CLASSICS is multiple disciplines in one!
Classics lets you study Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Assyro-Babylonian, Etruscan, and other cultures of the ancient Mediterranean!
You can explore:
- languages and literature
- philosophy and history
- sex and gender
- race and ethnicity
- religion and magic
- art and architecture
- archeology and material culture, and more!
We teach you to approach problems from different perspectives and find the best solution, not just to apply a single methodology to every challenge.
Classics works well as a double major, since it:
- provides a well-rounded education
- helps fill in gaps left by other majors
- allows broad exploration for those specializing in a specific area
The flexibility offered within a Classics curriculum creates opportunities for careers in many different areas, including:
- academics, teaching, museums
- law, politics, activism
- publishing, literature, journalism
- medicine and nursing
- art, writing, theatre, and acting
- management, marketing, and entrepreneurship
Our faculty advisors can work closely with you one-on-one to identify your areas of interest and help you navigate internships, careers, and post-college plans.
CLASSICS is foundational and radical.
Did you know that American universities were originally founded solely to study Classics? Did you know that the American system of government was designed while looking at ancient Roman political theories? That the Christian New Testament was written in Greek? That most medical and scientific vocabulary comes from Greek or Latin? The study of the ancient Mediterranean and its literature reveals how our modern world came to look like it does.
Yet Classics does not simply have a positive history, and it is part of a white supremacist story that the West has told about itself. Studying this material does not bind us to the past, however, and reformers and activists in this country have also used examples, arguments, and precedents from the ancient world to redefine what education should look like and to fight for political emancipation, racial justice, gender parity, gay rights, queer and transgender equality, and reproductive rights. It’s a great major for those interested in politics, law, activism, and advocacy.
Classics has undergone a major change since the days of the American founders. We now expend considerable energy investigating the everyday lives of women, workers, and enslaved people, as well as marginalized communities, while exploring Greek and Roman cultures alongside Egyptian, Etruscan, and other Middle Eastern societies.
A Classics major lets you explore antiquity, become experts about world-changing texts, and understand how our history has shaped our institutions and assumptions about the world, for better and worse. You cannot transform the present without understanding the past.
Become equipped to shape the future.
CLASSICS is close engagement.
Studying the ancient world means spending time paying attention to small details in to answer big questions. In our classes, students will:
- spend time understanding some of the most influential authors in human history
- learn how to gather and deploy concrete evidence for big arguments
- discuss big, lasting questions, such as why societies prosper, how ethics and politics shape history, how ideas travel, and how to live a good life
- explore truly meaningful and impactful stories and ideas
- discover who you are
Classics upper division courses are seminars made up of less than 25 students and offer one-on-one work with faculty and close collaboration with peers. These small courses offer large opportunities to:
- establish personalized mentorship from faculty
- create your own independent study to explore your own research interests
- receive detailed letters of recommendation
- develop a unique and innovative honors thesis
In Classics, there’s always someone ready to talk about whatever interest or question you’re eager to explore. Classics students:
- approach debates from a variety of viewpoints
- learn how to appreciate distinct perspectives
- work together to see how the past continues to affect our present
Classics is community.
UC Davis is a large school and can at times be overwhelming. The Classics program offers a small, close-knit community and retreat from campus pressures.
Students and faculty in the Classics Program contribute to and benefit from a supportive community. This tight-knit environment offers abundant opportunities for students to:
- build lasting relationships with their peers
- cultivate a warm, reliable support network
- engage with faculty on a regular basis
Our department centers on the newly renovated Classics library. Students hang out, study, and simply have fun. And with faculty offices just across the hall, students can chat with their professors on a regular basis.
The Classical Studies Association (CSA), a student-run club, regularly organizes events. Come join:
- video game events
- movie and pizza nights
- themed faculty talks for holidays
Consider contributing to Nota Bene, the Classics department's student-run journal. Get experience publishing your:
- original research
- translations
- art
- fiction
- poetry, etc.
Every year, the department also hosts the Classics Research Symposium. Practice presenting your research to your peers and professors and earn a new line on your C.V.!
Classics is exploration!
Part of investigating the ancient world involves archeology. Travel to the Mediterranean to join a dig! Unearth artifacts locked in the earth for thousands of years and help us better understand the past!
To help facilitate this research, the department offers the David Traill Prize annually. This award can cover:
- full or partial expenses on archeological digs
- travel costs and program fees for language study
- extended research in the Mediterranean
Multiple students have attended the CENTRO (Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome). This program offers a semester of study in Rome. Take a full range of Classics courses and visit ancient Roman, Greek, and Etruscan sites!
Apply to College Year in Athens for either a semester or full-academic year. Study philosophy in the place Socrates walked. Read tragedy where it was performed underneath the Acropolis!
Work with faculty to find opportunities to explore new places and unearth new discoveries about the ancient past.