin prose, Latin poetry). Grading is pass/fail. All the examinations must be attempted in September of the first year, and all must be passed by May of the second year. A student who passes the sight portion of the Greek or Latin survey final examination will be considered to have satisfied the diagnostic examination requirement in that language.

Modern Languages Examinations:
The modern European languages most important for work in Classics are German, Italian, and French: by the end of the Fall semester of their third year, students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of German and of one of the other two. Students may do this either by completing a term-time or summer course approved in advance by the DGS, or by passing an examination administered by the associated Princeton Department. Modern Language exams are offered only once a year, in the Fall.
Students enrolled in the CTR track may substitute a modern or ancient language (which may be a computer language) relevant to their field of study for one of the required modern languages; they must demonstrate competence in this language via approved coursework in the language at Princeton.

Program (Translation/Commentary and General) Examinations:
Each student takes Program Examinations in subjects appropriate to their track:

LP 

• Greek Literature (Translation/Commentary and General)
• Latin Literature (Translation/Commentary and General)

PAW 

• Greek History (Translation/Commentary and General)
• Roman History (Translation/Commentary and General)

PCP

• Greek OR Latin Literature (Translation/Commentary and General)
• Classical Philosophy (Translation/Commentary and General)

MBLL

• Greek OR Latin Literature (Translation/Commentary and General)
• Greek OR Latin Literature (Translation/Commentary)
• Medieval Latin or Byzantine Literature (Translation/Commentary and General)

CTR

• Greek OR Latin Literature/History (Translation/Commentary and General)
• Greek OR Latin Literature/History (Translation/Commentary)
• Contact, Transmission, Reception (General)

The Translation/Commentary and General Examinations, though formally separate, are designed to be approached together, and students are encouraged to attempt them simultaneously when possible. A single committee of examiners marks the exams for each program in each session, and is chaired by the DGS (except in cases where the DGS must examine, in which case a member of the Graduate Committee may chair). By Graduate School rules, The General Exam must be passed on the second attempt; the Translation/Commentary exam may be attempted until a student passes. Program Examinations are set and marked anonymously and are graded Pass/Fail.

Translation/Commentary Exam
The Translation/Commentary Examinations are three-hour exams (with an additional half hour for preparation and two fifteen-minute breaks), which are designed to test the candidate’s ability to identify passages of text (both prose and poetry), translate them, and comment, as appropriate, on date, genre, context, meter, and other notable features. The examiners will provide written comments on the exams, pass or fail.

The reading list for Translation/Commentary exams is composed of two parts: a common list and an individual list, chosen by the student in consultation with their mentor. The individual list should consist of roughly the same quantity of material as the common list, and should include materials from a range of genres and periods. Students are encouraged to formulate their lists in conjunction with or immediately after taking the literature survey (LP) and history proseminar (PAW) courses to facilitate their exam preparation. For LP, PCP, and MBLL students, the first list is due by January 15 of the first year, and the second by January 15 of the second year; MBLL students submit their third list by May 15 of the second year. For PAW students, the first list is due by May 15 of the first year, and the second by May 15 of the second year. CTR students follow the timeline for LP or PAW, depending on whether they are taking the Literature or History exams. Individual lists should be accompanied by a brief explanation of the principles and considerations governing the choice of sources, and for any sources not available in modern, commented editions, a plan for approaching them. All lists will be reviewed by the DGS and Graduate Committee, and may be returned to the student for revision if not sufficiently broad or lengthy.

General Exam
The General Examinations consist of a written and an oral component: a four-hour written exam (with an additional hour for preparation and two fifteen-minute breaks), and a twenty-five minute oral exam, normally administered two days later. The aim of the examination as a whole is to gauge whether students have achieved sufficient expertise in the subject to begin to mount professional arguments about it. This means that they are able to draw on a broad and specific body of knowledge and are familiar with relevant scholarly methods and approaches.

The format of the written component differs between tracks. Copies of past examinations are available on the portion of the Department's SharePoint site accessible to graduate students, who are strongly encouraged to review these examinations when preparing to write their generals.

Students are evaluated, anonymously, on their performance on the written component before the oral exam takes place, and a pass on the written exam ensures a pass on the General as a whole (i.e., the oral exam can only help students).

Students should bring to the oral a copy of the examination and their written answers, with any subsequent marginal notations, and may refer to them in the course of the examination. (Students who write the examination by hand will be provided a photocopy soon after the written examination is completed.) No other written aids are permitted and students may not read from a prepared script.

The oral exam affords students five minutes at the start of the exam to emend and/or correct the written part of the exam and affords the examiners the opportunity to ask students to clarify and extend their written answers and to probe further the student’s knowledge of the subject. In practice, the oral examination is structured around the material covered by the written examination, but in pursuing a line of questioning the examiners will expect the student to draw on a wider body of expertise. The scope of the oral exam cannot, therefore, be narrowly restricted to the letter of the answers offered on the written exam; and since students are expected to demonstrate the range of their knowledge on general examinations, examiners may ask students to expand their answers to consider periods and genres not discussed in the written exam.

Students will receive written comments after every general exam, pass or fail, designed to benefit them on all subsequent exams and during job interviews. If a student fails a general exam, they will meet with the DGS and at least one additional examiner to discuss their exam scripts. They will also draw up, with the DGS, their mentor, and one additional examiner, a detailed plan of action before the retake.

General examinations may be attempted no more than twice. After a second failed attempt, Graduate School regulations require that degree candidacy be terminated. Candidates must retake the exam within a year of the first attempt, as specified by the Graduate School. Students are encouraged to re-take general exams in May. Second attempts in October and January are allowed only after students have been made aware of, and have accepted, the risks involved.

IV. The M.A in Classics

The M.A. in Classics is achieved once students have completed the coursework and paper requirements (12 seminars and 6 papers, including the M.A. paper) and passed the diagnostic examinations; there is no further exam requirement. Though normally awarded as an incidental degree on the path to the Ph.D., students who choose to leave the program are encouraged to complete the M.A. as their terminal degree.

V. Teaching

Learning how to interact in the classroom with both undergraduates and graduate or faculty colleagues forms an important part of professional training, as does gaining firsthand knowledge of the range of subjects that can be offered under the rubric of Classics. Therefore, graduate students in the Department of Classics will normally participate in the teaching of at least two semester-long classes (= four "AI hours") at Princeton in the course of their graduate years – subject to satisfactory progress in the program and to availability of suitable AI opportunities.

Before considering a graduate student for teaching a course-section on their own, the Department normally requires at least one semester of service as a preceptor in a departmental lecture course. There are two reasons for this: (1) it allows for support and supervision in what is often a graduate student's first exposure to the other side of the teacher–student relationship; and (2) the Department wishes to bring the study of Classics to as many undergraduates as possible, but is able to do so only by relying to a certain extent on the skills of graduate students.

Teaching is assigned by the Chair in consultation with the DGS and the DUS. Every effort will be made to give students varied and profitable experience, including the opportunity to teach the ancient languages. Teaching is normally scheduled after candidates have made progress toward completing their general examinations. However, PAW students are encouraged to precept for one of the four undergraduate history courses in preparation for their general examinations in history.

The Department expects students to help with departmental teaching needs before accepting any appointment outside the Department. Students should be sure to discuss well in advance with the DGS any opportunities for external teaching.

VI. The Dissertation

The dissertation, which completes the requirements of the Ph.D. Program, "must show that the candidate has technical mastery of the field and is capable of doing independent research" (Graduate School Announcement).

Students must secure the involvement of a primary advisor (or co-advisors) within the Department for their dissertation, and assemble a committee of up to three additional members. Although the University only stipulates a dissertation committee of two people, the Department requires at least three people on the committee, one of whom may be a qualified external reader. An external reader may not serve as a primary advisor, but can serve as co-advisor. As early as possible, the student and advisor should discuss the composition of the dissertation committee and invite their feedback on the project as it develops.

Prospectus
All students prepare a dissertation prospectus in the second semester of the third year, which must be submitted by May 1. This normally emerges directly from the Reading Course, and its composition is overseen by the faculty supervisor as part of the course. Prospectus defenses are scheduled during May, and include the student’s entire committee as well as the DGS.

The prospectus, normally of 25 to 35 pages, should include a clear statement of the purpose of the dissertation; the method or methods to be employed in it; a discussion, preferably chapter by chapter, of the subjects to be covered, the manner in which they would be discussed, and the possible conclusions arising from them; a consideration of the problems that might arise and how they would be addressed; and an honest estimate of the work's potential originality and importance. Appended to the text should be a substantial bibliography, with those items clearly marked which the student has already read or consulted.

The student’s dissertation committee will read the prospectus and meet to discuss it with the student and the DGS. After that interview the Committee will recommend to the DGS that the prospectus be accepted without revisions, accepted with revisions, referred back to the student for substantial revision, or rejected. In any of these events, the DGS will give the student further guidance on how to proceed.

Dissertation Progress
Candidates should keep in close contact with the members of their committee, and regularly show them their work in progress. A minimum of one chapter of the dissertation must be approved by the student’s committee by May 31 of the fourth year in order for the student to be reenrolled.

There will be a Dissertation Writing Seminar offered each year. This course is required of fourth- and fifth-year dissertators who are not in absentia, and all prospectus-writers are encouraged to attend in the spring of their third year. Students who hold IHUM fellowships may defer participation to the fifth and sixth years. A dissertation advisor may make approval of sixth-year funding conditional on the student’s commitment to attend the Seminar in the sixth year. The Seminar will meet regularly throughout the year, providing a forum for dissertators to circulate drafts of work in progress for feedback, to discuss methodological or compositional issues, and to survey other topics relevant to he students' professional development as scholars and teachers.

As soon as (1) a candidate has in mind a specific timeframe for completing the dissertation, and (2) the dissertation committee has evaluated enough of the dissertation to see what its final form should be, the student, the committee, and the DGS will schedule and hold a pre-FPO meeting to decide what work must be done before the student may submit the dissertation, to be defended at the Final Public Oral (FPO). The schedule for submitting the dissertation and the date of the FPO will also be determined at this meeting. When the dissertation has been submitted in final form, the DGS and the graduate administrator should be consulted for the procedure to follow at that point: students, again, are responsible for informing themselves of the deadlines and general timeframe of these procedures.

A final copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the department 25 business days before the defense. Once this copy is submitted the only changes that can be made are correcting typographical errors. The department will cover expenses arising from the copying and binding of one copy of the final approved dissertation.

The members of the committee will submit written reports on the dissertation and recommendations for acceptance or rejection. Each member of the departmental faculty receives a copy of the reports, has access to the dissertation, and votes for acceptance or rejection.

If the Department accepts the dissertation, it is submitted to the Graduate School, which gives final permission for the FPO to be scheduled. By custom, the FPO has taken the form of a 30-minute talk by the candidate on the dissertation or some part of it, followed by an open question session. The departmental faculty takes a formal vote on whether to recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School that the degree of Ph.D. be conferred on the candidate. No 'with distinction' or 'cum laude' options are available.

There is a budget of $200 towards a dinner or lunch following the final public oral of the dissertation. It is the student’s responsibility to invite whom they would like to the event.

VII. Sixth-year Stipends

In addition to the five years of funding for doctoral study which the University provides, the Department may award a sixth-year stipend with the aim of providing a minimum livable income for students completing their dissertation. This support derives from a combination of teaching assignments and department funding. Students are therefore required to be in residence, and to be available to teach in one or both terms.

All students in good academic standing are eligible for sixth-year funding subject provided that:

1. A chapter of the dissertation has been approved by the committee by May 31 of the fourth year.
2. A second chapter of the dissertation has been approved by the committee by January 31 of the fifth year.

The sixth-year stipend is set by the Department to correspond with the Graduate School’s cost of living estimate, increasing by roughly 3% annually. The department will top up the salary that students receive from all University teaching to reach this annualized income level. If a student declines the teaching assignment offered, departmental funding is forfeited.

Despite the availability of a sixth year of funding under the conditions specified above, the program remains a five-year program, as mandated by the Graduate School. Students are encouraged to defend their dissertations by the end of the fifth year as well as to apply for external positions and sources of funding as appropriate in each individual case.

In cases where students receive an external fellowship at a rate lower than departmental sixth-year support, they may request a top-up.

VIII. Status and Residency Requirements

During enrolled years students are expected regularly to attend lectures, Final Public Orals, and other departmental events. This contributes substantially to professional development, and is essential for maintaining the departmental community. In order to facilitate such a community, students should make living arrangements that allow them to participate fully in all aspects of department life. For any period that students do not plan to live in the vicinity of Princeton during term, they must apply for In Absentia status or a Leave of Absence. Both statuses must be approved by the department and the Graduate School.

According to University Regulations all graduate students in residence are required to be on campus throughout the entire semester. That not only includes the twelve weeks of teaching, but also the entire Reading Periods in January and May, and the relevant days of the final exam period, if the student is taking or administering exams. The University's official academic calendar can be found on the registrar's website. If for some exceptional reason a student cannot be present for a course examination, they must clear this *in advance* with the Professor in charge of the course, the DGS, and the thesis advisor (if the students has one). If the student has not sought and been given permission sufficiently far in advance, they will not be allowed to take an exam in absentia. It is essential, therefore, not to buy plane tickets or make other travel arrangements until the requisite permission has been obtained.

IX. Summer and Conference Travel Funding

The Department makes available generous support for summer activities and conference travel. Each student is assigned budgets against which they can apply for support for approved activities. Budgets will be reassessed on a regular basis in relation to the endowed funds available for graduate summer funding. In order to receive funding, a student must be in good academic standing, and have made progress expected for their stage in the program. All applications will be scrutinized by the DGS and Chair for their academic merit and contribution to a student’s academic trajectory.

Summer activities
Every student will be eligible for a summer activity budget to be spent over the course of their graduate careers. There is no limit on the numbers of requests that may be made against this budget, but in applying for funding, students are expected to consider their present and future needs carefully, in consultation with the DGS, mentors, and advisors.

All funding applications must be submitted through the SAFE submission system, and include a detailed budget and brief rationale for the activity and its contribution to the student’s academic trajectory.

The Department will ordinarily fund only tuition, lodging, and travel expenses. Any exceptions require detailed justification.

Students are encouraged to seek out other sources of University and external summer funding, including from the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), Hellenic Studies, and other bodies.

Summer funding is only available to enrolled students in good standing, and applications may be denied because of concerns about academic progress.

Conference travel
Every student will be eligible for a conference travel budget to be spent over the course of their graduate careers (while their status is still "enrolled"), subject to the following conditions:

1. To claim expenses over $250 for a conference, students must ordinarily be presenting a paper.
2. Application (through SAFE) must be submitted and conferences must be pre-approved by the DGS.
3. Application must also be made to the Dean's Fund for Scholarly Travel, if eligible.
4. Ordinarily, no more than $1500 can be claimed in a single academic year (though exceptions may be made by the DGS).

In addition, every student is eligible for a one-time reimbursement of expenses to attend the Society for Classical Studies annual meeting. Applications must be made through SAFE and reimbursement will be made against receipts.

The travel subsidies for conference and SCS attendance are only available to enrolled students in good standing, and applications may be rejected if they do not contribute meaningfully to a student’s academic trajectory.

X. Graduate Conferences

The Department has funds available to contribute to conferences organized by graduate students. Up to two conferences per year may be funded, and funding levels will be regularly reassessed. Students wishing to organize a conference should submit a proposal including detailed description of the topic and format as well a preliminary budget by April 1 of the preceding academic year for full consideration. Proposals will be chosen on the basis of scholarly merit, contribution to the community, and feasibility given the resources available (so proposals that will be able to draw on a range of funding sources will be more likely to succeed).

XI. Childbirth Accommodations

In addition to the support offered by the Graduate School, students in good academic standing who become parents during the first year of DCE status are eligible to receive one additional term of financial support from the Department, to be taken during their DCE-2 enrollment period, if needed. Financial support will be at the sixth-year funding department rate. DCE fees will also be covered. Students in DCE-2 status are not eligible for the additional term of financial support.

At the end of your fifth year of study you will need to determine if you will opt for the status of Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status or Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC). For more information on these statuses please visit the Graduate School’s website.

(Updated November 2024)

The format for your dissertation is at Mudd Library’s website .

First: 

• As soon as a student has a definite date for their FPO in view, s/he must meet with the dissertation committee, together with the DGS, to discuss together what additional work will be required for the dissertation to be accepted. This meeting - without which the FPO will not be scheduled-should take place well in advance of the submission to the department of the draft that the student intends to defend, the event that begins the five-week countdown to the FPO. It should be held for example, as soon as students know when they will need to have defended their dissertation before starting a job, or as soon as they perceive that their project is approaching completion (e.g., when the last chapter is under way)
• Set the date and time for your defense. Confirm the date with the DGS and your committee, and make sure the Graduate Administrator has the date to add to the Department calendar.

25 business days prior to defense date (submit to Graduate Administrator):

• Submit to the Graduate Administrator one (1) complete unbound copy of dissertation. 
• Submit electronic copy of abstract (350 words or less) and title page to Graduate Administrator. Please follow the University Sample Title Page for proper formatting. 
• Submit to each of your committee members a complete copy of dissertation. These copies can be hard copy or electronic; please ask your committee members the format they prefer. 
• Apply for PhD: Complete the Advanced Degree Application via TigerHub
• If you would like to request an embargo, please let the Graduate Administrator know; prior approval from your adviser or dissertation committee is required. 

15 business days prior to defense date:

• Your Reader’s Reports are due from your committee. The Graduate Administrator will give you copies of these after the request to hold the Final Public Oral is submitted to the Graduate School.
• The Graduate Administrator submits the Advanced Degree Application online. 

10 business days prior to defense date:

• Graduate Administrator posts formal announcement of FPO upon approval from Graduate School. 

1 week prior to defense date (submit to Graduate Administrator):

• 1 bound copy of dissertation

Following the FPO

Following a successful defense, PhD students will need to submit the checkout form and final paperwork form to be included on the upcoming degree list. These forms must be submitted no later than two weeks following the defense or by the degree deadline, whichever comes first. Both forms are accessed through the graduation tile in TigerHub. You will receive a confirmation email for each form after it has been reviewed and approved by the Graduate School. 

Checkout Form: 

• Complete all required fields and fully review all information presented on the form. 
• Please Note: Once your checkout form is submitted, you will lose library privileges. It is important to be mindful and only complete this form when you will no longer need access to library resources.

Final Paperwork Form: 

• Submit dissertation PDF to Princeton’s ProQuest ETD website, paying any applicable publishing and copyright fees (the Graduate School requires traditional or open access publication and does not allow publication restrictions). Save a copy of the ProQuest submission confirmation email to attach to your final paperwork form. 
• Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates: Save an electronic copy of the “Certificate of Completion” page of the SED to attach to your final paperwork form. 
• Complete the Exit Questionnaire: The electronic copy of the “Confirmation of Completion” page must be attached to your final paperwork form. 
• If a verification letter is needed prior to receiving your diploma, this can be requested on the final paperwork form. 
• Complete the checkout process for students departing the University in TigerHub.

The vast majority of Ph.D. students will not be required to submit a printed bound copy of the dissertation to the Mudd Manuscript Library. Students who have removed content from the PDF version of the dissertation to avoid copyright infringement are still required to submit a bound copy to the library with all content included. This unredacted, bound version of the dissertation must be formatted according to the Dissertation Formatting Guidelines, and delivered by hand, mail, or delivery service to the Mudd Manuscript Library by the degree date deadline in order to be placed on the degree list. Address the bound copy to: Attn: Dissertations, Mudd Manuscript Library, 65 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.

Enrollment & Benefits following the FPO: 
Enrollment typically ends the first of the month following the FPO. Please review the timeline by which enrollment and benefits end following the FPO to better understand the changes.

If you are serving as an Assistant-in-Instruction (AI) in the semester that you are defending the dissertation, consult with your department about the FPO date to ensure that you may remain enrolled and eligible to serve as an AI through the end of the term. Enrollment continues only through the end of the month in which a student's FPO is held. Any exceptions must be discussed with Academic Affairs in the Graduate School.
 

The Department of Classics provides Graduate Students who are on the job market with a Dossier Service. If you would like the Graduate Administrator to send your dossier to prospective employers, please ensure that you provide the following: 

• Release Form: Obtain form from the Graduate Administrator, sign and return for the file.
• List of Prospective Employers: include the institution name, format that dossier is to be sent (i.e. Interfolio, email, etc.) and the application deadline.
• CV: Write/revise your CV.
• Official Transcript : Obtain directly from the Registrar’s Office at their web site.  Please check for any errors or missing items.  Normally we only need one original, occasionally an institution may specifically ask for an original transcript, not a photocopy.  You should request at least two so that we will have an extra in the file.
• Teaching Experience: Outline summary of teaching: simply list course taught, rank (e.g. AI, Assistant in Instruction), term and year plus a short description of course and what you did for it.
• Letters of Recommendation: Secure letters of recommendation. You should have at least three but no more than five.  If you have outside recommenders please ask them to send their letters directly to the Graduate Administrator. 
• Teaching Evaluations (optional).

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the Dossier package is complete. When making a request, be aware that normally the package sent will include the items received. If you are unsure about the completeness of your package, please verify with the Graduate Administrator in Room 141A East Pyne.