The Classical Studies Major

Majoring in Classical Studies offers students a flexible and wide-ranging yet structured approach to exploring the ancient world and its afterlife. The major features accessible requirements for completion and an open framework—including two tracks—that allows students to chart their own pathway through a variety of topics, cultures, and time periods.

General requirements
  • 40 total semester hours for completion of the Classical Studies major
  • At least 20 semester hours must be at the 3000/4000-level
  • Coursework covers 3 Areas: Ancient Languages, Culture & Society, and Classical Connections (eligible courses listed below)
Required courses for all students
  • CLA 1100, Classical Mythology (4 s.h.)
  • CLA 4999, independent research with a mentor, during 3rd and 4th years (4 s.h.)
Two tracks

Students may focus their major in:

  • Ancient Languages (24 s.h. in the Ancient Languages area, with the remaining 8 s.h. in courses from other 2 areas), or
  • Ancient Civilizations (32 s.h. in courses from at least 2 of the 3 areas)

 

The Classical Studies Minor

A minor in Classical Studies provides a smaller, focused sampling of antiquity and its heritage, while encouraging a broad exploration of ancient culture.

General requirements
  • 20 total semester hours for completion of the Classical Studies minor
  • At least 8 semester hours must be at the 3000/4000-level
  • Coursework covers 3 Areas: Ancient Languages, Culture & Society, and Classical Connections (eligible courses listed below)
Required courses for all students
  • CLA 1100, Classical Mythology (4 s.h.)
Two tracks

Students may focus their minor in:

  • Ancient Languages (16 s.h. in the Ancient Languages area), or
  • Ancient Civilizations (16 s.h. in courses from at least 2 of the 3 areas)

 

Area Course List: Classical Studies Major and Minor

Additional information is available in Elon’s Academic Catalog.

Ancient Languages
LAT 1010: Elementary Latin 1
LAT 1020: Elementary Latin 2
LAT 2010: Intermediate Latin: Prose
LAT 2020: Intermediate Latin: Poetry
LAT 3710: Advanced Latin: Prose
LAT 3720: Advanced Latin: Poetry
LAT 3110/4110: Latin Tutorial (1-4 s.h., arranged between faculty and students)
GRK 1010: Ancient Greek 1
GRK 1020: Ancient Greek 2

Culture & Society
ARH 2100: Art History of the Ancient World
ARH 2110: Art History of the Medieval and Premodern World
ENG 3200: Classical Literature
ENG 3220: Medieval Literature
GBL 2460: Classics in Context: Ancient Greece
GBL 2500: Greece: Myth, Memory, Monument (2 s.h.)
HST 3260: History of Ancient Greece
HST 3270: History of the Roman Republic and Empire
HST 3280: Ancient Heroes
CLA 2260: Culture of Ancient Greece (2 s.h.)
CLA 2430: Culture of Ancient Rome (2 s.h.)
CLA 370: Race & Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean World
PHL 3310: Ancient Philosophy
PHL 3780: Roman Philosophies
REL 1310: Jewish Literature in Context
REL 1320: Early Christian Literature in Context
REL 3230: Satan and the Supernatural
REL 3250: Apocalyptic Imagination, Ancient and Modern
REL 3260: Sex Lives of Saints: Sex, Gender and Ancient Mediterranean Religions
REL 3270: Messiahs, Martyrs, and Memory
REL 3920: Religion, Magic, and Science

Classical Connections
ARH 3300: The Un/Ethnical Museum
CLA 2250: The Ancient World in Cinema
COR 3570: Rome
DTS 3001: Theatre History and Literature 1
ENG 2210: British Literature Before 1800
ENG 2380: African-American Literature Before 1945
ENG 3210: Renaissance Literature
HST 1110: Making of the West to 1500
MUS 3150: The Music of Ancient Times Through Baroque
POL 1200: Introduction to Political Thought
POL 3020: Democracy and Its Critics
3000/4000-level courses in Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish may also be eligible in this area, with approval from the Program Coordinator.

*Relevant courses not listed here may be approved in consultation with the Program Coordinator.