Classics, BA
Classics connects us with antiquity—ancient Greece, Rome, and other Mediterranean societies—in several aspects: language, literature, culture, art, and archaeology. Through our Classics BA program, students are connected with foundational aspects of the human experience, giving them the ability to address current issues at their core.
Program Overview
The Classics BA program explores ancient Greek, Latin, Roman, and Mediterranean civilizations through language, culture, literature, art, and archeology. Our program offers five different tracks to explore ancient Mediterranean civilizations, focusing on different aspects of ancient Greece and Rome.
Whether you want to engage in hands-on fieldwork, archaeology, and excavation, or learn to read ancient Greek and Latin, the following available concentrations, minors, and Honors pathways offer students the flexibility to pursue their interests.
One group of concentrations (Ancient Greek, Latin, Classical Languages) focuses on gaining skills in the ancient languages. Classical Archaeology trains students in the art and archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean, and Classical Civilization offers the flexibility for students to focus broadly on the ancient world. With courses cross-listed in Anthropology, Religious Studies, History, and Philosophy, students learn to look at the ancient world in an interdisciplinary lens. Archaeological Statistics also offers students basic training in data science and analysis.
These experiences provide transferable skills in research, critical analysis, and writing, allowing students to situate questions with a broader global context.
Concentrations
From exploring classical archaeology through field and lab-based courses to diving deep into the history, literature, and culture of Greek and Roman civilizations to studying Greek and Latin languages, our concentrations offer the flexibility to study ancient civilizations from a variety of perspectives.
Our Classical Language concentrations is ideal for students who want to learn about both the Latin and Greek languages.
Our current selection of concentrations includes:
- Classical Archaeology concentration
- Classical Civilization concentration
- Classical Languages concentration
- Greek concentration
- Latin concentration
Honors
The Department of Classics also offers an Honors pathway for students who want to push boundaries through more advanced, rigorous coursework. You’ll complete a research project in the form of a senior thesis, all while receiving one-on-one mentorship from a faculty member. Students must also maintain a cumulative B+ average in all their courses, as well as Classics courses.
The Honors pathway is offered for all five Classics concentrations.
Minors
If you’re interested in supplementing your primary degree program with knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Roman civilizations or languages, our minors will spark your curiosity and help you stand out.
Our current selection of minors includes:
- Classical Archaeology minor
- Classical Civilization minor
- Classical Languages minor
- Greek minor
- Latin minor
Why Study Classics?
The ancient Mediterranean world has been highly influential on a global scale. Every generation deals with the question of the past, its own and others’ heritage, and the ancient Mediterranean world has been highly influential over time.
This means that a Classical education offers students a direct point of contact for understanding a body of knowledge that has been highly important for shaping the world as it is now and will be in the future.
Whether students take up the study of ancient Greek and Latin, engage in archaeological fieldwork overseas, or learn about the deep connections that ancient Greece and Rome have for modern society today, a bachelor’s degree in Classics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provides you with interdisciplinary and hands-on skills to make a meaningful impact.
What Can You Do with a BA in Classics After Graduation?
The Classics program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville equips students with an array of important skills. Along cultivating an appreciation for the past and the deeper significance of its enduring importance, the program teaches how to construct evidence-based arguments, and how to critically analyze them. It teaches students how to communicate their work persuasively and how to engage with differing and even contrary interpretations and opinions, which are necessary across an array of jobs.
Classics is a versatile degree and an excellent concentration for the unpredictability of the future. It is often paired with other concentrations in pre-med or pre-law for students who who intend to go on in medical or legal professions. Students who have pursued Classics degrees have gone on in education, teaching Latin at the secondary level, and have also pursued post-graduate degrees in Classics MA and PhD programs.
Other Classics students go into related fields of cultural resource management, restoration, or archival or museum work, while others turn to policy and public service, harnessing their skills in analytical reasoning and communication.
A degree in Classics stands out to employers, for its uniqueness and the depth of knowledge that it conveys.
Featured Courses
CLAS 132 Introduction to Greek and Roman Archaeology
This course serves as an introductory survey of the archaeology and art of ancient Greece, Italy, and the Roman Empire. It Includes developments in urbanism, architecture, sculpture, vase painting, wall painting, mosaics, and minor arts, covering the relationship of art to society.
CLAS 251 Intermediate Latin I
Students will engage in a Latin grammar review, introduction to complex syntax, and readings in intermediate-level Latin texts.
CLAS 264 Intermediate Greek: Epic Poetry
Students will analyze and read selected readings from Homer.
CLAS 101 Introduction to Classical Civilization
Introductory survey of civilization of ancient Greece and Rome. Includes aspects of history, literature, art and archaeology, philosophy, and religion.
Complementary Minors and Certificates
Looking to enhance your degree? Consider these programs as a complement to your primary major.
- Archaeology Anthropology Minor
- Classical Languages Pre-Professional Undergraduate Certificate
- Interdisciplinary Programs, BA – Digital Humanities concentration
Looking For More Options?
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