Qualifying Portfolio (for students admitted in 2025 or later) 

 
When: Fall of your second year. Everything uploaded by end of 15th week (exam week).
 
Where: Upload to Departmental Server:   https://docs.classics.uc.edu:6036 click on File Station to navigate to /groups/GradPortfolio/YOUR NAME
• Please make sure your name appears in file names, and that the file name reflects the content: e.g., “Lynch CV”
 
What:
  •  Three written assignments arising from coursework at UC. Choose examples that represent your best work. At least two of the three must be from your program area.
    • Assignments should highlight your analytical skills, critical thinking, and ability to present evidence to support a scholarly argument.
    • There is no lower or higher page limit.
    • Research-based essays or papers are preferred, but if you do not have three examples, an exam essay with faculty comments may be submitted.
    • Uploaded the submitted version with faculty comments. If faculty provided separate comments, provide these.
    • Please include the class, instructor name, and assignment prompt.
    • Internal CV:
      • This is a regular CV with the addition of:
        • courses you have taken: their full name or theme, the professor, the topics of seminar papers/reports you did/grade you receive
        • jobs/teaching/service you have done for the department
        • summer activities: dates, place, director, subject (e.g., Bronze Age tomb)

  • A one-page essay reflecting on your academic and intellectual progress through the program.
    • Where can you see scholarly development?
    • Are there areas of interest that you are developing that you did not have before?
    • Considering your submitted written work, how would you revise in light of faculty feedback? (If relevant or applicable)
    • What challenges have you faced?
    • What are your achievements?
    • What skills/topics do you intend to focus on going forward?

  • [If you wrote an M.A. thesis at another institution, please include it as a single PDF]
Why: The faculty will evaluate your portfolio as evidence of your progress through the program. The faculty in your discipline will score your portfolio on the following basis:
 
  1. Exceeds expectations: papers demonstrate thorough knowledge of evidence, well-developed argument, exceptional command of research resources, and clear writing.
  2. Meets expectations: papers demonstrate knowledge of evidence, contain a structured argument, use common research resources, and clear writing.
  3. Does not meet expectations: papers show misunderstanding of evidence, unstructured argument, miss common research resources, and/or are not clearly written.
  4. Unacceptable: Student has not submitted all parts of the portfolio; papers are not complete or lack coherent structure and comprehension of the evidence.
It is also a time for you to reflect on your progress and establish future goals.
 
Outcomes:
  • Students who score a 1 or 2 on the portfolio may continue to the Ph.D. program. Note that an M.A. thesis may still be required or desired.
  • Students who score a 3 or 4, but wish to continue to the Ph.D., are required to write an M.A. thesis. These students should discuss with their Graduate Director whether they should take a terminal M.A. by exam instead.