Admissions & Prerequisites

The majority of IPCAA students arrive from undergraduate backgrounds (and sometimes with Master’s degrees) in Classics, Classical Archaeology, History (usually with a specialization in Ancient History), and Art History (usually with a specialization in Ancient Art). Such degrees have generally proven to offer the most thorough foundation for a successful career through IPCAA. Other degrees and life experiences, such as training in Anthropology or Museum Studies, are also very welcome, but additional preparatory work, not least in classics and ancient languages, would be necessary before entering the Program.

Competence in both ancient and modern languages is a necessary skill for classical archaeologists; to that end, IPCAA students must satisfy language requirements in two ancient languages (one of these must ancient Greek or Latin) and the modern langauges they will need to conduct research. These modern langauges will almost certainly include French and German, as well as some combination of Spanish, Italian, modern Greek, Turkish, Arabic, and/or other languages. Preference is thus given to applicants who have reached the advanced level in at least one ancient language and the intermediate level in another and who have demonstrated competence in at least one modern foreign language. This is to ensure that students do not spend an inordinate amount of their early years in the Program primarily studying languages. If an applicant’s language preparation is not yet up to this level, time spent in post-bacccalaureate programs or other courses before applying to IPCAA may be advisable.

No formal fieldwork or museum experience is expected or required of prospective students, but signs of interest and energy in the discipline of archaeology (outside the formal classroom setting) are welcome.

The on-line application process for IPCAA is administered in part by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies. 

Rackham Admissions Apply Now

PLEASE NOTE:  The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results requirement is currently being waived on all IPCAA applications.  

Additional application requirements:

• Academic transcripts, including Grade Point Average (GPA). Scanned/electronic copies of your official transcripts will be used for initial review by our admissions committee. Please upload scanned/electronic copies of official transcripts from all of your undergraduate and post-graduate institutions. You will be required to have your official transcripts mailed to the Rackham Graduate School only if you are recommended for admission.  You must submit both unofficial and official copies of your transcripts to complete your application.  
• Unofficial transcripts from all of your undergraduate and post-graduate institutions. Please upload these on the "Other Supplemental Materials" section of your application.
• Official transcripts from your degree-awarding institutions only once you are admitted.  Please request that your institutions send these to the Rackham Graduate School. (Rackham Graduate School Admissions, Attn: Transcripts, 915 East Washington Street, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070).
• A curriculum vitae or résumé, including work experience, evidence of travel, museum or fieldwork, or other relevant activities in the fields of Classical Art and Archaeology. Please upload this to your application
• A statement of purpose and a personal statement, detailing and conveying your interest and enthusiasm for the field of classical archaeology, and why IPCAA might be an appropriate place for you to undertake graduate study. A length of about two or three pages for each statement is recommended (you may ignore Rackham's 500-word limit on the application).  Please upload these to your application.
• Three letters of recommendation, preferably from teachers from whom you have had classes or practical experience in archaeology and classics. Please have your recommenders upload these to your application.
• A sample of writing, such as a term paper for a class, or a senior thesis. Please upload this to your application. The sample should be written in English and should be about 15-20 pages in length (if you would like to send part of something longer, it is usually helpful to include the table of contents of the full work and an indication of the overall argument). The sample should also be your own work, not the result of a collaboration, nor something translated or substantially edited by someone else. The most helpful writing samples are those dealing with a specific question or problem in relation to a set of material evidence.
• Specific details on your foreign language experience, including the names, dates, and  institutions of your language courses

IPCAA's annual application deadline is December 15th. All materials must be submitted by that date, and applicants should take responsibility for ensuring this happens.

All applications are reviewed by the IPCAA Executive Committee in January and February. Invitations are then issued to a small number of applicants to visit the Ann Arbor campus (usually in early-mid February). This visit, which is funded by IPCAA and the Rackham Graduate School, provides an excellent opportunity to meet faculty and students, and to see the full resources of the Program and its University setting. Offers of admission and fellowship support are made shortly thereafter. Acceptance or rejection of an offer of admission is needed by April 15th (the national deadline to be observed by all graduate programs).

There is no single "cookie cutter" model of a successful IPCAA student; over the years, the Program has fostered a remarkably wide variety of interests and personalities. Students are given preference for certain elements, however. These include:

• Substantial preparation and competence in at least one of the required ancient, and one of the required modern, languages
• A solid, if not necessarily comprehensive, background in ancient history and classical archaeology
• Overall undergraduate performance, and record in classes most pertinent to the study of Classical Art & Archaeology
• Enthusiastic and insightful reports from teachers and mentors in letters of recommendation
• A compelling personal statement, that also demonstrates skills in writing and argumentation
• Evidence of energy and enthusiasm, not to mention perseverance and dedication, in pursuing a possible career in Classical Art & Archaeology

Eligibility for certain types of Fellowship support may be linked, by the Rackham Graduate School or by the College of Literature, Science & the Arts, to undergraduate GPA averages.