|
Welcome to the Classics Department
About our Department | Is a Classics Major for you? | Where to begin? | Language Placement Tests
AP Credit | Double Majors | Declaring a Major in Classics | Declaring a Minor in Classics
Requirements for the Major in Classics | Extracurricular Opportunities
Is a Classics Major for you?
There is no prescriptive checklist for identifying a potential Classics major. But if you love language, literature,history, archaeology, philosophy, art, architecture, ethics, politics, law,religion, rhetoric, mythology, psychology, sociology, women’s studies, gender studies, urban studies, and just about anything else, Classics has something to offer you. Classics is an interdisciplinary field, so nearly everyone can find a subject of interest. Our department offers courses in the ancient languages and the ancient cultures, but our majors do require knowledge of one or both of the ancient languages. Latin and Greek provide the bases for about 80% of English, and learning to read them will train you to think carefully and precisely. You will read some of the greatest literature ever written, and study two of the cultures that stand as the foundation of so much of our own. You will also learn to articulate yourself, both in speech and in writing, through coursework, class discussion, and a senior thesis. If this sounds appealing to you, then you just may be a Classics major in the making.
Where to begin?
If you are considering a major in Classics, please identify yourself to the faculty: we want to meet you and tell you about our program. When you begin UNCA, your advisor will be the professor of the introductory colloquium class that you choose. The faculty in the Classics Department offer one or two colloquia each fall, and you may consider those courses. If you choose other colloquia, let your advisor know of your interest in Classics. We recommend that you begin with the appropriate level of Latin or Greek as soon in your career as you can—preferably in your first semester. Latin and Greek fulfill the core language requirement (as does Hebrew, though it is not an integral part of the major as such) and you will meet both faculty and other students in these classes.
Language Placement Tests
Language placement tests are offered during summer orientation sessions, at the beginning of each semester, and by arrangement with the Department Chair if no other time is possible. The Classics Department offers a placement test for Latin, and we strongly encourage you to take it so that we can direct you to the level appropriate to you. We encourage you to take the highest level of Latin that you can comfortably take. Even though it may be tempting to “review” introductory material, you will benefit more from beginning at a level that is challenging to you. The placement test does not award course credit: if you place into Intermediate Latin, for example, you do not receive credit hours for Latin I and II. But you will have demonstrated proficiency in Latin I and II and therefore place out of the core language requirement. So the placement test is important:don’t avoid it.
AP credit
UNC Asheville does award academic credit of 3 semester hours to students who receive scores of 3,4 or 5 on Advanced Placement tests offered by the College Board. For those who take a Latin AP exam, the schedule is listed below. If you score a 4, for example, on one of the Latin AP exams, you will receive 3 hours of credit for CLAS 212 (Intermediate Latin) and you can enroll in a 300-level Latin course.
Double Majors
Because Classics does not require an exorbitant number of hours for its major concentrations, a major in Classics can be combined with several other departmental majors quite easily, including Philosophy, Language and Literature, History, Modern Languages, and many others. Some majors, however, require many more hours than Classics, and if you are interested in a double major in Biology and Classics, for example, your schedule will allow few if any electives, and you will need to plan very carefully and well in advance. You will also need to consider the possibility of two senior theses or a thesis and a project, if you choose another major that requires one. It is certainly possible to write two theses or to complete a thesis and a project, but it will be wise to choose early and plan well.
Extracurricular Opportunities
Extracurricular opportunities include our Eta Tau Chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, The Classical Society, and The Ancient Gardens Club. Please contact us for more information. |
