Bachelor of Arts [B.A] [Classical Studies] From Willamette University

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 more than 2,000-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 that have shaped our modern society and continue to influence it today, not to mention excellent writing and critical thinking skills.

Our interdisciplinary Classical Studies program offers an unusually broad range of courses. Apart from Latin and Greek, we also teach courses on Latin and Greek literature, history, theater, art, religion, and philosophy. 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 regularly contribute courses on the ancient world. Other small Classics departments have one archaeologist on staff if they are lucky; Willamette has two tenured and usually one visiting archaeologist on staff. In recent years, Classics and archaeology students have studied abroad in Athens, Rome, Vienna, Galway, and Heidelberg, and they have attended archaeological field schools and excavations in Italy, Greece, Scotland, Portugal, Rumania, Jordan, Syria, Belize, Peru, and the United States.

Classical Studies will get you into graduate school. A third of our recent graduates have gone on to law, business, and medical school, usually supported by generous scholarships. About a quarter have earned M.A.T. degrees and are now full-time teachers. Many others have earned or are currently working toward advanced degrees (M.A. and Ph.D.) in fields as diverse as classics, archaeology, art conservation, history, intercultural studies, theology, chemistry, engineering, interactive game design, and computer science. Every last one of our graduates, regardless whether they went on to graduate school or not, has so far found their niche, most often in business, public administration, or a health-related field.