The Classics Major
The major in Classics* provides solid grounding in the classical world of Ancient Greece and Rome. Classics majors receive a liberal arts education giving them the analytical tools to pursue a wide range of careers. The Classics major at SIU is designed to be flexible, and many students complete a second major in another field. Our interdisciplinary major combines coursework offered by Classics faculty and courses from other departments. A number of courses taught in philosophy, art, political science, and history qualify (click here for a list of regularly offered classes). Students contemplating graduate work in classics or a related field should take as much Latin and Greek as possible.
For all sorts of fine reasons why you should major in classics, check out the chunk of our website devoted to that topic.
The major requires 33 hours, which must include:
- Two years of language study in Latin or Greek.
- One course each on myth, Greek civilization, and Roman civilization.
- The Classics capstone course, CLAS 491, our seminar course.
- Three Classics electives at the 300 or 400 level approved by the Classics advisor.
Above right: "Cato Major", a.k.a. Cato the Elder, 234-149 BC.
*Technically speaking, if you earn what we informally continue to call a "Classics Major", you'll receive a B.A. in Languages, Cultures, and International Studies with a specialization in Classics. The name change is part of a recent departmental restructuring, but our program hasn't changed: it's still a Classics major, and that's how we'll refer to it here.