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Ancient History

The graduate program in Ancient History at UCSB combines rigorous, multidisciplinary research training with thorough preparation for classroom teaching. The program emphasizes solid grounding in historical methods and the handling of evidence, along with rigorous language preparation. Specific course requirements are kept to a minimum in order to allow students maximum flexibility in designing (in consultation with their advisors) the course of study that best suits their needs and interests.

FACULTY
In the History Department, two faculty members specialize in the history of the Ancient Mediterranean World, and one faculty member specializes in the history of Ancient China.

Anthony Barbieri-Low is a specialist in the social and economic history of ancient China.

Elizabeth DePalma Digeser is a historian of the Roman Empire and Late Antiquity.

John W.I. Lee works on ancient Greece and the history of warfare.

Students who wish to pursue graduate training in Ancient History in the History Department should first contact the particular faculty member whose specialty best matches their interests.

Emeritus Research Professor Harold Drake focuses on Roman history, especially the fourth century A.D. Professor Drake is not accepting new graduate students.

INTERDISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES
Many scholars in other UCSB departments also study Ancient History, and have affiliated status in the History Department. We coordinate our scholarly activities through the Ancient Borderlands Research Focus Group, which is supported by UCSB's Interdisciplinary Humanities Center.

The Ancient Borderlands group offers graduate students in Ancient History the opportunity for extensive scholarly interaction with UCSB faculty and with scholars from around the world. The group has successfully proposed a formal Ph.D. Emphasis in Ancient Mediterranean Studies, which is awaiting final approval from UCSB's Graduate Division.

Affiliated faculty:

Christine Thomas in the Religious Studies Department focuses on religion in the Roman Empire, early Christian literature and culture, and archaeology and the study of religion.

In the Classics Department, Brice Erickson specializes in Greek archaeology, ceramic analysis, and the social and economic history of Classical Crete. Robert Morstein-Marx specializes in Roman history from the Middle Republic to the Early Empire. Frances Hahn’s research centers on religion in Republican and Augustan Rome.

In the Anthropology Department, Stuart Tyson Smith studies the civilizations of ancient Egypt and Nubia, using both textual and archaeological perspectives.

In the Philosophy Department, Voula Tsouna specializes in ancient Greek philosophy, and in History of Art & Architecture, Fikret Yegül specializes in Roman art and architecture.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What kinds of professional goals are most consistent with your program?
We train research scholars who are also effective teachers. If you see yourself as a faculty member in a History Department, writing scholarly articles and books, teaching World History or World Civilization surveys in addition to ancient history courses, and interacting with historians of diverse periods and fields, then our program is suitable for you.

How much preparation in Ancient History do I need?
Applicants must meet the general requirements for admission to the History Department's M.A./Ph.D. program. Applicants whose main focus will be the ancient Mediterranean should be familiar with the narrative framework of Greek and Roman history (for example, through completing upper-division undergraduate course work in ancient history), and have taken at least one seminar course requiring the research and writing of a long analytical paper.

How much language preparation should I have?
Applicants whose main focus will be the ancient Mediterranean should have at least two years of coursework in classical Greek and Latin, along with reading knowledge of at least one modern foreign language. Students working on the ancient Mediterranean must pass Greek and Latin translation exams, as well as translation exams in two modern foreign languages.

What sort of financial support is available?
Funding resources include departmental and university fellowships, and teaching assistantships. A number of privately endowed fellowships are awarded yearly through UCSB's History Associates. The Harold and Kathleen Drake Fund is specifically devoted to the support of students working on the history of ancient China, Greece, or Rome. For a complete list of History Associates fellowships and awards, click here.

What is the placement record of your program?
UCSB Ph.D.s in Ancient History have competed successfully in the academic job market, winning tenure-track positions in a wide range of institutions from large research universities to small liberal arts colleges. Our program offers graduate students extensive professional preparation for the job market, including mock interviews and practice job talks.

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