Research

Undergraduate research is a vital part of the student experience in Classics at Pitt, and we offer a variety of opportunities for our majors and minors to develop, pursue, and present independent and directed research projects.

Departmental Honors

Students who successfully complete either an Honors Thesis or a Bachelor of Philosophy in Classics (see below) are eligible for departmental honors, by vote of the Classics Faculty.

Honors Thesis in Classics

Majors who have reached the end of their junior year with a GPA in departmental courses of 3.50 or higher may, in conjunction with a senior-level course, write an honors thesis. Acceptance of the thesis by the Classics Department will qualify the student to graduate with departmental honors in Classics. Read the guidelines, and download an application. 

First Experiences in Research

The First Experiences in Research (FE-R) program pairs students as early as the spring term of their freshman year with faculty researchers from across the arts and sciences. The FE-R program culminates in a poster presentation at the end of the year and often leads to more sophisticated, independent research projects later in a student’s career.

David C. Frederick Honors College Fellowships

The David C. Frederick Honors College supports Pitt undergraduates pursuing independent research under the mentorship of a faculty member with a variety of fellowships. These are designed to help students develop their research, while also gaining a better understanding of research across disciplines. In addition to working on their individual project, students attend weekly, interdisciplinary seminars to discuss and present their research. Full-time undergraduate students on the Oakland campus who have identified a faculty member or appropriately qualified research mentor, who has agreed to mentor them during a fellowship, may apply. Fellowships are open to students from any field and any class, including rising sophomores as well as rising seniors. Additional information is available here.

Summer Undergraduate Research Awards (SURA) 

The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences' Summer Undergraduate Research Awards (SURA) provide a $4,000 stipend to conduct independent research over the summer. SURA recipients also enroll in a 12-week ARTSC seminar that teaches them how to communicate their research findings to non-specialist audiences. Eligibility requirements include being a Dietrich School undergraduate and having the means to secure a faculty mentor within the disciplinary area of the research topic. 

Undergraduate Fellowship, Humanities Center

The Humanities Center supports undergraduate research with a number of fellowships to support humanities research experiences. The goals of these fellowships to support undergraduate humanities research, to connect fellows with the multidisciplinary networks of the Humanities Center, and to assist them in securing further fellowship or grant support for the research questions they wish to pursue. Summer research is supported by a $5,000 stipend and a proseminar in the preceding Spring. Therein, fellows learn how to frame, develop, and execute a humanities research project. It is also supported by a second three-credit seminar in the Fall that helps fellows produce a research output that fits their projects and ambitions. Eligibility requirements including being an undergraduate enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Degree

The Bachelor of Philosophy in Classics, conferred jointly by the David C. Frederick Honors College and the Department of Classics, represents the highest level of scholarship attainable by an undergraduate student at Pitt. Through the B.Phil., undergraduate students any time after their first year at Pitt can begin research and scholarly work toward a rigorous baccalaureate degree in a manner usually reserved for the graduate level. Simultaneously, the B.Phil. degree includes an element of intellectual scope in the expectation that students have a challenging academic program in the course work for their majors, minors, and/or certificates. Details are available through the David C. Frederick Honors College.

Field Studies Program

The Field Studies Program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to conduct research in new and exciting places. Students will devise a research project in consultation with a faculty mentor and will be expected to conduct research independently. Students will also participate in a community of peer researchers through planned cultural activities and group discussions.

If you would like to learn more about undergraduate research opportunities in Classics and Ancient History, contact our Undergraduate Advisor, Professor Marcie Persyn.