Classical Studies (Minor)
The minor in Classical Studies is an excellent foundation for advanced work in other academic disciplines as well as professional programs in law, medicine and management. By presenting a broad selection of courses in the various disciplines of language, literature, philosophy, religious studies and history, the minor provides students with a sound introduction to study of the ancient world. Because of the continuity between ancient and modern cultures, it also gives students an opportunity to develop a keener perception and better understanding of the cultural forces at work in the contemporary world.
Depending on their other undergraduate or career goals, students will have the option of pursuing one or more of three concentrations within the Classical Studies minor: Greek, Latin or Classical Culture. The Concentrations in Greek and Latin focus on intensive study of the ancient languages, with significant additional exposure to Classical literature and culture in translation. The Concentration in Classical Culture offers the option of pursuing more general study of Classical literature and culture mostly or exclusively in translation.
By fulfilling the requirements for the Concentration in Classical Culture students will:
- Acquire a better understanding of the roots of Western culture in the civilizations of Greece and Rome;
- Learn to assess more keenly the cultures of Greece and Rome in their own varied contexts;
- Gain a familiarity with problems of interpretation of texts and the varieties of evidence upon which interpretation may be based;
- Learn the principal themes and issues in the history of Greek and Roman civilizations;
- Acquire a deeper understanding of Greek and Roman artistic and literary cultures;
- Learn accurately to identify principal geographical and demographic features of the ancient world;
- Increase their intellectual breadth and sophistication, and
- Gain insight into the complexities of relationships of the languages, literatures and cultures of Greece and Rome.
Students who elect study of the original language(s) to fulfill the requirements for a Concentration in Greek and/or Latin, while attaining all of the goals above, will also:
- Achieve knowledge of the fundamentals of Greek and/or Latin language, and thereby
- Gain a deeper understanding of the origin of Western tongues and of language itself;
- Acquire the ability to read substantial portions of Greek and Latin authors, and thereby
- Understand and appreciate in their original form some of the most important ideas shaping Western culture.
In many cases, a student completing the requirements for a Concentration in Greek and/or Latin language will also be able to fulfill the requirements for the Concentration in Classical Culture with little additional coursework, and such double (or triple) concentration is encouraged to highlight the breadth of the Students knowledge of the ancient world.
Admissions
Application for admission to any University minor program is now available via MyPack Portal. Admission will be based upon the student’s academic record, and in most cases, no longer requires departmental review. Go to the Add a Minor page to apply. (Students may declare the minor when they are enrolled in a class that counts toward the minor.)
Certification
Students should declare the minor as soon as they have completed the first course for the minor, and complete their course work according to their minor degree audit, and the minor requirements. Students can monitor their progress toward completing the minor by viewing their Minor Degree Audit online, anytime, in MyPack Portal. Questions regarding unmet course requirements on the Minor Degree Audit (indicated by a red ‘X’) should be directed to the Minor Coordinator, below. Students contact the Coordinator of Advising, once they have completed all of their courses for the minor, or during the registration period for the student’s final semester at NC State, in order to complete the final certification of the minor. Students will receive official recognition on their transcripts for the completed minor.
Contact Person
Scott Despain
Assoc Professor
Associate Department Head
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Withers Hall 319
919-513-1482
despain@ncsu.edu
SIS Codes:
– Classical Studies: 16CSM
– Classical Studies Classical Culture Concentration: 16CSMCC
– Classical Studies Greek Concentration: 16CSMGRK
– Classical Studies Latin Concentration: 16CSMLAT
Plan Requirements
- Completion of 15 credit hours is required.
- 9 Credit hours must be taken at NC State and a maximum of six (6) credit hours may be transferred into the minor from another institution.
- The Department of World Languages and Cultures will determine which courses transferred from other institutions may qualify to meet requirements for the minor.
- A grade of “C-” or better is required in all courses in the minor program.
- No courses for the minor may be taken for S/U credit.
- At least one course for the minor must be taken at the 300 level or above.
- A maximum of TWO (2) courses may double-count between major departmental requirements and courses counting toward the minor.
- A maximum of TWO (2) courses may double-count between courses counting toward this minor and additional minors.
Students may declare the minor when they are enrolled in a class that counts toward the minor.
Concentration in Classical Culture
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Course | |||
| Select one "core" culture course of the following: | 3 | ||
| Classical Mythology | |||
| Masterpieces of Classical Literature | |||
| Gender, Ethnicity & Identity in the Ancient World | |||
| Elective Courses | |||
| Select one additional culture course from the list above or from the following: | 3 | ||
| The Ancient World in Modern Media | |||
| Special Topics in Classical Studies | |||
| Independent Study in Classical Studies | |||
| Intermediate Greek I | |||
| Intermediate Greek II | |||
| Directed Readings in Greek | |||
| Intermediate Latin I | |||
| Intermediate Latin II | |||
| Directed Readings in Latin | |||
| Select one additional culture course of the following: | 3 | ||
| Ancient Mediterranean World | |||
| Scientific Revolution and European Society, 1500-1800 | |||
| Early Christianity to the Time of Eusebius | |||
| Ancient Greek Civilization | |||
| Rome to 337 A.D. | |||
| History and Archaeology of the Roman Empire | |||
| From Roman Empire to Middle Ages | |||
| Ancient Philosophy | |||
| Introduction to the New Testament | |||
| Early Christianity to the Time of Eusebius | |||
| Advanced Readings in the Christian Gospels | |||
| The Life and Letters of the Apostle Paul | |||
| Select two additional courses: 1 | 6 | ||
| Elementary Greek I | |||
| Elementary Greek II | |||
| Elementary Latin I | |||
| Elementary Latin II | |||
| Total Hours | 15 | ||
- 1
which may include one or two additional culture courses chosen from any of the lists above and/or one or two elementary language courses from the following list
A student completing the requirements for the Concentration in Classical Culture may also be able to fulfill the requirements for a Concentration in Greek and/or Latin language, and likewise a student completing the requirements for a Concentration in Greek and/or Latin language may also be able to fulfill the requirements for the Concentration in Classical Culture. As noted on the Plan Requirements page, a maximum of two (2) courses may be used (double-counted) towards both departmental major requirements and minor requirements.
Concentration in Greek
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | |||
| GRK 201 | Intermediate Greek I | 3 | |
| GRK 202 | Intermediate Greek II | 3 | |
| Elective Courses | |||
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | ||
| Directed Readings in Greek (may be taken up to two times for elective credit) | |||
| Elementary Latin I | |||
| Elementary Latin II | |||
| Intermediate Latin I | |||
| Intermediate Latin II | |||
| Directed Readings in Latin (may be taken up to two times for elective credit) | |||
| Classical Mythology | |||
| The Ancient World in Modern Media | |||
| Masterpieces of Classical Literature | |||
| Gender, Ethnicity & Identity in the Ancient World | |||
| Special Topics in Classical Studies | |||
| Independent Study in Classical Studies | |||
| Ancient Mediterranean World | |||
| Scientific Revolution and European Society, 1500-1800 | |||
| Early Christianity to the Time of Eusebius | |||
| Ancient Greek Civilization | |||
| Rome to 337 A.D. | |||
| History and Archaeology of the Roman Empire | |||
| From Roman Empire to Middle Ages | |||
| Ancient Philosophy | |||
| Introduction to the New Testament | |||
| Early Christianity to the Time of Eusebius | |||
| Advanced Readings in the Christian Gospels | |||
| The Life and Letters of the Apostle Paul | |||
| Total Hours | 15 | ||
- 1
Other elective courses with appropriate focus on the Classical world may be substituted for the courses listed with approval of the minor advisor.
Concentration in Latin
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | |||
| LAT 201 | Intermediate Latin I | 3 | |
| LAT 202 | Intermediate Latin II 1 | 3 | |
| Elective Courses | |||
| Select three of the following: 2 | 9 | ||
| Directed Readings in Latin (may be taken up to two times for elective credit) | |||
| Elementary Greek I | |||
| Elementary Greek II | |||
| Intermediate Greek I | |||
| Intermediate Greek II | |||
| Directed Readings in Greek (may be taken up to two times for elective credit) | |||
| Classical Mythology | |||
| The Ancient World in Modern Media | |||
| Masterpieces of Classical Literature | |||
| Gender, Ethnicity & Identity in the Ancient World | |||
| Special Topics in Classical Studies | |||
| Independent Study in Classical Studies | |||
| Ancient Mediterranean World | |||
| Scientific Revolution and European Society, 1500-1800 | |||
| Early Christianity to the Time of Eusebius | |||
| Ancient Greek Civilization | |||
| Rome to 337 A.D. | |||
| History and Archaeology of the Roman Empire | |||
| From Roman Empire to Middle Ages | |||
| Ancient Philosophy | |||
| Introduction to the New Testament | |||
| Early Christianity to the Time of Eusebius | |||
| Advanced Readings in the Christian Gospels | |||
| The Life and Letters of the Apostle Paul | |||
| Total Hours | 15 | ||
- 1
Students who place into LAT 202 Intermediate Latin II will take one additional elective course from the list below.
- 2
Other elective courses with appropriate focus on the Classical world may be substituted for the courses listed with approval of the minor advisor.