Classical Studies BA

The BA in Classical Studies investigates the extensive heritage of ancient Greece and Rome alongside their cultural interactions within the wider Mediterranean region. This program fosters a critical and empathetic understanding of diverse worldviews through a curriculum that integrates history, politics, and culture, spanning from the Bronze Age to the twenty-first century.

The first year establishes a foundational framework for classical studies. Significant events, figures, themes, and concepts are introduced through various sources and methodologies. This stage offers a multidisciplinary blend of history, literature, politics, mythology, religion, philosophy, archaeology, art, and architecture.

During the second year, the focus shifts to the nature of classical studies as a discipline, examining its evolving assumptions, methods, and definitions. In addition to providing multidimensional insights into the culture, history, and politics of the Greek and Roman worlds, the modules offer opportunities to reflect on the influence of these civilizations on subsequent societies up to the modern era. Subject matter may include the height of Athenian democracy, the era of Alexander the Great, the Roman Republic and early Empire, and the representation of the classical past within modern museum collections.

The final year involves the refinement of research methodologies and the completion of a dissertation. Specialized modules concentrate on the specific academic expertise of the teaching faculty. Potential topics of study include gender and sexuality in antiquity and its modern legacy, the Pax Romana, popular culture in the classical world, the role of the Trojan War in the ancient imagination, and ancient perspectives on death and ritual.