Degree: B.A., Classics
Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion
The study of Latin is an appropriate complement to any major in the liberal arts or sciences, and any student may use Latin to satisfy the College’s general education requirement for proficiency in a foreign language. Students wishing to major may choose a concentration in Latin within the Bachelor of Arts in Classics degree program. Mary Washington is a member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome and the American Academy in Rome, and students who major in Latin are encouraged to apply to their programs.
While some majors include teacher licensure in their schedule, others combine their concentration in Latin with a second major in a related field such as history, philosophy, religion, English, business, or modern languages. With such a background, graduates have a wide range of opportunities after college, including museum work, archaeology, graduate study, teaching, and translating. In recent years, Latin majors have been unusually successful in obtaining high school teaching positions and in gaining admission to graduate and professional schools.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will use language to engage in meaningful exchanges, to understand and interpret spoken language and written text, and to present information, concepts and ideas.
2. Students will frame, analyze, and synthesize information as well as negotiate meaning across language and culture in order to explore problems and issues from their own and different perspectives.
3. Students will evaluate literary works in order to understand main themes and movements.
4. Students will respond to new perspectives in order to understand diverse cultures within the world of a specific language.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CLAS 103 | Ideas and Culture: Greek Civilization | 3 |
| CLAS 105 | Ideas and Culture: Roman Civilization | 3 |
| CLAS 285 | Greek and Latin Languages and Literatures | 3 |
| LATN 430A | Advanced Latin Grammar and Composition | 3 |
| Select at least 15 additional credits in Latin courses beyond LATN 201 | 15 | |
| Vergil | ||
| Directed Readings in Latin Literature | ||
| Roman Drama | ||
| Lyric & Elegiac Poetry | ||
| Roman Historical Writing | ||
| Roman Satire | ||
| Cicero | ||
| Horace | ||
| Ovid | ||
| Survey of Latin Literature | ||
| Special Studies in Latin Literature | ||
| Rhetoric and Argumentation in Ancient Rome | ||
| Individual Study in Latin | ||
| Individual Study in Latin | ||
| Select at least 6 credits in approved courses relating to Classical Civilization | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Approved Courses relating to the Latin major are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Latin Courses | ||
Any Latin course above 201. | ||
| Greek Courses | ||
Any Greek course. | ||
| Classics Courses | ||
Any Classics Course. | ||
| Any of these additional courses | ||
| History of Western Art I | ||
| Egyptian and Near Eastern Art and Archaeology | ||
| Greek Art | ||
| Roman Art | ||
| Topics in Classics, Philosophy, and Religion | ||
| Mysterium Humanum Studies 1 | ||
| Studies in Ancient Languages 1 | ||
| Studies in Ancient Languages 1 | ||
| Cross-disciplinary Topics in Classics, Philosophy, and Religion 1 | ||
| Shakespeare: The Early Plays | ||
| Shakespeare:Later Plays | ||
| History of Ancient Greece | ||
| History of Ancient Rome | ||
| Italian Literature in Translation: Masterpieces of the Renaissance | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Phonology | ||
| History of Mathematics | ||
| Ancient Greek Philosophy | ||
| Plato | ||
| Christian Beginnings | ||
| Christianity After the New Testament | ||
| Greek and Roman Religion | ||
| Special Studies in Religion 1 | ||
| Special Studies in Religion 1 | ||
| Major Religious Thinkers 1 | ||
- 1
Selected topics with permission.
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degrees apply to all students who are seeking to earn an undergraduate B.A., B.S. or B.S.Ed. degree.
Students seeking a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree have a separate set of BLS general education requirements.
Electives
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits
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.
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| FSEM 100 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| LATN 101 | Elementary Latin | 3 |
| ARTH 114A or CLAS 110 |
History of Western Art I 1 or Greek and Roman Mythology in Art and Literature |
3 |
| General Education Courses | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| LATN 102 | Elementary Latin | 3 |
| CLAS 103 or CLAS 105 |
Ideas and Culture: Greek Civilization or Ideas and Culture: Roman Civilization |
3 |
| General Education Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| LATN 201 | Intermediate Latin | 3 |
| CLAS 110 or ARTH 114A |
Greek and Roman Mythology in Art and Literature 1 or History of Western Art I |
3 |
| General Education Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| LATN 202 | Vergil | 3 |
| CLAS 105 or CLAS 103 |
Ideas and Culture: Roman Civilization or Ideas and Culture: Greek Civilization |
3 |
| CLAS 285 | Greek and Latin Languages and Literatures | 3 |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Advanced Latin Course | 3 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| LATN 430A | Advanced Latin Grammar and Composition 2 | 3 |
| Advanced Latin Course | 3 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Advanced Latin Course | 3 | |
| General Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| CLAS 485 | Guided Research (required for departmental honors, recommended for all majors, counts towards major elective) | 3 |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Advanced Latin Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Classics, Philosophy, and Religion Department
Jason P. Matzke, Career and Pre-Law Advisor (Philosophy)
Mary Beth Mathews, Career Advisor (Religion)
Faculty
(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)
Professors
Mary Beth Mathews (Religion)
Jason P. Matzke (Philosophy)
Angela L. Pitts (Classics)
Associate Professor
Jennifer A. Barry (Religion)
Assistant Professor
Kalpesh Bhatt (Religion)
Senior Lecturer
Michael J. Reno (Philosophy)