Postbaccalaureate in Classics
The 2025-2026 application will open on November 1, 2024.
Postbaccalaureate Fellowship recipients will be decided by the end of March. To be considered for a Fellowship, please submit your application in full by March 24, 2025.
Description
Our Postbaccalaureate Program is designed to help college graduates improve their engagement with scholarship as well as their classical language skills, and take courses that prepare them for admission to graduate programs in Classics or Archaeology. CYA offers the opportunity of full-time, intensive study for one year with an array of courses such as languages at all levels, Epigraphy, Archaeological Drawing, Excavation fieldwork, etc. along with structured academic support.
Beyond being a Postbaccalaureate, it offers a study abroad experience bringing you into everyday contact and communication with the culture under study, from the wealth of archaeology and museums on offer to excavation and volunteer opportunities. The Greek language is experienced as a living entity, ranging from the ancient inscriptions in every Medieval church to modern graffiti on the streets – a total immersion in language learning in and out of the classroom.
Networking in Athens becomes a natural part of the lives of those who study its past: students can attend hundreds of guest lectures, open meetings, and seminars at the many foreign archaeological institutes such as the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) and the British School at Athens (BSA), University and Academy departments, the Archaeological Society, as well as numerous smaller seminar groups and clubs. Seeing how academics present their work and how others respond is an invaluable introduction to the discourse in the field, as well as providing opportunities to meet scholars of all levels and to discuss their work informally.
Access to material: how to approach a museum for permission to view archaeological material.
We can show you how the Ministry of Culture and its various arms works, how to identify material for study, and who to contact for permission to study it. This also includes discussions on the issue of unpublished material, and the etiquette of approaching museums, Ephorate of antiquities, holders of publication rights.
Access will be given to archaeological digs, and repositories both through CYA (and the field school at Voula) and other close collaborators. Participation in CYA field study: The Peloponnese, Crete, Northern Greece.
The small size of our language tutorials and the individual mentoring, counseling and close supervision on offer give students a customized approach to their studies.
Courses
- All levels of Ancient Greek, Latin & Modern Greek (both semesters)
- German for Academic Purposes (both semesters)
- The Topography and Monuments of Athens (both semesters)
- The Greek Stones Speak: An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy (Fall)
- Unveiling the Past: Particle Physics in Heritage Science (Fall)
- Advanced Archaeology Seminar: From Excavation to Publication (Fall)
- From the Manuscript to Classroom: The Palaeographical Tradition of the Latin Language (Spring)
- Archaeological Drawing (Spring)
- Ancient History: Sources and Methods (Spring)
- Excavation at Aixonidai Halai: Voula Field School (January)
Academic and Professional Development
Requirements
- Attendance at all workshops organized by CYA that are related to your field of study.
- Attendance at all events and lectures organized by CYA.
- Participation in all Academic Field Study trips. In the spring semester, Post-Baccalaureate students will act as TAs for semester students on these field studies (to be discussed with the Director of Studies).
- Participation in the Annual Student Conference (Spring semester). This networking opportunity provides a very useful guide to public lecturing and publication in a supportive environment. There are also a few postgraduate journals to which students may wish to submit papers.
- Presentation at the Work-in-Progress Seminar (Spring semester). This seminar will provide support as you complete writing samples for graduate school applications (to be discussed with the Director of Studies).
Resources and Assistance
- Our Language Lab provides invaluable help outside the classroom.
- An e-Portfolio Workshop supports students with organizing their experiences, observations, interactive learning, theoretical knowledge, and involvement with fieldwork.
- Assistance submitting writing pieces to postgraduate journals.
Postbaccalaureate Application
A complete Postbaccalaureate application package consists of the following:
1. CYA Postbaccalaureate Application
2. Official Transcript
3. One Academic Letter of Recommendation
4. Postbaccalaureate Personal Statement
When your application is completed, it will be reviewed by the Post-Baccalaureate Admissions Committee. As soon as a decision is made (typically within two weeks of completing your application), you will be notified by e-mail.
The Post-Baccalaureate Program does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, or national and ethnic origin. The application form includes no question on any of these matters, and photographs need not be sent before admission has been granted.
Postbaccalaureate Fees
Fees for 2024-25: $16,500
Fees for 2025-26: $16,500
The College Year in Athens fees cover:
- Tuition (four or five courses per semester)
- Housing
- Mid-day meal: Monday through Friday (except on field study, holidays, and recesses)
- Field study (including entrance fees to sites and museums)
- Pre-departure material
- Supplemental hospitalization insurance
- Arrival day airport meet-and-assist services
- Orientation and acculturation activities
- Use of course materials during the semester
- Free Internet access in the CYA computer lab as well as free Wi-Fi for laptop users throughout the Academic Center and in the student apartments
- Assistance in obtaining Greek telephone numbers
- Student support services
- Transcript for future use
Program fees do not cover personal travel (including travel between home and Athens), meals other than those mentioned above, costs associated with obtaining a student visa and residence permit, personal belongings insurance, medical care not covered under the program’s supplemental hospitalization insurance, personal expenses and incidentals.
Postbaccalaureate Payment & Refund Schedule
FEES PAYMENT SCHEDULE
A confirmation deposit of $600 is due four weeks after the date of acceptance for the Postbaccalaureate program. For candidates whose applications are received after May 1, this deposit will be due upon acceptance.
Balance due of total fees: July 1
Checks should be in US dollars and made payable to College Year in Athens, Inc. For questions on any matters concerning finances, please contact the Bursar at [email protected].
POSTBACCALAUREATE REFUND POLICY
We make commitments to our faculty and staff, and rent apartments for student housing in advance of each semester based on the number of students who have indicated an intent to enroll. When students withdraw shortly before or during a semester, they leave vacancies that cannot be filled. The following rules concerning refunds protect CYA from losses when students withdraw.
$600 Confirmation Deposit:
$500 of the confirmation deposit is refundable if notice of withdrawal is received by May 1.
The entire $600.00 of the confirmation deposit is non-refundable if notice of withdrawal is given after the May 1 deadline.
Refund on Balance of Fees
A refund of 80% will be given for withdrawal between July 1 & August 15
A refund of 50% will be given for withdrawal between August 16 to the official arrival date in Athens.
Students who withdraw on or after the official arrival date in Athens will receive refunds according to the following schedule:
Tuition: 20% during the first two weeks. No refunds thereafter.
Room: No refund.
Board: Pro-rated
Fellowships and Scholarships
Fellowships
Two fellowships will be offered per Academic Year: one will be awarded to a CYA Alum; for the other, the Committee will base its decision on both merit and need.
Fellowship recipients will be decided by the end of March. To be considered for a Fellowship, please submit your application in full by Monday, March 24th.
Additional documentation for Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship application:
a. An academic and work experience CV.
i. ideally the candidate would demonstrate previous experience working with professors or on campus
b. The Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship Personal Statement should include*:
i. how being a Fellow in this program would help you achieve your academic goals
ii. your plans upon completing the program and your eventual career goals
iii. any additional information on your academic record or experience
(*only these additions to the personal statement are required if you are applying for the Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship).
Scholarships
Scholarships will also be available.
Maddie Comer
CYA Classics Post-Baccalaureate '24
Fulbright Greece '23
Connecticut College '22
“Through courses such as Epigraphy and experiences like working in the library, CYA gave me the opportunity and resources to develop unique skills and perspectives in the disciplines of classics and library science, making me a competitive applicant for graduate-level programs”
Where are you at now?
I am currently a master's student of Library and Information Science at Simmons University, Boston where I specialize in studying archival management and digital humanities. Furthermore, I am beginning to look into conducting research on oral histories and collective memory.
Aside from school, I am a full-time Writing Studio Specialist at the American Community School Athens where I also run two student clubs: The Makerspace club and The Ancestry Codebreakers. I am also continuing to learn Modern Greek, travel, immerse myself in Greek culture, and share my American culture with my local Greek community.
Which institutions were you accepted to for masters programs?
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Syracuse University | University of Maryland | Simmons University - Archives Management