Objectives for Classical Studies Major:

• Acquire the ability to engage with a wide range of subjects and sub-disciplines of Classical Studies, using a synthetic approach: literature, archaeology, history, epigraphy, etc. Gain an understanding and an ability to work with interconnected but very different types of information and methodologies within an interdisciplinary curriculum.
• Acquire the scholarly tools necessary to engage in an open and sensitive manner with cultures very different from one's own by close examination of the world-systems within which the ancient cultures of Greece and Italy developed and operated. Recognize that these tools of cultural analysis and understanding are widely applicable to other historical and contemporary cultures.
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct systematic research according to the rigorous methodological standards of Classics. In particular, be able to use the evidence of primary and secondary sources in a balanced and nuanced manner within scholarly arguments to reconstruct ancient societies, and be aware of the strengths and limitations of various kinds of evidence. (These skills are transferable to any discipline or career path.)
• Become familiar with the global legacy of the Classical world. Develop an awareness of the contributions of Greek and Roman societies to later and contemporary western civilization, and, by studying Greco-Roman antiquity, participate in the constant dialogue between the ancient and modern worlds.
• Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental facts, institutions, material culture, ideas, social and ethical values, and key historical figures of the ancient world. Be able to contextualize these data within broader arguments and analysis.
• Demonstrate the ability to articulate an argument effectively both orally and in written form, for various audiences and in various media.