Undergraduate Programs

Classics is the study of ancient Greek and Roman culture in all its aspects. Greek and Roman culture are the foundations of western culture - its literature, ideas, art, politics, and conceptions of the individual. Greek myth is still a shared fund of images and narratives that express human experience. Latin is the major source of English vocabulary, and Greek provides technical language in many fields. Classics explores all of these aspects through a thousand years of history. It helps us understand the relationship of western culture to other cultural systems and place ourselves better in the world.
Classics is a strong liberal arts major that teaches "core skills":  the ability to communicate, to learn methodically, to read with understanding, to construct one's own arguments and to assess those of others. The material is fascinating, and engaging with it develops critical thinking and language skills. Because it is so interdisciplinary and holistic, a student of classics gets a three-dimensional view of cultural history and the literary works that are still major forces in the contemporary scene. Studying Athenian democracy and the Roman Republic sharpens understanding of competing philosophical and political ideas. Studying Latin not only develops English vocabulary but makes English grammar comprehensible. Both languages provide excellent analytic training; for instance, classics students score among the top few in the analytic section of the GRE exams.

What can you do with a Classics major?

Classics is a pre-professional major for law school or library school (information sciences); those who choose the Latin or Latin and Greek track can go on to graduate school in any aspect of the ancient world. Latin teachers are in demand; numerous students have found rewarding jobs teaching secondary school, with continued involvement in the classics community and opportunities to lead trips to Europe. Others have gone into business, worked in educational television, and gotten jobs in the writing or editing fields, in archival work, in special education, in university administration, in website design, or in social services.

Major Tracks

There are three major tracks offered by the department, offering different ways to approach the material. The first emphasizes Classical civilization through courses in English, the second concentrates on Latin language and literature, and the third includes Latin and Greek language and literature. Courses in the department have the prefix CLAS if they are civilization courses (with all work in English), LATN if they are Latin courses, and GREK if they are Greek.

Classical Humanities Track: newly revised in 2012!

This is a good choice for those interested in a strong undergraduate foundation in the liberal arts. It can be combined with a major in English or Comparative Literature, History, Philosophy, or modern languages; with a social science such as Anthropology or Government and Politics; or even with a science or engineering major. Pre-med students combine it with a Biology major and choose Greek as the language to study, gaining both a humanistic dimension to their education and knowledge of the origin of medical terminology.
Requirements:

1. 12 credits at the 100 or 200 level, half of which must be taken in the Classics Department (courses with the CLAS, LATN, or GREK prefix).
2. 24 credits at the 300 or 400 level, half of which must be taken in the Classics Department (CLAS, LATN, or GREK).  NOTE that the College of Arts and Humanities, in which the department is located, requires a minimum of 45 credit hours at the 300 or 400 level for graduation.  Some of these may be in General Education courses or in a second major.

Note: The study of Latin and/or Greek is not required but strongly encouraged for the Classical Humanities track.  Completion of the introductory sequence in either language (LATN or GREK 101, 102, 201) fulfils the Global Engagement Requirement in the College of Arts & Humanities.

The Classical Humanities track is not recommended for students considering careers as Latin teachers or pursuing graduate study in Classics; such students should choose one of the following major tracks:

Latin Track

Requirements:

1. 30 credits in Latin at the 200 level and above, at least 12 of which must be at the 400 level.
2. 9 credits in supporting courses, which may include CLAS courses and relevant courses in other departments.

This is the appropriate major for those interested in teaching Latin at the secondary level or in going to law school. It makes a good combination with a major in a modern Romance language (e.g., Spanish) or with a History or Linguistics major.

Latin and Greek Track

Requirements:

1. 18 credits of either Latin or Greek at the 200 level and above, at least 12 of which must be at the 400 level.
2. 12 credits of the other classical language. Students with no previous training in the second language may count introductory level courses as part of the 12-hour requirement.
3. 9 credits in supporting courses, which may include CLAS courses, Greek courses at the 300 level and above, and relevant courses in other departments.

This is the appropriate major for those who wish to go on to graduate school in Classics or ancient history or a related field. In fact, those seriously considering graduate study in any such field should try to reach the advanced level in both languages. 

Honors and Special Opportunities

The Classics Department awards several honors to outstanding students.
Membership in Eta Sigma Phi, the national Classics honor society, is offered to  students who have reached the 300 level in either ancient language while maintaining a B+ average in language courses and a 3.0 GPA overall.
The Mildred Steyer Scholarship awards $1,000 each year to a major with outstanding qualifications. Interested students may apply in April.
The Avery Prize awards $200 to an outstanding Latin student each year.

The department sponsors three short-term study-abroad programs:  a three-week winter term course in Italy, a three-week summer course in Greece, and a one-week spring break course in Paris.  Students who wish to spend an entire semester abroad are encouraged to do so in Italy, Greece, or England; another option would be to take part in an archaeological expedition for the summer. The undergraduate advisor has information on various possibilities.