Major in Classics
Goals for the Major in Classics
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Students will have the ability to read and interpret major texts in Greek and/or Latin and in English translation, such as those written by Plato, Euripides, Herodotus, Cicero, Vergil and Catullus.
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Students will be critical readers of primary and secondary sources and will communicate ideas clearly and effectively in oral and written form.
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Students will learn disciplinary methods to analyze primary texts and artifacts.
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Students will work with a range of texts (history, philosophy, poetry) and types of artifacts (art, architecture, and other material remains) to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of the historical context in which they were produced.
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Students will understand the diversity of cultures in the ancient Mediterranean and their interactions.
Requirements for the Major in Classics
Ten units are required for the major in Classics, in two groups. Group 1: Language: Students majoring in Classics must do work in both Greek and Latin, totaling six units. At least two of these units must be at the 300 level, and no more than two 100 level courses will count toward the language requirement of the major. Group 2: Courses in Classical Civilization: In addition, Classics majors must complete four courses in Classical Civilization (or approved courses from related departments), chosen in consultation with and with the approval of their faculty Major Advisor to create a coherent but broad program of study; at least two of those four courses in Group 2 must be in Classical Civilization and no more than one can be at the 100-level.
Honors in Classics
The Department of Classical Studies offers an honors program in Classics. The only route to honors in the major is writing a thesis and passing an oral examination. To be admitted to the thesis program, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all work in the major field above the 100-level; the department may petition on behalf of a student with GPA in the major between 3.0 and 3.5. See Academic Distinctions. Honors thesis units (360 and 370) do not count towards the minimum number of courses required for the major.
Teacher Certification
Students interested in obtaining certification to teach Latin and classical humanities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should consult the department chair and the chair of the Department of Education.
Advanced Placement Policies and Language Requirement in Classical Studies
Advanced placement courses will not be counted toward either major offered by the Department of Classical Studies. All students who wish to elect a 200-level or higher Latin course must fill out Wellesley’s Latin placement questionnaire.The department reserves the right to place new students in the language course for which they seem best prepared regardless of AP score or the number of units offered for admission.
International Study and Special Opportunities
Qualified students are encouraged to spend a semester, usually in the junior year, on international study. Excellent programs are available in Rome and Athens. Limited departmental funds are available to support special opportunities for Classics-related research and travel.
Courses for Credit Toward the Classics Major
Students may count any two courses from the list below toward the Classics Major. (Starts Fall 2020)
| ANTH 103 / CLCV 103 | Introduction to Archaeology |
1.0 |
| ARTH 203 | Iraq's Antiquities, Then and Now |
1.0 |
| ARTH 241 | Egyptian Art and Archaeology |
1.0 |
| ARTH 243 | Rome: Building an Empire |
1.0 |
| ARTH 290 | Pompeii |
1.0 |
| ARTH 343 | Seminar: Roman Monuments: Memory and Metamorphosis |
1.0 |
| ARTH 373 | Seminar. Antiquities Today |
1.0 |
| HEBR 201 | Intermediate Hebrew |
1.0 |
| HIST 200 | Roots of the Western Tradition |
1.0 |
| HIST 228 | Swords and Scandals: Ancient History in Films, Documentaries, and Online |
1.0 |
| HIST 229 | Alexander the Great: Psychopath or Philosopher King |
1.0 |
| HIST 230 | Greek History from the Bronze Age to the Death of Philip II of Macedon |
1.0 |
|
History of Rome |
1.0 |
|
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"Veni; Vidi; Vici": The Life and Times of C. Iulius Caesar |
1.0 |
|
| PHIL 201 | Ancient Greek Philosophy |
1.0 |
| PHIL 305 | Plato's Republic |
1.0 |
| PHIL 310 | Seminar. Ancient and Medieval Philosophy |
1.0 |
| REL 104 | Study of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament |
1.0 |
| REL 105 | Study of the New Testament |
1.0 |
| REL 243 | Women in the Biblical World |
1.0 |
| REL 244 | Jerusalem: The Holy City |
1.0 |