The Department of Classical Studies offers courses in the languages and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Students are introduced to the intellectual, social, and cultural achievements of classical antiquity that are the foundation for the formation and identity of modern western society. It is a curriculum that engenders both interdisciplinary approaches to knowledge and the development of analytical skills.?

The major and minor in Classical Studies entails an education focusing on the history and culture of classical antiquity. Whether through courses focused on classical languages, ancient history, the rhetoric of politics, the logic of philosophy, or the art of poetry, the study of classical civilization inculcates a lucidity of expression and a predilection for reason, as it inspires creativity, civic awareness, ethical behavior, and critical inquiry.?

?The study of Greek enables students to read the original works that have defined western literature and philosophy, from the epics of Homer to the dialogues of Plato. The minor in Latin focuses on the language and culture of ancient Rome from its origins as a small village in central Italy, through its transformation into the capital of a Mediterranean and European empire, to its identity as the ?eternal city? and center of Christendom. The study of Latin enables students to read and comprehend a language that has defined a literate and educated citizen of western society since the Roman Empire of the?Caesars.