The major combines two areas of study which are closely related:

• Classics is the study of the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome and the people they directly affected.
• Ancient history is the study of political, military and cultural events and developments the cultures and people of ancient Greece and Rome experienced over time, from the Bronze Age to the beginning of the Middle Ages.

The two fields intersect at many points. Both classics and ancient history involve the study of Greek and Roman political and social institutions such as religious practices and beliefs; laws and legal procedures; the organization of states; the conduct of warfare; expressions of gender, sexuality, age and class; and Greek and Roman art, architecture, science and technology. Both fields rely on the written and material remains of Greek and Roman culture that are preserved through manuscripts on papyrus, parchment and paper; inscriptions on stone and metal; and abundant archaeological material.