The field of Classics familiarizes students with the incredibly rich origins and heritage of Western civilization in language, literature, art, history, philosophy, mythology and religion. But Classics is more than the study of physical remains and legacy of the Greco-Roman world; it is about role of that legacy in "Western" culture. As the precursors to our Western civilization, the Greeks and Romans were both similar to and different from us. The courses are designed to give students a broad, interdisciplinary perspective, and encourage tolerance and understanding of cultural differences. In short, Classics is a way of studying the human condition.
Classical studies, like other branches of the liberal arts,provides both skills for making a living and learning as a life-long endeavor. The student who chooses to take courses in the Classics, therefore, has the choice of many professional opportunities. Graduate and professional schools in law, medicine, or business welcome students with training in the Classics. In a world of rapid technological advances in which highly specialized skills rapidly become obsolete, the student with a strong background in a respected area such as Classics offers the diversity, flexibility, precision, and ability to learn something that employers in business, government, education and industry find attractive. Classics also teaches one how to solve problems and correlate disparate ideas. Above all, it is a discipline that teaches discipline. If students of Classics have taken the appropriate courses in the natural sciences, they will be able to enter medical school or any other program in the health sciences.
Classical Studies Major
Forty credits constitute the major in Classical Studies. Students must take the following:
- Two terms of Ancient Greek or two terms of Latin.
- Two of the following courses:
| Classics 131 | Introduction to the Worlds of Greece and Rome |
| Classics 132 | Introduction to Ancient Middle East |
| Classics 231 | The Greeks |
| Classics 235 | The Romans |
- Classics 275: Research Methods (also offered in Religion)
- One course at 300 level or above offered in Classics
- Overseas experience (at least 4 credits)
To fulfill this requirement, a student could participate in one of the following programs:
J-Term in Greece, Turkey, Italy, or Israel (or some other "classical area.")
Excavation experience in some area of ancient world (Greece, Italy, Israel, England, France, Germany, etc.)
Study Abroad (e.g., The Center for Classical Studies in Rome, or College Year in Athens)
- Classics 400: Senior Seminar.
To be offered or directed by one member of the department with the possibility of participation of other members of the humanities, fine arts, or social science divisions.
- 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:
| English 204 | The Classical Tradition in English Literature |
| Theatre 227 | History of Classical Literature |
| Philosophy 100 | Introduction to Philosophy |
| Art 115 | Introduction to Art History |
| Art 221 | Art Survey I |
| History 111 | Issues in European History I
(Surveys European History from Ancient Greece to the Renaissance) |
| Religion 201 | Jewish Bible/Old Testament |
| Religion 202 | The Gospels |
| Religion 203 | The Letters of the New Testament |
| Religion 301 | Post-Exilic Judaism |
| Religion 302 | Women and the Bible |
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
48 credits constitute the major in Classical Studies with an emphasis in archaeology. Students must take the following:
1. Two terms of Ancient Greek or two terms of Latin
2. Classics 140: Classical Archaeology (or its equivalent)
3. Classics 325: Field Archaeology and Methods (or its equivalent)
4. Two of the following courses:
| Classics 131 | Introduction to the Worlds of Greece and Rome |
| Classics 132 | Introduction to the Ancient Middle East |
| Classics 231 | The Greeks |
| Classics 235 | The Romans |
5. One course at the 300 level or above offered in Classics
6. Overseas experience (at least 4 credits).
To fulfill this requirement, a student could participate in one of the following programs:
J-Term in Greece, Turkey, Italy, or Israel (or some other "classical area.")
Excavation experience in some area of ancient world (Greece, Italy, Israel, England, France, Germany etc.)
Study Abroad (e.g., American Institute of Roman Culture, The Center for Classical Studies in Rome, or College Year in Athens)
7. Classics 400: Senior Seminar.
To be offered or directed by one member of the department with the possibility of participation of other members of the humanities, fine arts, or social science divisions.
8. The remaining three courses must be taken in the Geography department. To fulfill this requirement, students may elect to take:
| GEOG 155 | Introduction to Physical Geography |
| GEOG 206 | The Human Landscape |
| GEOG 239 | Mapping Your World: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) |
| GEOG 240 | Satellite Image and Airphoto Analysis |
| GEOG 264 | Soils and Society |
| GEOG 321 | Analytical Techniques in Geography Advanced Geographic Information |
| GEOG 339 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems and Analytic Cartography |
Please note that some of these courses have prerequisites.
Self-designed majors with an emphasis in the classical languages or in either Ancient Greek or Latin are possible. Please speak to the chair of Classics.
Classical Studies Minor
To fulfill the requirements of a minor, the student will have to take six courses, three in the Classics (the Greeks, the Romans, etc. (see classes listed under major in Classical Studies), one term of either Greek or Latin, and two courses from two different departments (e.g., Philosophy 100, English 204; see list under major.) One of the courses taken in Classics must be at the 300 level. If students wish to focus more on either 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
To fulfill a minor in Latin, students must take six courses: Latin 201, 202, 301, 302 and two CLAS courses (e.g. CLAS 235, 240, 310)
Two terms of either Latin or Classical Greek fulfill Carthage's language requirement.
Honors in Major
Please see requirements for Honors under the Honors section that is located in the "All-College Programs" section of the catalog.
