长期以来，经典一直是约翰·霍普金斯大学人文研究的核心：1876年，新成立的大学任命的第一位人士是希腊语教授Basil L. Gildersleeve。Gildersleeve采用了当时最有效的奖学金模式-德文研讨会，该课程将教学与研究结合起来，作为培训霍普金斯大学学生的基础。这种革命性的结构对于约翰·霍普金斯大学开创的“研究型大学”的新模式至关重要。研究生课程反映了这些特征。它是基于对古希腊和拉丁语言和文学的深入研究而建立的，但它还需要在古代历史，艺术，考古学和哲学等领域进行严格的工作，同时要有很大的灵活
Throughout its history, the graduate program in Classics has combined intensive study of Greek and Latin language and literature with the latest approaches to research on the classical world. Beyond classical philology, the program offers opportunities for rigorous work in such fields as ancient history, art, archaeology, and philosophy, while allowing considerable flexibility to accommodate individual interests. The program aims to produce broad, versatile scholars who have a holistic view of ancient cultures and of the evidence by which those cultures are comprehended. Faculty research covers a wide range of periods and topics, approached from a rich variety of theoretical perspectives, many of which have been developed or refined at Johns Hopkins. The department is also celebrated for its rare strength in the study of classical reception, Neo-Latin, and the history of classical scholarship.<br>The department enjoys close ties with other departments across the humanities. The university's distinguished archeological museum is housed in the department's midst. Students and scholars at Hopkins enjoy one of the nation's leading research libraries, which includes a rare book division that collects energetically in Classics and intellectual history. Applications to pursue the PhD are welcomed from talented students with the requisite prior training. Five-year financial packages are available for students accepted to the PhD program, regardless of their national origin. Continuation of the funding from year to year is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress, and students must remain in good standing with the department. The support includes full tuition, health insurance coverage, and an annual stipend for living expenses.