Classical Civilization

Major and minor

The Classical Civilization major offers the opportunity to study the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world in all of their richness and complexity, including Greece, Rome, Egypt, Etruria, and Mesopotamia. Majors receive a thorough grounding in the Greek or Latin language, or in both, while immersing themselves in the study of ancient Mediterranean society, politics, literature, thought, and art. The major also guides students in critical exploration of the enormous variety of ways in which the legacies of these ancient cultures have been appropriated, resisted, repurposed, and reimagined in societies across the globe and across the millennia. In this rich major, you will develop analytical, creative, critical, and communications skills that will prepare you for a wide range of careers.

Real World Outcomes

A classical civilization major is a liberal arts degree and is therefore excellent preparation for professional schools. Recent graduates in classical civilization have been admitted to distinguished schools of law, medicine, library science and graduate study. Other recent graduates have embarked on promising careers in journalism, television, publishing, museum work and teaching.

Why Major in Classical Civilizations?

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."

 Learn More About Why Classics Might Be the One for You!