Classics
Study the languages and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome in a tight-knit community.
The oldest area of study within the liberal arts, classics is an interdisciplinary field embracing every aspect of the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean and wider European world, from their languages to their architecture, their art to their political thought. Classics provides valuable insight into the ways in which the past has shaped the world’s present languages, literatures, religions, political and scientific thought, and artistic traditions.
At UMass Amherst, you will delve deeply into these ancient societies to understand them in their own context and discover the ways in which they continue to impact our world. Because proficiency in Latin or Greek is essential to a classics education, you must also complete a five-semester sequence in one of these languages.
After graduation, you will be well prepared to embark on graduate education or step into any career that requires you to be highly self-motivated and to have strong analytical and verbal skills. Additionally, there is currently a shortage of qualified Latin teachers at the secondary level, and a degree in classics from UMass Amherst is the first step toward this highly valued profession.