Classical Studies Major
The study of Classics allows students to approach directly the language, culture, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, the two sources of the liberal arts and two of the most fundamental civilizations of Western culture. It develops the cognitive capacity to analyze language carefully, to consider history and culture closely, and to appreciate the contours of Western culture by reference to their precursors and developments. Classics is the original interdisciplinary major, comprising the study of ancient art, language, history, literature, religion, mathematics, philosophy, and economics. With appropriate supplementary coursework, majors in classical studies are particularly well prepared for law school, medical school, and graduate programs in history, philosophy, linguistics, religious studies, medieval studies, and comparative literature. Moreover, one of the most important opportunities afforded by classical studies for religiously-grounded students is the ability to study the New Testament in the original Koinē (a dialect of ancient Greek), a study undertaken in the second year of Greek that lays the foundation for a lifetime of direct access to this sacred scripture.
Program coordinator: Dr. Marcel Widzisz
Major Requirements (29 credit hours)
Major Core (23 credit hours)
- GRK 201 Greek III (3)
- GRK 202 Greek IV (3)
- LAT 201 Latin III (3)
- LAT 202 Latin IV (3)
- CLS 310 Ancient Greek History (3)
- CLS 315 Roman History (3)
- CLS 375R Topics in Classical Studies (3)
- CLS 498 Senior Paper (2)
Major Electives (at least 6 hours from among the following):
- ART 210 Art History I (3)
- CLS 275R Topics in Classical Civilization (1-3)
- CLS 385R Directed Studies in Classics (1-3)
- GRK beyond 202 (1-3 credit hours per course)
- HIS 210 Western Civilization I (3)
- HUM 210 Arts in Western Civilization I (3)
- LAT beyond 202 (1-3 credit hours per course)
- PHI 355R Topics in Ancient Philosophy (3)
- POL 210 Western Political Heritage (3)
Download the Classical Studies Major Checklist
Minor Requirements (18 credit hours)
Minor Core: 3 intermediate credit hours in one classical language:
- GRK 201 Greek III (3) OR
- LAT 201 Latin III (3)
Electives I: at least 6 credit hours from among these courses:
- ART 210 Art History I (3)
- HIS 210 Western Civilization I (3)
- HUM 210 Arts in Western Civilization I (3)
- LIB 130 Classics of Western Literature (3)
- POL 210 Western Political Heritage I (3)
Electives II: at least 9 credit hours from among these courses:
- CLS 310 Ancient Greek History (3)
- CLS 315 Roman History (3)
- CLS 375R Topics in Classical Studies (3)
- CLS 385R Directed Studies in Classics (1-3)
- HUM 325R Topics in Greek Civilization (3)
- HUM 335R Topics in Roman Civilization (3)
- HUM 375R Topics in Classical Civilization (3)
- HUM 385R Directed Study in Classics (var.)
- *GRK 101 Greek I (3)
- *GRK 102 Greek II (3)
- GRK 175R Topics in Greek (3)
- *GRK 201 Greek III (4)
- GRK 275R Topics in Greek (3)
- GRK 375R Topics in Greek (3)
- GRK 385R Directed Study in Greek (var.)
- **LAT 101 Latin I (3)
- **LAT 102 Latin II (3)
- LAT 175R Topics in Latin (3)
- **LAT 201 Latin III (3)
- LAT 275R Topics in Latin (3)
- LAT 375R Topics in Latin (3)
- LAT 385R Directed Study in Latin (var.)
- PHI 355R Topics in Ancient Philosophy (3)
*Only count towards requirement if Minor Core is in Latin.
**Only count towards requirement if Minor Core is in Greek.