Classics

The Classics major at Union is very much a living and vital pursuit. Union excels at making connections among disciplines, and in many ways, classics is the original interdisciplinary studies program.

You will explore in depth the extraordinary civilizations of the ancient near east, Greece and Rome – their art, architecture, economics, history, languages, law, literature, mythology, philosophy, politics, religion and science. In contrast to more traditional programs, many of your courses go beyond the “classical” realm to explore other ancient civilizations, such as Sumerian and Babylonian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Hittite and Persian, and there are opportunities to minor in Greek, Latin and classical civilization.

Your courses also provide the basis for majors and minors in religious studies and numerous other interdisciplinary options. Recent majors have combined classics with biology, computer science, economics, English, French, history, mathematics and philosophy.

Our faculty members bring varied backgrounds and interests to their teaching, and they have been recognized with local and national teaching awards. They have written, edited and translated a range of articles, books, texts and tomes. They have received fellowships from such national institutions as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Center for Hellenic Studies and the Loeb Classical Library Foundation, and from internationally noted Wolfson College (Oxford University), and the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and the Mommsen-Gesellschaft (Germany). They will guide you as you learn to read carefully and critically and develop your ability to communicate with others.

There are many options for learning classics beyond the campus classroom. Union’s fall term abroad in Athens combines course work in a broad range of areas related to ancient and modern Greece – often on site at an archaeological excavation and in its associated museum – with extended field trips to Crete and into the Peloponnese. A faculty-led fall term in Florence explores classically inspired Renaissance art.

Students are also encouraged to apply for a non-Union term for the combined winter and spring terms at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, Italy, which offers a broad array of classes. In addition, a summer mini-term in Populonia in Tuscany, Italy, combines a full immersion in Italian culture and basic techniques of archaeological excavation. An interdisciplinary winter mini-term in Cordoba, Spain, focuses on cultural diversity and technology, with intensive field work.

Union offers many exciting ways to immerse yourself in the ancient world. Enjoy annual classics lectures. Take part in a day-long Homerathon or Tragediathon, dedicated to reading aloud classic texts. Or join the student-led Classics Club to exchange ideas about everything from Greek and Roman love poetry to pagan sacrifice.

Classics students tend to excel in communications, have a facility with language, and demonstrate a deep appreciation of history and culture – knowledge that is critical in a variety of professional pursuits. Many have gone on to become professors and teachers of Latin, while others have taken positions in arts administration, finance, health care, journalism, law, marketing, publishing and the theater.

What some of our graduates are doing:

Classics courses and requirements