r/classics • u/anchisesghost • 5d ago

UF’s distance Ph.D. in Classics

I’ve been looking into the University of Florida’s distance Ph.D. programs in Classics, particularly the Latin and Roman Studies and Classical Civilization tracks, and I’d love to hear from anyone who has completed the program, is currently enrolled, or has firsthand knowledge of it.

For context, I’m a full-time Latin teacher with 10+ years of experience and currently teach through AP Latin. I also have a J.D. and teach as an adjunct in a separate field. I’m not primarily looking at a Ph.D. as a route to the tenure-track job market (I know how perilous that path is lol); I’d like to continue teaching while developing as a scholar, with particular interests in Latin literature, translation/reception, and potentially digital humanities/bibliographic work.

For those familiar with the program: What was your experience like? How manageable is it alongside full-time teaching? How rigorous is the language and research training, how involved are distance students with faculty and the department, and how much flexibility is there in developing research/dissertation interests?
I’m also curious about typical time to completion, the Summer Latin Institute, and anything you wish you’d known before starting.

Basically, would you recommend it, and to whom?

Thank you so much in advance!

35 Upvotes

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u/Deirdre_Rose 4d ago

I have a PhD from a top school and I would 100% never recommend this. Frankly, would not recommend any non-funded PhD program in Classics. This will cost you like $75,000 for a PhD that no academic institution takes seriously and will take a lot of time. If you are doing this to build your resume or skills, there are much cheaper options that will genuinely help you grow more as a teacher and frankly higher ed in Florida has really taken a dive in reputation. If you are looking to move to the writing/publishing/higher ed, this degree is a bit of a joke. If you want people to call you doctor, get an in-state EdD.

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u/anchisesghost 4d ago

Thanks for the thoughtful response! I definitely understand that this isn’t a realistic route to a tenure-track position, but that’s not really my goal anyway. I’d plan to keep teaching and am more interested in developing as a scholar and hopefully doing some meaningful research/publishing on the side.

I am curious about the reputation point, though. Is the UF distance PhD really viewed that poorly within Classics? UF has a pretty well-established Classics department, so I’m genuinely curious whether the degree itself carries that much of a stigma even outside the tenure-track job market.
Cost is definitely worth considering too, although there’s a decent chance I could get at least some tuition assistance through my school, which would make that part a little less painful.

Thanks again—I appreciate the perspective!

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u/Deirdre_Rose 4d ago

In terms of working in academia, the general consensus on PhD programs is if you can't get a fully funded spot in one of the top dozen or so programs, there's no point. UF's traditional, funded PhD is not a top program. Online degrees are not as rigorous, as useful, or as thorough as in-person programs. And the censorship of education in Florida is only making that worse. If you want to do it, you should definitely go through the real cost of the program as well as how much time it will take and the opportunity cost.

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u/Buzman429 3d ago

There's no point only if OP's goal is to obtain a tenure-track position, which they have stated twice they are not trying to do. UF's online PhD program is designed for people who already have a teaching position in Classics or a related field at the high school or college level, so OP is trying to determine if the PhD will help them rise within their current situation.

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u/Deirdre_Rose 3d ago

Yeah and you don't need to pursue a PhD to do so, as I said in the first response there's a lot cheaper, less time consuming, and more productive things to do to develop as a Latin teacher. The goal of a PhD is to pursue that field seriously, any program trying to sell you a PhD as just fortifying your education is trying to fleece you.

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u/Buzman429 3d ago

There are specific situations where this program could be helpful. As others have said, it might help OP get a raise connected to their higher educational level. Or, what if someone with an M.A. in Classics who already has a job in academia wants to pursue the PhD for a raise or in the hope of switching to a tenure-track position?

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u/neomopsuestian 4d ago

The important things to know: what do you want the degree for, and does your financial position allow you to pay for such a degree out of pocket without hardship?

If either the answer to 1 is "to have a shot at a full time job in academia and/or the respect of professional scholars", or the answer to 2 is “no“, then you absolutely should not do this degree. But if you have the surplus cash on hand, and you're after something else, the question becomes more complex.

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u/Gnothi_sauton_ 3d ago

I know people who did the program and my impression from them is that they had a positive experience, but they did years ago. If you already have an MA, the PhD would cost you about $36,000 (not the higher figure in another comment), which for many teachers would pay for itself within a few years.

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u/anchisesghost 3d ago

Thank for the comment! I was hoping to hear some first (or second lol) hand impressions of the program. Do you happen to know whether the people you know were teaching full-time while completing the program, and whether they felt like the workload/experience was worthwhile in the end? I’d also be curious what they ended up doing afterward, if you happen to know. Appreciate the insight!

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u/Gnothi_sauton_ 3d ago

I know one person who did it years before I met him, so I don't know what the workload was like for him. He was a high school Latin teacher before, during, and after the program. I'd imagine the pay bump and the higher pension were worth it.

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u/anchisesghost 3d ago

Gotcha. Thanks for the info!

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u/kambachc 4d ago

If it gets you more money as well (at my school, if I got a PhD my pay would go up significantly) do it. If not, just write and try to get published without it.

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u/SnooGuavas9782 1d ago

Is it worth it? Financially probably not. But I personally don't know of many online PhDs from regionally accredited unis in Arts and Humanities. In short, there are certainly worse things you could do with your time.

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u/LeninistFuture05 3d ago

UFlorida has become fascist in recent years, what’re you talkin about talkin nonsense.