100-Level Introductory Courses
Classics These courses provide basic introductions to the discipline of Classics as a whole, including survey-style definition of the subject matter, chronological and geographical scope, linguistic and literary heritage, artistic and archaeological remains, canonical texts, and other source material relevant for studying the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world, as well as their legacy in subsequent societies. Through various sorts of writing assignments, performances, evaluations, and/or presentations, students are expected to demonstrate synthesis and evaluative consideration of many ancient texts and some relevant modern scholarship, integration of multiple intellectual approaches to these sources, and broad familiarity with one or more sub-disciplines within the field of Classics.
First-year Greek or Latin Students completing this sequence not only learn the fundamentals of the ancient language but also intensively read a significant quantity of edited/adapted passages. They should be able to pronounce the language clearly and fluidly according to proper conventions, demonstrate a working vocabulary of over 1000 words, recognize and understand essential morphology and syntax, exhibit a high level of reading comprehension, and translate smoothly using appropriate English idiom.
200-Level Analysis Courses
Classics These courses provide more in-depth coverage of the major subfields and conceptual frameworks of Classics. Students thoroughly explore key sources, themes, research tools, and concepts in each field through assessment of modern scholarship and/or relevant creative activity, such as full performance of an ancient drama. Students should demonstrate engagement in the formal processes by which they are able to pose their own scholarly questions, as well as the research skills and analytical modes of thought necessary to address them.
Second-year Greek or Latin Students completing this sequence build upon foundations acquired in previous language courses by both reading authentic ancient prose and poetic texts in the original language and translating them into English. They should demonstrate pronunciation mastery, full reading comprehension, and a significant expansion of their working vocabulary, as well as accuracy and confidence in recognizing morphology and syntax, including rarer archaic forms and dialects. Students should be able to recognize and produce the basic patterns of poetic meter, and they should also demonstrate proficiency in their use of an array of important philological tools, including lexica, grammars, commentaries, and digital research aids. Additionally, students should be able to address key themes and concepts associated with the ancient texts they study.
300-400 Level Advanced Seminars
Classics These courses emphasize students’ independent and profound engagement with a variety of ancient texts and/or material culture in a critical manner, as well as significant consideration and evaluation of modern scholarly work concerning such texts/remains. Students should demonstrate the ability to define and organize the subject matter, locate and utilize relevant source materials, make judgments about their value, synthesize them for discussion of specific research questions, and compose reasoned arguments as answers to such scholarly inquiry. Through oral presentations, performances, in-class discussions or essays, and very substantial research and writing assignments outside of class, students should exhibit expertise regarding a selected body of ancient texts/material remains and modern approaches to it.
Advanced Greek and Latin courses These seminars involve the directed, collaborative reading of large portions (or all) of the texts in question in the original language, as well as more extensive reading on an individual basis, in order to increase students’ ability, fluency, speed, and confidence in understanding morphology, syntax, vocabulary, and meter. Students also should become fluent with commentaries, critical scholarship, and advanced scholarly research tools. Through reading a significant amount of ancient source material as well as modern scholarly texts, students should also exhibit a deep analysis and understanding of a particular topic/text and engage in critical dialogue about it.