Undergraduate Program

The Department of Classics regularly offers undergraduate courses in Ancient Greek and Latin language and literature at all levels, as well as a variety of courses (on a rotating basis) in the history, civilization, religion, art, archaeology, philosophy, law, and mythology of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. These courses are open to all students in the University, regardless of their academic year or major field of interest.

Requirements for the B.A. Degree

The B.A. program in classics is highly flexible, accommodating a variety of interests in and approaches to the ancient world. Twelve courses (36 credits) are required for a major in classics. All majors take a minimum of four language courses (Greek and/or Latin), two of which must be at the 200 (intermediate) level or above. Majors must also take at least two history courses,normally the introductory Greek and Roman Civilization courses (040.111 and 040.112). The other six courses are chosen from among the department's offerings, in consultation with the undergraduate adviser of the Classics Department, so as to build an intellectually substantial and coherent curriculum that fits the student's interests. Possible areas of emphasis include language and literature, the anthropology of ancient cultures, ancient philosophy and thought, ancient science and medicine, art and archaeology, and ancient history. Certain courses taken in other departments may count toward the major, with the classics adviser's approval. Advanced undergraduates are encouraged to participate in graduate seminars, with the approval of the classics adviser and the professor. The major also requires a reading knowledge (i.e., second-year proficiency) in French or Germanor Italian.

Students intending to pursue graduate study in classics will need to do substantially more work in Greek and Latin than the minimum required for the major demands: most graduate programs expect successful applicants to have studied one language for at least three years and the other for at least two. Therefore, students interested in graduate work should be engaged in a language-intensive curriculum by the end of the sophomore year.

Honors Program in Classics

Under this program senior classics majors have the opportunity to write an honors thesis in close consultation with a faculty member. This work of guided research and writing counts for three credits and is outside the requirements of the major. This program awards a B.A. with honors.

Study Abroad

The Department of Classics is a member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome and can provide information on other yearlong, semesterlong, or summer programs in Greece and Italy (e.g. the College Year in Athens and the summer session of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens). Interested students, especially classics majors and minors, are encouraged to consider these options for studying overseas.

Minor in Classics

The requirements for the minor in classics are extremely flexible: six courses (18 credits) from among the department's offerings. These courses are selected, in consultation with the classics undergraduate adviser, to meet the needs and interests of the student. Minors may wish to pursue the study of one ancient language, or create a curriculum that meshes with their other academic pursuits--they may focus on ancient science and medicine, for example, or study the anthropology of ancient cultures as an adjunct to some other program of cultural study. Interested students should consult the classics undergraduate adviser.

B.A./M.A. Degree

Students are expected to declare their interest in the B.A./M.A. program by the spring semester of their junior year and will be admitted on the basis of outstanding performance in previous Classics courses. In their senior year, they are to devise a program that would best prepare them to do advanced work in their final year, in particular addressing any weakness in one or the other classical language. The student is to complete the requirements for the B.A. in their fourth year. For the M.A. the following additional work is required:

Four semesters (12 credits)of Latin and/or Greek, sixcredits of which must be abovethe intermediate level (Latin 040.207, Greek 040.205)
Two graduate seminars in the Classics Department,
A thesis of 20,000 to 25,000 words representing original research. The thesis will be supervised by a member of the Classics Department faculty and graded by the supervisor and a second reader from Classics or an outside department.
The B.A. and M.A. degrees are conferred concurrently at the end of the M.A. year.

Minor in Ancient Law

The minor is a combined program of the Classics and Near Eastern Studies departments. The minimum requirement is 18 credits, all in courses at 300-level or higher. The distribution requirement is:

Three survey courses in ancient law
Two survey courses in ancient history/civilization
One course in an aspect of modern law or legal theory (e.g.Constitutional Law, Law and Psychology, Philosophy of Law)
For students interested in learning an ancient language, an alternativeconfiguration is possible.

Two semesters of a language (Akkadian, Biblical Hebrew, Egyptian, Greek, or Latin)
Three courses in ancient law
One course in ancient history/civilization
The minor is directed by Professor Raymond Westbrook,Near Eastern Studies.

For listing of courses offered through the Department of Classics see the JHU On-LineAcademic Catalog . For additional information on academics at Johns Hopkins University, including information on departments and programs of study, calendars, and admissions information, visit the Undergraduate Admissions page of JHUniverse .