Welcome!

Penn offers a variety of undergraduate courses and degree options in all aspects of Classical Studies, which you can explore below.

For help with selecting courses, or to discuss declaring a major or minor, please email the undergraduate chair, James Ker, or come to his daily office hours.

Plan your classical studies

Classical studies is the set of different practices through which the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome are studied, interpreted, and interrogated in a living dialogue—sometimes by reading, discussion, and writing, sometimes by digging in the ground.

Our courses have several different course codes, for Ancient History (ANCH), Classical Studies (CLST), Greek (GREK), and Latin (LATN).

A number of these courses are cross-listed with other departments, and several can be used to fulfill General Education requirements such as Foreign Language, Cross-Cultural Analysis, Arts and Letters, History and Tradition, or Humanities and Social Sciences.

But these courses can also be built into a minor or major by adding just a few courses.

• Courses at the 000-level offer basic introductions to the history and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome:
  • ANCH 026 Ancient Greece (every fall; summer) [Hist&Trad + Cross-Cultural Analysis]
  • ANCH 027 Ancient Rome (every spring; summer) Hist&Trad + Cross-Cultural Analysis]
  • Occasional freshman seminars (e.g., CLST 030 The Poetry of Vergil)
  • Occasional critical writing seminars (e.g., WRIT 026 Tragedy's Monstrous Mothers)

• Individual courses at the 100-level introduce some of the main fields of classical studies: archaeology, history, intellectual culture, language, literature, reception. These include:
  • CLST 100 Greek and Roman Myth (every spring; often summer) [Arts&Letters + Cross-Cultural Analysis]
  • CLST 102 Classical Traditions (every fall)
  • CLST 111 Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology (every fall) [Hist&Trad + Cross-Cultural Analysis]
  • CLST/ANCH 113 Ancient Mediterranean Empires (every fall)
  • CLST 123 Great Discoveries in Archaeology (every spring)
  • Elementary Ancient Greek, Latin, and Modern Greek (See Languages)
  • Various cross-credited courses (e.g., PHIL 003 History of Ancient Philosophy = CLST 103)

• Courses at the 200-level offer intermediate level study of a specific topic. These courses are taught every 2-3 years:
  • CLST 207 Visions of Rome in Art, Literature, and Cinema
  • ANCH/CLST 209 Structures of the Roman Empire
  • CLST 217 Periclean Athens
  • ANCH/CLST 220 The Near East in Hellenistic and Roman Times
  • CLST 240 Scandalous Arts in Ancient and Modern Societies [Hum&SocSci] (sometimes taught more frequently)
  • CLST 223 Ages of Homer:An Archaeological Introduction to the Greek and Bronze Iron Ages
  • CLST 243 Authors and Audiences in the Greek and Roman World
  • CLST 252 The Archaeology of Private Life
  • CLST 261 The Sophists
  • CLST 267 The Ancient Novel
  • CLST 274 Introduction to Roman Archaeology
  • Intermediate Ancient Greek, Latin, and Modern Greek at the 200-level (See Languages)
  • Various cross-credited courses at the 200 level (e.g., RELS 003 Religion and Literature = CLST 242)

• Courses at the 300-level offer advanced level study of a specific topic. These courses are taught every 2-3 years:
  • CLST 302 The Odyssey and its Afterlife
  • CLST 303 Introduction to Museums
  • CLST 304 The Archaeology of Troy and Gordion
  • CLST 306 Greece under the Roman Empire
  • CLST 310 Ancient and Modern Constitution-Making
  • ANCH/CLST 311 Disasters in the Ancient World
  • CLST 312 Writing History in Greece and Rome
  • CLST 318 The Augustan Cultural Revolution
  • CLST 320 Greek and Roman Magic
  • CLST 323 The Greek World after Alexander the Great
  • CLST 324 The Age of Caesar
  • CLST 329 Reading the Iliad in a Time of War
  • CLST 350 The Greek and Roman Universe
  • ANCH/CLST 353 Rhetoric and Community
  • CLST 355 Archaeology of Greek and Roman Religion
  • CLST 360 The Epic Tradition
  • CLST 361 Romance in Pagan Antiquity
  • CLST 366 Archaeology and Science
  • CLST 370 Classics and American Government
  • CLST 371 Greek and Roman Medicine
  • CLST 396 History of Literary Criticism
  • Advanced Ancient Greek, Latin, and Modern Greek at the 300-level (See Languages)
  • Various cross-credited courses (e.g., ENGL 329 Topics in Classicism and Literature = CLST 329)

• The outline of regular courses above is for general planning purposes, and may sometimes vary. For more specific information about individual courses, see the Course Register and the listing of courses for individual semesters.

• Courses taken on study abroad programs in Rome or Athens can also be used toward the minor or major. For information on transfer of credit, please contact the undergraduate advisor.

• Seniors have the option of doing an independent study with a faculty member in conjunction with writing an honors thesis.

• Undergraduates may sometimes be admitted to graduate courses taught at the 400-, 500-, and 600-levels. For further information contact the undergraduate chair and/or the course instructor.

Students who minor or major are challenged to become familiar with several areas of study and, even when focusing on a single area at the more advanced level, to push at the boundaries between them.

There are also opportunities to spend a semester abroad studying in Greece or Rome, or to participate in an excavation over the summer.

Our goal is for you to become a versatile and constructive thinker, and writer, about how the deep past of ancient Greece and Rome has shaped—and itself has been reshaped by—the vital concerns of the present, often in controversial ways.

Our students go forward from Penn ready to perceive, interpret, and respond to the present world as they find it while drawing on the significant knowledge and skills they have acquired through their critical engagement with the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.

The Minors (six courses)

There are two choices of minor in the Classical Studies department:

• The Minor in Classical Studies can accommodate a large variety of courses and topics (including courses primarily in Latin or Greek).

• The Minor in Ancient History is more specific to the content and methods of historical study, and may include a focus on other ancient mediterranean and global cultures, not just Greece and Rome.

The Majors (twelve courses)

The department offers essentially four choices of major:

• The Major in Classical Studies can take any one of three different tracks:

Track 1: Classical Languages and Literature caters to students for whom Latin and/or Greek are central to their coursework.

Track 2: Classical Civilizations is the most flexible track: it can accommodate many different combinations of courses, with no language requirement.

Track 3: Mediterranean Archaeology centers on the content and methods of archaeology and material culture.

• The Major in Ancient History is more specific to the content and methods of historical study, and may include a focus on other ancient mediterranean and global cultures, not just Greece and Rome.

• Students majoring in Classical Studies or Ancient History with a 3.5 GPA or higher may consider taking the Honors Thesis option.

Getting involved

Beyond coursework, Penn has a lively culture of discussion and exploration in which you can get involved:

• The Classical Studies Undergraduate Advisory Board organizes movie nights, Certamen, faculty teas, the College Palooza table, and other events—get yourself elected and introduce something new, or revive the department's occasional undergraduate journal, Polymatheia! For contact information email James Ker.

• The Penn Museum offers internships, summer excavations, and volunteer work for museum-guides (through the Clio Society).

• The Classical Studies weekly colloquium on Thursdays at 4.30 (preceded by espresso and cookies at 4.00) features visting speakers as well as Penn Ph.D. students and faculty presenting their research. See also the Friday AAMW archaeology talks (free lunch at noon) and other weekly events listed by the Center for Ancient Studies.

Study abroad

The department is a sponsor of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, where students can apply to do a semester of study abroad, and students also regularly spend a semester of summer at the College Year in Athens program, as well as various summer programs offered in Greece and Italy.

Classical studies students often also take courses as part of other regular semester abroad programs such as Kings College London and St Andrews.

Application deadlines are typically at the beginning of the preceding semester. For further information see Penn Abroad.

Excavation opportunities

Penn's faculty presently direct a range of field projects that regularly have student volunteers and interns, both during the regular semester and during the summer excavation season. These include: the Roman Peasant Project (Profs. Bowes and Grey), the Mt Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project (Prof. Romano), the Saronic Harbors Archaeological Research Project (Prof. Tartaron), and Project Troia (Prof. Rose).

In addition to exploring the individual websites for these excavations, see the Penn Museum site for openings and opportunities.

Prizes

Each year the Classical Studies Department offers several prizes. The George Allen Memorial Prize is awarded to juniors who complete the best written examinations in either Greek or Latin (for information contact James Ker). In addition, the College Alumni Society Prize in Classical Studies is awarded annually to a graduating student for outstanding academic performance.

Careers

In our experience, a graduate in Classical Studies will depart from Penn prepared to adapt capably to the challenges of the wider world, and of whatever vocational or educational path he or she next pursues.

What Are You Going To Do With That? — Here's What...!

While some Classical Studies students choose to pursue graduate study in the field, most go on to careers in law, medicine, and business. Increasingly employers and professional schools appreciate the value of such an education that included courses from diverse disciplines and that develops problem-solving abilities and excellent verbal and writing skills.

Penn's Career Services offers useful information on career exploration specific to majors, including on the career paths and graduate schools attended by Penn Classical Studies majors.

Outcomes from a sampling of CLST majors from the past half decade. This sample represents a self-reporting group and so can be relied on to give a thumbnail sketch, but not a complete picture. We're working to make the picture more complete wherever we can!

2% — 3 in ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT
1 executive assistant at a Hollywood studio
1 professional photographer of classical artwork
1 writer - TV comedy network

4% — 5 in BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
4 administrative assistant
1 administrative manager

33% — 43 in EDUCATION
1 university administrator
21 college faculty
16 teacher
3 education administrator
2 graduate school in humanities / social sciences

7% — 9 in FINANCE 

3 investment bank president / chairman of the board
1 bank assistant vice president
1 assistant comptroller - real estate investment firm
1 investment fund partner
1 investment manager
1 financial analyst
1 equity salesman

2% — 2 in GOVERNMENT (see also LAW)
1 systems administrator for US Senator
1 naval aviator

11% — 14 in HEALTH 
1 hospital director
1 head of veterinary medicine at a university
8 physician
1 medical research coordinator
1 marketing manager for physicians
2 in medical school

26% — 34 in LAW
1 assistant attorney general
1 assistant district attorney
26 attorney
1 corporate counsel
5 in law school

7% — 9 in NON-PROFIT
1 library director
1 librarian
1 manager of social services non-profit
5 clergy
1 museum researcher

5% — 6 in PUBLISHING
1 antiquarian bookseller and Appraiser
1 associate product manager
1 author
1 marketing manager for large media company
1 marketing for textbook publishing
1 proofreader

5% — 7 in TECH 
1 executive director of tech training firm
1 video game designer
2 information security specialists
1 president, communications firm
1 engineer
1 web developer

100% — 132 TOTAL