Classical Studies
Classical Studies is concerned with the cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome - roughly from the time of Homer to the time of St. Augustine - in all their aspects.
This program thus offers undergraduates an opportunity to study the cultures of Greece and Rome through the combined resources of the departments of History, Literature, Visual Arts, Political Science, and Philosophy.
The study of Ancient Greek and Latin languages themselves serves as the starting point for the broader consideration of specific texts in their literary, intellectural, and historical context.
Questions regarding major or minor requirements may be directed toward the Program Coordinator via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC).
People
Program Director
Seth Lerer
Distinguished Professor, Literature
Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor
Jennifer Dieli
Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor
Ridge Walk Academic Complex - Arts and Humanities Building, 6th Floor, Room 655
Current UC San Diego undergraduate students, please use the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for all advising questions.
Faculty
Mira Balberg
Professor, History
Denise Demetriou
Associate Professor, History
Page Ann duBois
Professor, Literature
Thomas Gallant
Professor, History
Matthew T. Herbst
Director, Making of the Modern World Program
Monte Johnson
Professor, Philosophy
Dayna Kalleres
Associate Professor, Literature
Edward Kelting
Assistant Professor, Literature
Seth Lerer
Distinguished Professor, Literature
Jacobo Myerston
Assistant Professor, Literature
Edward Watts
Professor, History
Major
Classical Studies Major
Students can major in Classical Studies with an emphasis in either Greek or Latin. All courses used to meet requirements for a major in Classical Studies must be taken for a letter grade and be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Graduate courses may be taken by undergraduates with consent of the instructor. The faculty of the program welcome qualified undergraduates in graduate courses.
Resources:
Minor
Classical Studies Minor
A minor in Classical Studies consists of 7 courses (28 units), 4 (16 units) of which must be upper division.
A knowledge of the ancient languages is not required. All requirements for the minor in Classical Studies must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C- or better.
Resources:
- Classical Studies Minor Checklist (Fillable PDF)
- Classical Studies Approved List of Courses
- How to Declare a Minor
Sample of Proposed Courses for Minor Declaration
| 0-3 Lower Division Courses and 4-7 Upper Division Courses | ||||||
| Level | Subject Code | Course No. | Title | Institution | Units | Grade Options |
| LD/UD | TBA | XX | LD/UD Program Elective | UCSD | 4.00 | Letter |
| LD/UD | TBA | XX | LD/UD Program Elective | UCSD | 4.00 | Letter |
| LD/UD | TBA | 1XX | LD/UD Program Elective | UCSD | 4.00 | Letter |
| UD | TBA | 1XX | UD Program Elective | UCSD | 4.00 | Letter |
| UD | TBA | 1XX | UD Program Elective | UCSD | 4.00 | Letter |
| UD | TBA | 1XX | UD Program Elective | UCSD | 4.00 | Letter |
| UD | TBA | 1XX | UD Program Elective | UCSD | 4.00 | Letter |
Resources
UC San Diego Undergraduate Student Resources
Course Offerings
Course Offerings
Refer to the official UC San Diego General Catalog for a complete list of approved courses that will count toward a major or minor in Classical Studies.
Course offerings are constantly changing. Please refer to the Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date listing.
(*) Indicates course may be petitioned for credit. Instructions on How to Petition Courses.
Fall 2021
- LTGK 1. Beginning Greek
- LTGK 104. Greek Prose
- LTLA 1. Beginning Latin
- LTLA 100. Introduction to Latin Literature
- *LTWL 172. Special Topics in Literature: Death and Life in Ancient Egypt
- HIEU 104. Byzantine History
- MMW 11. Pre-History and Ancient Foundations
- MMW 121R. Exploring the Pre-Modern World
- PHIL 31. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
- PHIL 110. History of Philosophy: Ancient
- POLI 110A. Citizens and Saints: Political Thought from Plato to Augustine
Winter 2022
- LTGK 2. Intermediate Greek
- LTLA 2. Intermediate Latin
- HUM 1. The Foundations of Western Civilization: Israel and Greece
- MMW 12. Classical and Medieval Traditions
- LTWL 100. Mythology
- *LTWL 160. Women and Literature Women (Re)-Writing Homer
- LTCS 180. Programming for Humanities
- HIEU 122. Greek History from the Bronze Age to the Peloponnesian War
- HIEU 102. Roman History
- LTLA 105. Topics in Latin Literature
- CLAS 109. Greek Seminar: Lucian's Syrian Goddess (course description)
-
PHIL 101. Aristotle
Spring 2022
- HUM 2. Rome, Christianity, and the Middle Ages
- LTGK 3. Intermediate Greek (II)
- LTLA 3. Intermediate Latin (II)
- MMW 13. New Ideas and Cultural Encounters
- CLAS 120. Classical Diversities
- HIEU 160. Topics in Ancient Greek History
- *LTEN 112. Shakespeare I: The Elizabethan Period
- LTWL 100. Mythology
- LTWL 123. Vampires in Literature
- PHIL 210. Greek Philosophy
Summer Session 1 2022
- HUM 3. Renaissance, Reformation, and Early Modern Europe
-
HIEU 104. Byzantine Empire
Summer Session 2 2022
- HUM 3. Renaissance, Reformation, and Early Modern Europe
-
PHIL 100. Plato (4)
Summer Session 3 2022
- MMW 12. Classical and Medieval Traditions
-
MMW 13. New Ideas and Cultural Encounters
Fall 2022
- HUM 3. Renaissance, Reformation, and Early Modern Europe
- LTGK 1. Beginning Greek
- LTGK 103. Greek Drama
- LTLA 1. Beginning Latin
- LTLA 100. Introduction to Latin Literature
- LTWL 19A. Introduction to the Ancient Greeks and Romans
- MMW 11. Pre-History and Ancient Foundations
- HIEU 102. Roman History
- HIEU 108. Sex and Politics in the Ancient
- PHIL 31. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
- PHIL 100. Plato
- PHIL 110. History of Philosophy: Ancient
- POLI 110A. Citizens and Saints: Political Thought from Plato to Augustine
Honors Program
Honors Program
Honors is intended for the most talented and motivated students majoring in Greek, Latin, Classics, or Greek and Hebrew. Requirements for admission to the honors program are:
- Junior standing
- Overall GPA of 3.5
- GPA in the major of 3.7
Qualified students majoring in Greek, Latin, or Classics may apply at the end of their junior year to the program faculty on the basis of 1) a thesis proposal (three to four pages) worked out in advance with a classical studies faculty member; and 2) a recommendation from that faculty member. It is strongly advised that the proposal be based upon a class paper or project from a course taken towards completion of the major.
The core of the honors program is an honors thesis. The research and writing of the thesis will be conducted over the winter and spring, or fall and winter terms of the senior year. Up to four hours of 196 credit to this end may be counted towards the major in place of one of the courses in English translation. The thesis will be read and evaluated by the thesis advisor and another member of the program faculty. If the thesis is accepted and the student maintains a 3.7 GPA, departmental honors will be awarded. The level of honors-distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction-will be determined by the program faculty.
Events
Upcoming Events 2021-2022
Work in Progress Showcase:
- April 12, 2022: Navigating the Philosopher/Priest Divide after Black Athena with Professor Edward Kelting | 3 p.m.
Past Events
2021-2022
February 28, 2022
Towards a More Comprehensive History of the Ancient Mediterranean
Work in Progress Showcase featuring Professor Denise Demetriou
February 2, 2022
Excess, Defect, and Balance in Ancient Medicine and Ethics
Work in Progress Showcase featuring Professor Monte Johnson
January 27, 2022
Magic, Word Vectors, and Other Strange Things: New Approaches to Ancient Greek Lexicography
Work in Progress Showcase featuring Professor Jacobo Myerston Santana
October 25, 2021
Why the Decline and Fall of Rome Still Matters Today (YouTube Link)
A Conversation with Ed Watts on his new book, The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome (Oxford University Press, 2021)
2020-2021
May 5, 2021
Hegeso and Me
Lecture featuring Page duBois, Distinguished Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature at UC San Diego
April 21, 2021
Penelope's Odyssey, Sappho's Tale: Studying Women's Songs from Ancient to Modern Greece (YouTube Link)
Lecture featuring Andromache Karanika, Associate Professor and Chair of Classics at the University of California, Irvine
February 18, 2021
Negotiating Class and Gender in Classics and in the Real World (YouTube Link)
Lecure featuring Edith Hall, Professor of Classics at King's College London
February 4, 2021
Classics, Creativity, and Survival (YouTube Link)
Lecture featuring Sarah Nooter, Professor of Classics and Theater and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago
2019-2020
February 26, 2020
Annual Ranglas Lecture: Oresteia and Athenian Politics
Lecture featuring Dr. Constance Carroll, Chancellor of the San Diego Community College District
February 3, 2020
Annual Vassiliadis Lecture - Late Antique Caesarea - A City of Interreligious and Intercultural Encounters
Lecture featuring Maren Niehoff, Max Cooper Professor of Jewish Thought at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem
November 25, 2020
Alien or Alienable? Some Notes on the Greeks' View of Phoenicians
Lecture featuring Carolina Lopez-Ruiz, Professor, Department of Classics, The Ohio State University
November 18, 2020
Thessaloniki: A Metro-Polis Through the Centuries
Lecture featuring Dr. Polyxeni Adam-Veleni, Director General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in the Hellenic Ministry of Culture
November 6, 2020
Defending Democracy from Extremism: The Rise and Apparent Fall of the Greek Golden Dawn (Co-sponsored with International Institute Faculty Group on Fascism @ Authoritarian Populism)
Lecture featuring Antonis Ellinas, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Cyprus
November 4, 2020
Jews, Greeks, and the American Racial Imagination (Co-sponsored with Jewish Studies)
Lecture featuring Devin E. Naar, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Washington
October 30, 2020
Cities on the Edge of War: Teaching Greek History Through a Strategy Role-Playing Game
Lecture featuring Eric Robinson, Professor, Department of History, Indiana University Bloomington
October 14, 2020
Reading Boredom: Pliny the Younger, Praise and Competition in the Panegyrici Latini
Lecture featuring Macro Formisano, Professor, Department of Literary Studies, Ghent University
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Please see below for responses to commonly asked questions. If you have further questions, please contact the Classical Studies Program through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC).
Can I take courses P/NP for the Classical Studies major or minor?
No, P/NP courses cannot be used towards the major or minor. Courses must be taken for a letter grade and be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Do I have to know Latin or Greek to minor?
A knowledge of the ancient languages is not required for the minor; however, you are welcome to take Latin or Greek courses to count towards the minor.
Can I test into a higher level of Greek or Latin?
Yes, please contact the Literature Department through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for testing and placement information.
I took a course not listed on the course catalog, can I count it toward my Classical Studies major/minor?
In order for a course to be eligible for petition, 50% of the course content must be related to Classical Studies.
Instructions on How to Petition Courses
Can I minor in Greek or Latin?
Yes, please see the Department of Literature website for more details.