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The Department of Classics offers a wide variety of programs and courses that span many different subjects and disciplines.

• The College’s oldest and most prestigious degree (the Artium Baccalaureatus) requires the study of Greek or Latin and is overseen by the Classics Department.
• Students can choose between three majors, one focused on the study of the Greek and Latin languages, another focused on the study of Greco-Roman culture, and a third focused on teaching Latin.
• Students can choose from three minors: Classics, Greek, and Latin.
• Classics courses count for various General Education requirements, including “Humanities” and “Pre-modern History.”
• Classics courses are often cross-listed and overlap with other programs (Archaeology, History, Art History, Women’s and Gender Studies, Philosophy).

Interested in starting? See our current course offerings.

The Artium Baccalaureatus (Any Major)

The Artium Baccalaureatus, the A.B. Degree, is the traditional bachelor’s degree conferred by the College of Charleston. Since the founding of the College in 1770, the study of Greek and Latin has been a core component of the undergraduate curriculum.

Students in any major can earn the Artium Baccalaureatus, the College’s most prestigious undergraduate degree. The chief requirement is to demonstrate competency in an ancient language by completing two 300-level courses in either Latin or Greek. [Read more about the A.B.]

Classics Majors and Minors

Students can choose from three majors: (1) a language-based major grounded in the study of ancient Greek and Latin; (2) a program with no language requirements, focusing on the study of these foundational cultures through translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts, archaeological data, and modern works; (3) a program taught in collaboration with the Education Department geared toward teacher licensure in foreign language instruction. In all of these majors, you can take courses in such diverse subjects as Greek history, classical mythology, women in antiquity, Bronze Age archaeology, epic poetry, and Romans in film. And that’s just the beginning. [Read more about majors and minors.]

Language Programs: Greek and Latin

Although Classics is only one department, it offers two full language programs. Both ancient Greek and Latin are four-semester sequences that fulfill the College’s General Education requirement for “Language.” Each semester, upper-level courses in both Latin and ancient Greek are also offered for those students who wish to continue their studies. [Read more about Greek and Latin.]

Archaeology, History, Literature, Philosophy

Many courses in Classics are taughtread the ancient literary sources through translations; no knowledge of Greek or Latin is required. These courses are as diverse as the faculty. The CofC Classics Department is exceptionally large by modern standards, with faculty specializing in various branches of the field. Some are focused on literature (Zeiner-Carmichael, McCune, Lohmar), some on history (Gerrish, Alwine), some on philosophy (Flores), and some on archaeology (Sterrett-Krause, Newhard). We offer a wide variety of courses on topics within these fields. [Read more about culture courses.]