Skip to main content
General Catalog General Catalog
  1. HOME
  2. Archive
  3. Archive
  4. curric
  5. Classical Studies

Classical Studies

[ major | minor | graduate program | courses | faculty ]

CAESAR Programs Advising
Institute of Arts and Humanities
Ridge Walk Academic Complex, Arts and Humanities Building, Room 655
caesar@ucsd.edu
http://caesar.ucsd.edu/classical/index.html

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

Classical studies is concerned with the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome—roughly from the time of Homer through the time of St. Augustine—in all of their aspects. This program thus offers undergraduates an opportunity to study the cultures of Greece and Rome through the combined resources of the Departments of History, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, and Visual Arts. Classical studies offers students the opportunity to design a major leading to a BA around the course offerings of these six departments. The study of the ancient Greek and Latin languages themselves serves as the starting point for the broader consideration of specific texts in their literary, intellectual, and historical context.

The Major Programs

A major in classical studies consists of a choice of twelve upper-division courses (forty-eight units) approved for the program and listed below. All courses used to meet requirements for a major in classical studies must be taken for a letter grade and be passed with a grade of C– or better.

Language proficiency: for all upper-division work in Greek and Latin literature (LTGK and LTLA), students must complete LTGK 1-2-3 and LTLA 1-2-3, or demonstrate the equivalent with transfer credit.

Nine of the twelve upper-division courses must be distributed between upper-division LTLA and LTGK courses, six in one literature and three in the other according to the student’s choice; CLAS 109 or CLAS 110 is acceptable as well. The remaining three courses may be selected from the list of approved courses from history, literature, philosophy, political science, and visual arts. These must be from at least two departments.

Graduate courses may be taken by undergraduates with consent of the instructor. The faculty of the program welcome qualified undergraduates in graduate courses.

The Minor Program

A minor in classical studies consists of seven courses (twenty-eight units) from those listed below, of which at least four must be upper division. A knowledge of the ancient languages is not required. The minor will normally include LTWL 19A-B-C, and four upper-division courses from the participating departments. All courses used to meet requirements for the minor in classical studies must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C– or better.

Classical Studies Courses

Lower-Division Courses

HILD 20R. World History I: Ancient to Medieval (4)

HUM 1. The Foundations of Western Civilization: Israel and Greece (6)

HUM 2. Rome, Christianity, and the Middle Ages (6)

HUM 3. Renaissance, Reformation, and Early Modern Europe (4)

LTGK 1. Beginning Greek (4)

LTGK 2. Intermediate Greek (I) (4)

LTGK 3. Intermediate Greek (II) (4)

LTLA 1. Beginning Latin (4)

LTLA 2. Intermediate Latin (I) (4)

LTLA 3. Intermediate Latin (II) (4)

LTWL 19A-B-C. Introduction to the Ancient Greeks and Romans (4-4-4)

MMW 11. Pre-History and Ancient Foundations (4)

MMW 12. Classical and Medieval Traditions (6)

MMW 13. New Ideas and Cultural Encounters (6)

PHIL 31. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy (4)

Upper-Division Courses

Classical Studies

CLAS 109. Greek Seminar (4)

CLAS 110. Latin Seminar (4)

CLAS 120. Classical Diversities (4)

CLAS 196A-B. Directed Honors Thesis in Classical Studies (4)

CLAS 198. Directed Group Study (4)

CLAS 199. Independent Study (4)

History

HIEU 102. Roman History (4)

HIEU 103. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (4)

HIEU 104. Byzantine History (4)

HIEU 106. Egypt, Greece, and Rome (4)

HIEU 108. Sex and Politics in the Ancient World (4)

HIEU 122. Greek History from the Bronze Age to the Peloponnesian War (4)

HIEU 123. Greek History from Socrates to Cleopatra (4)

HIEU 160. Topics in Greek History (4)

HIEU 161. Topics in Roman History (4)

HIEU 199. Independent Study in European History (4)

HINE 100. The Hebrew Bible and History (4)

HINE 115. Death and Dying in Antiquity (4)

HINE 171. Topics in Early Judaism and Christianity (4)

Literature

LTGK 101. Greek Composition (4)

LTGK 102. Greek Poetry (4)

LTGK 103. Greek Drama (4)

LTGK 104. Greek Prose (4)

LTGK 105. Topics in Greek Literature (4)

LTGK 198. Directed Group Study (4)

LTGK 199. Special Studies (2 or 4)

LTLA 100. Introduction to Latin Literature (4)

LTLA 102. Latin Poetry (4)

LTLA 103. Latin Drama (4)

LTLA 104. Latin Prose (4)

LTLA 105. Topics in Latin Literature (4)

LTLA 198. Directed Group Study (4)

LTLA 199. Special Studies (2 or 4)

LTWL 100. Mythology (4)

LTWL 106. Classical Tradition (4)

LTWL 158A. Topics in the New Testament (4)

LTWL 158B. Topics in Early Christian Texts and Cultures (4)

LTWL 158C. Topics in Other Christianities (4)

LTCS 180. Programming for Humanities (4)

Making of the Modern World

MMW 121. Exploring the Pre-Modern World (4)

Philosophy

PHIL 100. Plato (4)

PHIL 101. Aristotle (4)

PHIL 102. Hellenistic Philosophy (4)

PHIL 110. History of Philosophy: Ancient (4)

PHIL 199. Directed Individual Study (4)

Political Science

POLI 110A. Citizens and Saints: Political Thought from Plato to Augustine (4)

Visual Arts

VIS 120A. Greek Art (4)

VIS 120B. Roman Art (4)

VIS 120C. Late Antique Art (4)

Graduate Classes

HIGR 260. Topics in Greek History (4)

HIGR 261. Topics in Roman History (4)

LTCO 210. Classical Studies (4)

PHIL 210. Greek Philosophy (4)

PHIL 287. Greek Reading Group (1-2)

PHIL 288. Latin Reading Group (1-2)

PHIL 290. Directed Independent Study (2-4)

Additional courses counting toward a major in classical studies are offered on a year-to-year basis, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As these often cannot be listed in advance, interested students should consult the program faculty for an up-to-date list.

Honors in Classical Studies

Honors is intended for the most talented and motivated students in classical studies. Requirements for admission to the honors program are

  • Junior standing
  • An overall GPA of 3.5
  • A GPA in the major of 3.5

Qualified students majoring in classical studies may apply at the end of their junior year to the program faculty on the basis of 1) a thesis proposal (three to four pages) worked out in advance with a classical studies faculty member and 2) a recommendation from that faculty member. It is strongly advised that the proposal be based upon a class paper or project from a course taken toward completion of the major.

The core of the honors program is an honors thesis. Four units of CLAS 196 may be counted toward the major in place of one of the courses in English translation. A thesis completed by the end of the senior year will be read and evaluated by the thesis adviser and another member of the program faculty. If the thesis is accepted and the student maintains a 3.5 GPA, departmental honors will be awarded. The level of honors—distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction—will be determined by the program faculty.

Transfer Students

The Classical Studies Program welcomes transfer students. Students planning to transfer from two-year colleges should try to complete as many of the lower-division prerequisites for the major as possible: specifically, a course equivalent in duration and content to UC San Diego’s LTWL 19A-B-C and, if possible, elementary Greek and/or Latin, as appropriate for the planned classical studies major. Students with questions about transferring into the Classical Studies Program should review “Admission as a Transfer Applicant” and feel free to contact the faculty adviser for the program with any questions.