Classical Philology

The classical philology programme prepares students for independent, creative academic work in the field of Ancient Greek and Classical Latin philology. It expands their theoretical and methodological knowledge and teaches the skills necessary for independent scholarly work. Classical philology as a discipline examines, interprets, critically analyses, and puts into a broader literary and historical context all ancient Greek and Latin sources. At the same time, it serves as an auxiliary discipline for a variety of other scientific fields dealing with antiquity (philosophy, theology, archaeology, art history, law, the history of science, sociology, and religious studies). Graduates will gain an overview of the entire broad discipline and specialize according to their chosen language (Ancient Greek, Classical Latin) in linguistic or literary studies based on the particular topic of their dissertation.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• Reliably understand the language of their specialization;
• Interpret, critically analyse, and put into a broader cultural context all the various text sources;
• Work critically with ancient sources and secondary literature using linguistics, literary theory, and other auxiliary and secondary disciplines of classical philology;
• Conduct methodologically based research in the field, making new discoveries;
• Specialize more narrowly in the concrete topic of their doctoral thesis;
• Present the results of their research in front of an international audience;
• Use digital sources, tools, and databases pertaining to their field of study;

Graduates from doctoral studies in classical philology possess extensive knowledge of antiquity and are specialized in Ancient Greek or Classical Latin and the literature concerning the topic of their thesis. They are capable of high-quality, independent interpretation of original sources. They have a deep understanding of the subject of their specialization and are well-equipped with theoretical and methodological tools, which they apply in independent and creative scholarly work – these tools also serve as prerequisites for interdisciplinary research and international cooperation, since graduates are also expected to speak two modern foreign languages. They will find employment most easily in humanities-oriented departments of the Academy of Sciences, at universities, in libraries and museums, at printing houses, in other areas of culture or media, or as translators. Graduates can also teach Latin at high school or university, assuming they also acquire the necessary pedagogical education.

An obligatory part of the studies is a stay abroad, during which time the graduate gain new knowledge and skills, experience a foreign environment, and make useful contacts. In exceptional and justified situations, the supervisor may agree to substitute an alternative solution for this obligation.

The primary results of the doctoral studies in classical philology are a doctoral thesis and a doctoral exam. The dissertation proves the author’s ability to work in a professional, academic setting and to produce new insights. Being well-acquainted with the literature concerning the area of interest and the history of previous research into the given topic is a necessary requirement. The candidate will also employ their linguistic skills and their ability to use modern methods of interpretation. The doctoral thesis is expected to be of such quality and originality so as to be able to be published in a scholarly magazine (as a whole or at least selected parts). The formal requirements for the doctoral thesis are further specified in the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations; the standard thesis length is 220,000–360,000 characters.