Classics focuses on the study of the languages, literatures, and civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. Since many of the ideas and principles which emerged in the classical world are basic to Western culture, courses in Classics apply to the study of almost all the liberal arts and sciences.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics may choose this interdisciplinary concentration in Classics: Ancient Mediterranean Studies. While the concentration in Classical Civilization focuses on the Greek and Latin languages and literatures, the world of the Greeks and Romans, the classical tradition (the continued use or influence of classical thought and art), and classical reception (the interpretation of classical thought by later societies). Students develop their major programs in consultation with a faculty advisor; the focus for Ancient Mediterranean Studies is the ancient world of the Greeks and Romans—that is, wherever the Greeks and Romans held sway, along with the peoples and places with which they were in contact, from the Bronze Age through Late Antiquity. This concentration includes, therefore, courses on peoples who lived beyond the Mediterranean. Because the focus is on the ancient world, courses that deal primarily with the classical tradition and classical reception are not included.
For a full list of requirements, see the UMW catalog here. And track your own progress in this major concentration by downloading and consulting the CLASSICS AMS CHECKSHEET F2021. For more information, contact our faculty in classics.