Post-Baccalaureate

The Department of Classics in collaboration with UCLA Extension (UNEX) administers the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program, with an emphasis in Classics (Greek and Latin). The Department will begin to review applications for the 2024-2025 academic year after February 1. We aim to admit a new class of 10 to 12 students; applications will be accepted after this deadline until the program is full.

The Post-Baccalaureate Program in Classics offers students who have completed a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent the opportunity to continue their studies in Greek and Latin for one or two additional years prior to admission to graduate programs in Classics and related fields. The Program is supervised by the faculty of UCLA’s internationally recognized Department of Classics. Students in the Program are an integral part of the Department’s overall teaching mission and enroll in regular undergraduate (and, with permission, graduate) courses. In addition to satisfying program requirements, students are expected to take full advantage of the Department’s busy program of lectures, conferences, and other activities.

The current faculty Post-Baccalaureate Advisor is Professor Ella Haselswerdt. Any questions regarding the program (admissions, academic requirements, schedule of classes, and placement of Post-Bacc students) should be directed to her: haselswerdt@humnet.ucla.edu.

You can also find many answers on the Frequently Asked Questions page.

What does the program offer?

  • Campus services are available with a BruinCard, including library privileges and discounts for local merchants and bus lines, along with other campus privileges such as Bruin Online (UCLA email and computer access), campus parking privileges, and access to UCLA’s extensive student recreational facilities.
  • Supervision by a member of the Classics faculty at UCLA, who will serve as advisor to all students.
  • A Post-Baccalaureate seminar is exclusive to students in the program, which will culminate in the completion of a research paper for the purpose of submission as a writing sample for graduate school applications.
  • Students participate in a UCLA Extension graduation ceremony and are presented with a certificate upon successful completion of the program.
  • The city and university also offer students many resources, including UCLA’s own excellent libraries and special collections. In addition, students are expected to take full advantage of the vibrant program of lectures, conferences, and concerts organized by the university’s Center for Early Global Studies (CEGS-CMRS) and by the Department of Classics, as well as the Getty Center located nearby, and the Huntington Library in Pasadena, and other community offerings.
  • Graduates of the program have been admitted to graduate study in Classics, History, Philosophy, Archaeology, Romance Languages, Religion, and Near Eastern Languages and Culture at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, New York University, Vanderbilt, Florida State, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh, USC, and University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles, Irvine, and Santa Barbara.
  • Financial aid is available through the Department’s Palevsky Scholarship, when funds allow: for more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit this link

Applicant Requirements:

  • Official transcripts verifying completion of college-level (Attic) Greek grammar and of college-level Latin grammar, usually in the form of one complete year of each language, preferably within the last two years. (UCLA Summer Sessions offers workshops in Intensive Greek and Intensive Latin, each of which is equivalent to one full year of language study. Highly qualified students with training in only one of the ancient languages may seek admission contingent upon completion of a summer workshop.)
  • Letters of recommendation from two college instructors
  • A personal statement explaining your experience and goals; one to two pages in length.
  • RECOMMENDED: A writing sample or recent research paper.

Program Requirements:

  • Three consecutive quarters of full-time study (at least three courses/12 units per quarter, for a total of 36 units), including all of the following:
    • Three Greek courses beyond the first year of study
    • Three Latin courses beyond the first year of study
    • Post-Baccalaureate Seminar in Classics, taught every fall by the Program’s Faculty Advisor and providing an introduction to advanced study and research in Classics and related fields, as well as a workshop on the graduate application process, including preparation of a writing sample.

Students may also take additional coursework in Classics, related fields, and/or modern languages. Students are encouraged to take advantage of UCLA’s strengths in History, Art History, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Indo-European Studies, and Archaeology.

Apply: