Major & Minor Requirements

The Classics field familiarizes students with the origins and heritage of Western civilization. Students study language, literature, art, history, philosophy, mythology and religion of the Greco-Roman world, as well as the role of that legacy in our modern cultures. The major and minor programs are interdisciplinary: students take courses in art, philosophy, English and geography. Classics also offers a significant computer component, which better prepares students for life in a world where technological skills are critical.

At Carthage, students can major in classics, major in classics with an emphasis on classical archaeology, minor in classics and minor in Latin. Self-designed majors with an emphasis in the classical languages or in either Ancient Greek or Latin are also possible; please speak to the chair of Classics.

The Classical Studies Major
The Classical Studies Major with an emphasis on Classical Archaeology
The Classical Studies Minor
Latin Minor

Please note: Current students should work with their advisors and the department chair to ensure all requirements are met.

Classical Studies Major

Forty credits constitute the major in Classical Studies. Students must take the following:

Required:
Two terms of Ancient Greek or two terms of Latin

Choose two:
CLAS 131 Introduction to the Worlds of Greece and Rome
CLAS 132 The Ancient Near East
CLAS 231 The Greeks
CLAS 235 The Romans

Also required:
CLAS 275 Research Methods
One Classics course at 300 level or above
Overseas Experience (at least 4 credits; see notes below)
CLAS 400: Senior Seminar

The remaining two courses should be taken outside the department, depending on the student's interests. Courses in other departments and divisions that may partially satisfy requirements for a major/minor in Classical Studies are:

<-->ENGL 204<--> The Classical Tradition in English Literature
<-->THTR 227<--> History of Classical Theatre
<-->PHIL 100<--> Introduction to Philosophy
ART 115 Introduction to Art History
ART 221 Art Survey I
<-->HIST 111<--> Issues in European History I
RELI 201 Jewish Bible/Old Testament
RELI 202 The Gospels
RELI 203 The Letters of the New Testament
RELI 301 Post-Exilic Judaism
RELI 302 Women and the Bible

Notes:
To fulfill the overseas experience requirement, students can participate in one of the following:

• J-Term in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Israel or some other "classical area"
• Excavation experience in some area of ancient world (Greece, Italy, Israel, England, France, Germany, etc.)
• Study Abroad (for example: the American Institute for Roman Culture, or College Year in Athens)

Senior Seminar is to be offered or directed by one member of the Classics Department with the possibility of participation of other members of the humanities, fine arts, or social science divisions. This course is only offered in the fall.

Other courses involving Classical themes/content may be offered by other departments and therefore may contribute to a Classical Studies major/minor. The chair of Classics determines whether a course's content would satisfy requirements for a major or minor in Classical Studies.

Classical Studies Major with Emphasis on Classical Archaeology

Forty-eight credits constitute the major in Classical Studies with an emphasis in archaeology. Students must take the following:

Required:
Two terms of Ancient Greek or two terms of Latin
CLAS 140: Classical Archaeology (or its equivalent)
CLAS 325: Field Archaeology and Methods (or its equivalent)

Choose two:
CLAS 131 Introduction to the Worlds of Greece and Rome
CLAS 132 The Ancient Near East
CLAS 141 Greek and Roman Art
CLAS 231 The Greeks
CLAS 235 The Romans

Also required:
One course at the 300 level or above offered in Classics
Overseas Experience (at least 4 credits; see notes below)
CLAS 400 Senior Seminar

Choose three:
The remaining three courses must be taken in the Geography department. To fulfill this requirement, students may elect to take:

Please note that some of these courses have prerequisites.

Notes:
To fulfill the overseas experience requirement, students can participate in one of the following:

• J-Term in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Israel or some other "classical area"
• Excavation experience in some area of ancient world (Greece, Italy, Israel, England, France, Germany, etc.)
• Study Abroad (for example: the American Institute for Roman Culture, or College Year in Athens)

Senior Seminar is to be offered or directed by one member of the Classics Department with the possibility of participation of other members of the humanities, fine arts, or social science divisions. This course is only offered in the fall.

The Classical Studies Minor

To fulfill the requirements of a minor, students must take six courses: three in Classics (see courses listed under the Classical Studies Major), one term of either Greek or Latin, and two courses from two different departments (for example, Philosophy 100, English 204; see list under the Classical Studies Major.) One of the Classics courses must be at the 300 level. If students wish to focus more on Greek or Latin, then two of the courses in Classics must include two terms of one language.

Other courses involving Classical themes/content may be offered by other departments and therefore may contribute to a minor in Classical Studies. The chair of Classics determines whether a course's content would satisfy requirements for a minor in Classical Studies.

Latin Minor

Twenty credits are required to earn a minor in Latin:

Required:
Three Latin courses, LATN 102 or above (12 credits)
Two courses in Roman history or culture, 200-level or above (8 credits)

Two terms of either Latin or Classical Greek fulfill Carthage's language requirement.

Honors in Major

Departments at Carthage offer students the opportunity to earn Honors in their major. Each department may establish the requirements for Honors in that department. Please see the department chair for details.

Basic requirements for Honors in a major include an overall GPA of 3.5 at graduation, completion of all requirements for the major, a formal recommendation by department faculty, a rating of “excellent” on the senior thesis by department faculty, and presentation of the senior thesis to an audience beyond the department.

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