A Dedicated Theory Class for Graduate Students

A required literary-theory class for classics graduate students was introduced at the University of California, Berkeley in the late 1980s. So how do we get beginning graduate students “from zero to 60” in a one-semester theory proseminar? This paper considers the content, structure, pacing, and pedagogical strategies of one version of such a course, including sample syllabuses and different writing and in-class projects. In particular, I address how such a course can be effectively integrated with the students’ other classics coursework, and how students can be motivated to regard the theory proseminar as just the first step in their ongoing education in theory.