The University of Florida has awarded the nation's first online Ph.D. in classical studies.

The program was developed to help teachers of Latin across the country. David McClister, a Tampa father of four and full-time professor of biblical studies at Florida College, achieved the degree without having to move away from his family and job.

"I was already in a tenure-track position at Florida College and knew that progress toward a doctoral degree would be an important part of my tenure application," McClister said in a news release. "However, taking a leave of absence for a couple of years and moving away was simply not going to be feasible either for the department or for my family. I needed an arrangement where I could work toward an advanced degree and at the same time continue teaching and not disrupt our family life too much."

McClister plans to continue teaching at Florida College and to publish his dissertation. For more information on UF's online classics studies, click here.