Major and minor
Democracy, individualism, monotheism, architectural proportion, musical harmony: all of these concepts were first developed by the classical civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, Greece and Rome. As a Classics majors, students will examine ancient literature, art, philosophy, and government, focusing on how ideas dating from classical times are still relevant and affecting the modern world. By emphasizing the complexity and timelessness of classical thought, students will develop analytical, critical, and communications skills that will prepare them for a wide range of careers where their cultural knowledge and interpretive abilities will shine.
Why Major in Classics?
As classicists, we frequently find ourselves informing family members that we don’t spend our days reading Charles Dickens. However, it never fails to impress them that we can indeed read Homer in the original Greek, or Vergil in the original Latin. And it never fails to intrigue them when we tell them about 2,000-year-old graffiti scratched into the walls of Pompeii and Rome.
Requirements
The major program has two tracks. The classical and Mediterranean civilization track, which most students choose, requires two years of study of one ancient language: Greek, Latin or Hebrew. Students complete the major requirements by selecting from a broad range of offerings in different aspects of ancient Mediterranean civilization. Students who choose the second track, classical languages and literatures, study two ancient languages but take fewer ancient civilization courses. Courses you might take include "Architecture and Urbanism in Mediterranean Antiquity," "Origins of Rhetoric," "Socrates and Classical Athens" and "Greek and Roman Comedy."
