Please note that admission to the Master of Arts Classical Studies and Specialization Medieval and Renaissance Studies​ is suspended until further notice.

The Department of Classics and Religious Studies, located in the Faculty of Arts, offers a master’s program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Classical Studies. The program comprises one main field: Late Antiquity (A.D. 200-700).

The objective of this program is to prepare the students for further study in the field of Late Antiquity, the important transitional period between Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The Department also offers the possibility of studying Coptic, Syriac and Ethiopic (in addition to Latin and Greek). Candidates will acquire a thorough background that will enable them to pursue doctoral studies.

The program aims to refine critical and scholarly skills and to broaden the knowledge of its graduates in certain areas. The ability to conduct detailed research, to argue coherently, to write an academic paper, and other skills learned can be applied in careers outside academia. Several graduates find positions in local or federal government, where their training at the MA level is clearly valued.

The Department offers a collaborative program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the MA level. For more information on this program, see Admission Requirements.

The collaborative master’s in Medieval and Renaissance Studies (MDV) has two goals:

• To offer at the graduate level a multi-disciplinary education in Medieval and Renaissance Studies;
• To teach students the theoretical approaches and methods of research specific to the study of the period.

The specialization in Medieval and Renaissance Studies is intended for students who wish to enrich their training by including to their main program an interdisciplinary component in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Besides a thesis or a major research paper on a topic related to the medieval and Renaissance period, the specific requirements of the collaborative program include two core courses in medieval studies (MDV), one of which will count as a partial requirement in the main discipline.

The program is governed by the general regulations in effect for graduate studies.

For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the specific requirements webpage.

• An honours bachelor’s, or an equivalent degree, in Classics, in Medieval Studies or in a closely related area, with an overall average of at least 70% (B) and 75% (B+) in the advanced classical studies courses.
• 18 units of classical language courses (12 units in either Greek or Latin and 6 units in the other language) with a minimum average of 75% (B+).

Preference will be given to candidates who have already completed the 18 units. However, candidates with only 12 units will be considered on condition that the six other units will be completed with a minimum average of 75% (B+) within the first year of the program.

Collaborative Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Entry into the collaborative program requires at least a passive knowledge of French language.

Applications to the collaborative program must be submitted at the same time as the application for admission to the master's program in the main discipline.

Students wishing to enroll in the Collaborative program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies must first be admitted to the Master's program in one of the participating units. Candidates must hold an Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, assignments, examinations, research papers and theses can be produced in either English or French.

Master's with Research Paper

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Compulsory Courses:
CLA 5901	Scholarly Research and Methodology I 1	3 Units
CLA 5902	Scholarly Research and Methodology II 1	3 Units
12 optional course units from:		12 Units
CLA 5120	The Latin Chronicle Tradition
CLA 5121	Late Roman Historiography
CLA 5122	Topics in Latin Palaeography
CLA 5520	L'armée romaine de l'empire tardif
CLA 5521	Justinien et l'empire du VIe siècle
CLA 5920	The City in Late Antiquity
CLA 5921	Rome and the East
CLA 5922	Pagans and Christians in the Later Roman Empire
CLA 5923	Topics in Late Antique Literature
CLA 5924	Topics in Late Antique History
CLA 5925	Introduction to an Ancient Language
CLA 5926	Directed Readings in Ancient Language
6 elective course units at the graduate level 2		6 Units
6 classical language course units at the undergraduate level 3		6 Units
Research Paper:
CLA 5999	Research Paper	6 Units

Note(s) 

¹

This course includes a sight translation requirement.

²

Students will also be able to choose, with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, relevant graduate courses in Religious Studies, in History, in Philosophy or other disciplines, where available. Responsibility for checking that they have any prerequisites rests with them.

³

This requirement applies only to students who have not completed 18 units of classical language courses before admission. The exact number of units is indicated at the time of admission.

Master's with Thesis

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Compulsory Courses:
CLA 5901	Scholarly Research and Methodology I 1	3 Units
CLA 5902	Scholarly Research and Methodology II 1	3 Units
12 optional course units from: 2		12 Units
CLA 5120	The Latin Chronicle Tradition
CLA 5121	Late Roman Historiography
CLA 5122	Topics in Latin Palaeography
CLA 5520	L'armée romaine de l'empire tardif
CLA 5521	Justinien et l'empire du VIe siècle
CLA 5920	The City in Late Antiquity
CLA 5921	Rome and the East
CLA 5922	Pagans and Christians in the Later Roman Empire
CLA 5923	Topics in Late Antique Literature
CLA 5924	Topics in Late Antique History
CLA 5925	Introduction to an Ancient Language
CLA 5926	Directed Readings in Ancient Language
6 classical language course units at the undergraduate level 3		6 Units
Thesis:
THM 7999	Master's Thesis

Note(s) 

¹

This course includes a sight translation requirement.

²

In exceptional cases students can, with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, replace optional CLA courses by a maximum of 2 relevant graduate courses (6 units) in Religious Studies, in History, in Philosophy, in Medieval and Renaissance Studies or other disciplines depending on the availability of spaces. Students are responsible for checking that they have any prerequisites for the courses selected.

³

This requirement applies only to students who have not completed 18 units of classical language courses before admission. The exact number of units is indicated at the time of admission.

Collaborative Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Students in the program must complete the requirements of their primary program and those of the collaborative program. The course MDV 5100 (3 units) in Medieval and Renaissance Studies will be counted towards the requirements of the primary program. Consequently, students in the specialization will have only one extra course to take.

The requirements of the collaborative program are as follows:

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Compulsory Courses: 1
MDV 5100	Medieval and Renaissance Studies Research Methods and Tools	3 Units
MDV 5900	Interdisciplinary Research Seminar	3 Units
Thesis or Major Research Paper 2

Note(s)

¹

Students must complete the two compulsory courses before they register to the major research paper or thesis. Note that MDV 5900​ is a bilingual course that requires at least a passive knowledge of French.

²

A thesis or major research paper on a topic related to Medieval and Renaissance studies. The proposed topic must be approved by the program committee of the participating unit and the committee of the collaborative program. The supervision of the major research paper or thesis must be carried out by a professor approved by the collaborative program committee. At least one of the two thesis examiners (or one examiner of the major research paper) must be a member of the collaborative program. In both cases, the title of the degree will indicate the discipline of the participating unit with the specification "specialization in Medieval and Renaissance Studies."

Duration of Program

Students are expected to complete all requirements within two years. The thesis must be submitted within four years of the date of initial enrollment in the program.

Minimum Standards

The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 units) must withdraw from the program.

Research at the University of Ottawa

Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, a few steps away from Parliament Hill, the University of Ottawa ranks among Canada’s top 10 research universities. Our research is founded on excellence, relevance and impact and is conducted in a spirit of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Our research community thrives in four strategic areas:

• Creating a sustainable environment
• Advancing just societies
• Shaping the digital world
• Enabling lifelong health and wellness

From advancing healthcare solutions to tackling global challenges like climate change, the University of Ottawa’s researchers are at the forefront of innovation, making significant contributions to society and beyond.

Research at the Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is proud of the state of the art research conducted by its professors. In the spirit of showcasing its research to the university community as well as to the general public, the Faculty has created three activities: Dean's Lecture Series, Treasures of the Library, and Excellence Lectures.

Facilities, Research Centres and Institutes at the Faculty of Arts

• Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française,
• Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies,
• Institute for Science, Society and Policy,
• Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) 
• Morisset Library.

For more information, refer to the list of faculty members and their research fields on Uniweb. 

IMPORTANT: Candidates and students looking for professors to supervise their thesis or research project can also consult the website of the faculty or department of their program of choice. Uniweb does not list all professors authorized to supervise research projects at the University of Ottawa.