SSHRC-Funded MA at University of Manitoba (“The Books of Karanis”)

From C. Michael Sampson (mike.sampson@umanitoba.ca)

As part of a SSHRC-supported research project on fragmentary Greek literature excavated at the site of Karanis, I am soliciting applications for a funded MA student, to start September 2022. The project’s goals include the interdisciplinary assessment of Greek literary culture in the village: of particular interest is the (re)analysis of papyri in their archaeological contexts, drawing on the rich archival material in the University of Michigan’s Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. Collaborators include Dr. Drew Wilburn (Oberlin College), Dr. Tom Landvatter (Reed College), and Dr. Nick Hudson (University of North Carolina, Wilmington). The project is already active on Twitter (@karanisbooks).

The MA in Classics at the University of Manitoba is a two-year degree with 12 credit hours of required coursework (with the option of up to 12 additional hours) and a thesis or major research project. Preference will be given to applicants with a four-year BA and at least two years of coursework in both ancient Greek and Latin; proficiency in Greek is particularly desirable. Though the call for applications is not limited to Canadians or Canadian residents, the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba requires a minimum period of residency in Winnipeg to complete coursework and other program requirements.

Thesis topics will align with the project’s scope (the papyrology and/or archaeology of Karanis) but will be designed with the individual student’s interests in mind. The selected applicant will receive a stipend of CAD $17,500 per year for each of the two years. This support does not include tuition or fees. Additional funds will be available for travel for both research purposes and conference attendance. Masters students can also apply for research/teaching assistant positions within the Department of Classics.

Winnipeg has a thriving community of Classicists: the local chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America hosts a popular lecture series, as do our colleagues at the University of Winnipeg. Other faculty members in Classics at the University of Manitoba boast complementary expertise in Greek economic history and the archaeology of trade, the art and archaeology of the Roman Empire, Roman history, and the manuscript tradition of Plato.

Please circulate this opportunity to promising advanced undergraduate students, and encourage them to contact me directly in advance of an application (mike.sampson@umanitoba.ca). Review of applications will begin after January 15, 2022, though submissions will be accepted past that date. Members of visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, and people of all sexual orientations and genders are especially encouraged to apply.