Classical Studies

Degree: B.A., Anthropology
Department of Cultural and Philosophical Inquiry
The Classical Studies major leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. 

Classical Studies is a rigorous, humanistic discipline that interrogates the cultural interactions, geopolitical dynamics, artistic production, literary traditions, and evolving cultural identities of the peoples of the Ancient Mediterranean world. Spanning roughly 13,000 years of human societies—from the Neolithic Aegean to the late Roman Empire—the field draws on a rich constellation of evidence: archaeological remains, language and linguistics, literary and epigraphic texts, material culture, visual art, and built architecture.

Students of Classical Studies critically examine the lives, beliefs, conflicts, and creative achievements of Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Etruscans, Venetii, and/or the many other peoples who lived and interacted in the ancient Mediterranean basin. Classical Studies does not treat the ancient world as a monolithic or static entity. Rather, it foregrounds the complexity and dynamism of ancient societies. Students learn to read the ancient world not merely as a set of facts to be memorized, but as a layered, contested, and profoundly human past that continues to shape the modern world.

The Classical Studies major cultivates a robust and transferable skill-set that is valuable across a wide range of careers and graduate fields.  Graduates leave the program with highly developed skills in: critical reading and textual analysis; problem-solving; research design and independent scholarship; cross-cultural and comparative thinking; collaboration; foreign language proficiency in ancient Greek or Latin; visual and material analysis; persuasive oral and written communication skills. 

Classical Studies majors have robust opportunities for high impact experiences, including study abroad in Greece and Italy, archaeological fieldwork in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, and other world regions, presentation of independent research at regional conferences, internships in museums such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and the Smithsonian Museums, publishing, NGOs, and other internship opportunities.  Eligible students are also invited to become life-long members of UMW’s Beta Nu Chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the National Honor’s Society for Classical Studies.

Graduates of the Classical Studies program pursue successful careers in a wide variety of fields, including:

• Law: Classical Studies majors consistently perform strongly on the LSAT and in law school. The program’s emphasis on argumentation, textual interpretation, and logical reasoning provides an excellent foundation for legal study and practice.

• Academia and Graduate Study: Students interested in advanced research may pursue graduate degrees in Classical Studies, Classical Archaeology, Ancient History, Art History, Comparative Literature, or related humanities fields.

• Museums, Cultural Heritage, and Preservation: Graduates–especially those who earn complementary Minors in Museum Studies–are well prepared for roles as museum curators, collections managers, and cultural heritage specialists, as well as careers in archaeological field work and site conservation.

• Education: The major provides a strong pathway into secondary and post-secondary teaching in Latin, history, and humanities, as well as educational program development for cultural institutions.

• Government, Policy, NGOs, and Diplomacy: The cross-cultural perspective and analytical rigor of Classical Studies are valuable in public service, international relations, and policy research, particularly given the deep roots of Western governmental and legal institutions in ancient practice.

• Publishing, Media, and Communications: Strong writing skills and broad humanistic knowledge prepare graduates for editorial, journalism, content strategy, and communications roles in print and digital media.

The Classical Studies major is one of three majors in the Anthropology degree program, along with Anthropology and Art History. United by inquiry into what it means to be human, the three majors share an emphasis on interpretive, archaeological, and analytical methods. Students across all three majors learn how to work with many kinds of evidence, from artifacts and images to texts and lived experience. This interdisciplinary foundation encourages critical reflection on human creativity, social life, memory, language, and material worlds, while each major offers deeper study within its own disciplinary traditions and topics of focus.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will interpret human cultural expression and social life across global and historical contexts from a non-ethnocentric perspective.

2. Students will construct and evaluate arguments that are linked to appropriate forms of evidence (such as ethnographic, visual, material, and textual).

3. Students will design and complete a research project that employs appropriate methods and communicates findings to academic and public audiences.

4. Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret ancient evidence drawn from a variety of source materials, including literary texts, archaeological remains, visual art, architecture, and built environments.

5. Students will translate and interpret texts in Ancient Greek and/or Latin with at least sufficient proficiency to engage primary sources at the intermediate level.  Students will develop awareness of how stylistic and rhetorical choices shape meaning, argument, expression of cultural identity, and/or ideological framing.

6. Students will evaluate the receptions of ancient Greek, Roman, and broader Mediterranean cultures in shaping subsequent political, philosophical, religious, dramatic, and/or artistic traditions, reflecting critically on how and why the ancient world has been interpreted, appropriated, and contested across time.

7. Students will engage in at least one high-impact learning experience that fosters professional readiness, such as internships, study abroad, museum work, community engagement, independent study, public performance, presentation of research or creative works at conferences, publication of research, and/or mentorships with alumni.

Major Requirements

 ¹May include 1 ANTH course (up to 3 credits) relevant to Classical Studies and/or archaeology (with permission of Classical Studies faculty).

Plan of Study

This suggested plan of study should serve as a guide to assist students when planning their course selections. It is not a substitute for a student's Degree Evaluation or the Program Requirements listed for this major in the catalog. Academic planning is the student's responsibility, and course selections should be finalized only after speaking with an advisor. Students should familiarize themselves with the catalog in effect at the time they matriculated at the University of Mary Washington. Students should also familiarize themselves with general education requirements which can be fulfilled through general electives as well as major/minor course requirements. Course requirements and sequencing may vary with AP, IB, CLEP, Cambridge or previous coursework, transfer courses, or other conditions. To be considered full-time, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in 12 or more credits for the semester.

Cultural and Philosophical Inquiry Faculty 

Anthropology, Art History, Classical Studies, Philosophy (including Philosophy: Pre-Law), and Religious Studies

Julia A. DeLancey, Chair

Professors

Julia A. DeLancey (Art History)
Joseph G. Dreiss (Art History)
E. Eric Gable (Anthropology)
Jason C. James (Anthropology)
Mary Elizabeth S. Mathews (Religious Studies)
Jason P. Matzke (Philosophy)
Laura H. Mentore (Anthropology)
Angela L Pitts (Classical Studies)

Associate Professors

Jennifer A. Barry (Religious Studies)
Suzie Kim (Art History)

Assistant Professor

Kalpesh Bhatt (Religious Studies)

Senior Lecturer

Michael J. Reno (Philosophy)

Affiliated Faculty

Tracy Stonestreet (Art History)