Classics - B.A. Download to print

The Bachelor of Arts in Classics consists of four concentrations; Greek, Latin, Classical Civilization and Religion Studies

The Greek concentration offers instruction in Ancient Greek. Students learn to read original Greek texts by such authors as Plato and Homer in the original, in order to enrich their knowledge of classical languages. Students may select from a list of culture courses dealing with the art, archaeology, history, mythology and literature of the classical world.

The Latin concentration offers instruction in Latin. Students learn to read original Latin texts by such authors as Cicero and Vergil in the original, in order to enrich their knowledge of classical languages. Students may select from a list of culture courses dealing with the art, archaeology, history, mythology and literature of the Classical world. Students in the Latin concentration are eligible to pursue teacher licensure at the secondary level.

The Classical Civilization concentration is designed for students with a broad interest in the classical world. The major offers a wide variety of diverse subjects, including the literature, art archaeology, history, law, religion, sport and mythology of the Classical world. The course work for the major is all in English, but students may elect to substitute up to 12 hours of coursework in ancient Greek or Latin beyond the elementary level. The program provides students with a strong, general liberal arts education appropriate to many pursuits after college, including law, medicine, business, writing and publishing.

The Religion Studies concentration is founded on the study of the ancient multicultural traditions of the Mediterranean peoples, whose multiple worldviews gave rise to religious traditions that, together with the classical heritage, shaped successive Western civilizations. Students begin with a core of classics courses, in order to understand the cultural context within which the traditions of Second-Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianities arise. Concentration requirements form an introduction to the content of classical world religions, including major Eastern traditions and Islam, and to the study of religion as an academic discipline. Upper division courses examine the classical and Western traditions in greater depth, explore the reception of and discourse about Western traditions with medieval and modern societies, or take a comparative approach to the examination of non-Western traditions. The program emphasizes critical thinking skills and provides a liberal arts education especially well-suited for those planning on careers as religious professionals.

For all Classics majors, colloquia are regularly offered, covering such thematic topics as violence, gender and sexuality, and ancient Christianities. A Classics major provides an excellent foundation in the Western humanities while sharpening a student’s analytical skills and English vocabulary though the systematic study of the ancient languages. 

As a foundational discipline in the liberal arts, Classics does not prepare you for one narrow path of employment. Rather, it develops effective communication and cognitive skills, and provides you with experience in analyzing and solving problems in a variety of contexts: historical, literary, philosophical, and aesthetic. Graduates with a Classics degree have gone on to careers in law, higher education, business, nonprofit, politics and religion. A bachelor's degree in Classics also provides preparation for those wishing to pursue graduate study in a number of fields including classical philology, history, literature, religion and archaeology.
 

General Admissions for Freshman Students: Admission Requirements at the Kent Campus: The freshman admission policy at the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon the following: cumulative grade point average, ACT and/or SAT scores, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends.

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago. For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for new freshmen.
 

For more information about admission criteria for transfer, transitioning and former students, please visit the admissions website.

Minimum 120 total credit hours and 42 upper-division credit hours. Minimum 2.000 overall GPA and 2.000 major GPA.
 

Graduates of the Latin and Greek concentrations will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understandings of the Greek or Roman cultural context within which literary, historical and other writings were produced.
2. Distinguish between ancient and modern cultural values.
3. Recognize historical biases.
4. Use primary source materials, including material culture, to better understand the cultures of the ancient world.
5. Read Latin at the level of Cicero and Vergil, or Greek at the level of Homer and Plato.
6. Compose complex sentences in Latin or Greek.
7. Analyze texts with respect to philology, literary style and cultural contexts.
8. Demonstrate general knowledge of the literature, history and culture of classical civilization (Greece and Rome).

Graduates of the Classical Civilization concentration will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understandings of the Greek or Roman cultural context within which literary, historical and other writings were produced.
2. Appreciate the contributions of the Greco-Roman world to modern societies.
3. Distinguish between ancient and modern cultural values.
4. Recognize historical biases.
5. Apply critical thinking to ethical conundrums in the record of the past.
6. Apply a variety of methodologies to the study of the past.
7. Use primary source materials, including material culture, to better understand the cultures of the ancient world.

Graduates of the Religion Studies concentration will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understandings of the Greek or Roman cultural contexts within which Jewish and Christian texts were produced.
2. Appreciate the contributions of western antiquity to modern religious thought of a wide variety of faiths and doctrines.
3. Distinguish between ancient and modern religious values and biases.
4. Apply critical thinking to matters of difficult interpretation.
5. Employ a variety of methodologies to study religions of the past and present.
6. Use primary source materials-both literary and material-to understand better the complexities of religion, in both the ancient Greco-Roman world and the modern world.