Classical Studies

Find your Future in the Ancient World

Classical Studies explores the fascinating cultures of the ancient Mediterranean that have shaped our modern civilization, including the art, history, literature, material culture and religious beliefs of the peoples of ancient Greece, Rome and the Near East.

Traces of classical antiquity are everywhere around us. From the Greeks, we have inherited our democratic institutions and medical terminology; from the Romans, legal concepts and terms like “bona fide” and “quid pro quo.” Our buildings, including Oregon’s modernist State Capitol, borrow from ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Classical Studies majors recognize these connections and read the 2,500-year-old texts (in the original languages) that have inspired such recent movies as Troy and 300. In the process, students gain an in-depth understanding of the ancient cultures and traditions our modern society is based on.

Why choose Willamette for Classical Studies?

Our interdisciplinary program offers an unusually broad range of courses. Apart from Latin and Greek, we also teach Classical Hebrew. Our classes are small (20 or fewer students), and taught by active scholars whose expertise ranges from the dawn of Greek and Near Eastern civilization to the fall of Rome. Experts in Art History, Earth and Environmental Sciences, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies and Rhetoric and Media Studies regularly contribute courses on the ancient world. Other small Classics departments may have one archaeologist; we have three. They have excavated in Italy, Greece, Scotland, Jordan, Syria, and the United States.

Where can Classical Studies lead you?

Classical Studies will get you into graduate school. Many of our graduates receive scholarships (often to prestigious programs) to pursue advanced degrees in classics, archaeology, history, theology and other fields. Others have gone on to law, business or medical school. Last but not least, there are many job opportunities for anyone who would like to teach Latin at the secondary school level.

Key features

Small classes taught by award-winning faculty with international experience
Interdisciplinary curriculum offering Latin, Greek, Classical Hebrew and a wide selection of Classical civilization courses
Mentoring and support of our majors even after graduation
Grants to support student participation in archaeological field schools anywhere in the world; nearly 50% of our students study abroad
An unusually wide variety of courses on ancient art, archaeology, history, literature, philosophy, rhetoric, social practices, and religious beliefs
Interesting study abroad opportunities
One of the most active chapters of the Archaeological Institute of America nationwide, plus the only undergraduate classics conference on the West Coast
Willamette's Center for Ancient Studies and Archaeology (CASA) supports student and faculty research, scholarly conferences, and a guest lecture series
Paid student internship at Willamette’s Hallie Ford Museum of Art; grants for summer programs in ancient languages not taught at Willamette