Classics - B.A.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics provides a foundation in the Western humanities while sharpening a student’s analytical skills and English vocabulary though the systematic study of the ancient languages. Colloquia are offered regularly, covering such thematic topics as violence, gender, sexuality and ancient Christianities.

The Classics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Greek concentration offers opportunities for students to read original Greek texts by such authors as Plato and Homer to enrich their knowledge of classical languages. Students may select from a list of culture courses dealing with the art, archaeology, history, mythology and literature of the classical world.
• The Latin concentration offers opportunities for students to read original Latin texts by such authors as Cicero and Vergil to enrich their knowledge of classical languages. Students may select from a list of culture courses dealing with the art, archaeology, history, mythology and literature of the classical world. Students in the Latin concentration are eligible to pursue teacher licensure at the secondary level.
• The Classical Civilization concentration is designed for students with a broad interest in the classical world. The major offers a wide variety of diverse subjects, including the literature, art, archaeology, history, law, religion, sport and mythology of the classical world. The coursework is all in English, but students may take coursework in ancient Greek or Latin beyond the elementary level. The program provides students with a strong, general liberal arts education appropriate to many pursuits after college, including law, medicine, business, writing and publishing.
• The Religion Studies concentration is founded on the study of the ancient multicultural traditions of the Mediterranean peoples, whose multiple worldviews gave rise to religious traditions that, together with the classical heritage, shaped successive Western civilizations. Students begin with a core of classics courses, in order to understand the cultural context within which the traditions of Second-Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianities arise. Concentration requirements form an introduction to the content of classical world religions, including major Eastern traditions and Islam, and the study of religion as an academic discipline. Courses examine the classical and Western traditions in greater depth, explore the reception of and discourse about Western traditions with medieval and modern societies or take a comparative approach to the examination of non-Western traditions. The program emphasizes critical thinking skills and provides a liberal arts education especially well-suited for those planning on careers as religious professionals.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Latin and Greek concentrations will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understandings of the Greek or Roman cultural context within which literary, historical and other writings were produced.
2. Distinguish between ancient and modern cultural values.
3. Recognize historical biases.
4. Use primary source materials, including material culture, to better understand the cultures of the ancient world.
5. Read Latin at the level of Cicero and Vergil, or read Greek at the level of Homer and Plato.
6. Compose complex sentences in Latin or Greek.
7. Analyze texts with respect to philology, literary style and cultural contexts.
8. Demonstrate general knowledge of the literature, history and culture of classical civilization (Greece and Rome).

Graduates of the Classical Civilization concentration will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understandings of the Greek or Roman cultural context within which literary, historical and other writings were produced.
2. Appreciate the contributions of the Greco-Roman world to modern societies.
3. Distinguish between ancient and modern cultural values.
4. Recognize historical biases.
5. Apply critical thinking to ethical conundrums in the record of the past.
6. Apply a variety of methodologies to the study of the past.
7. Use primary source materials, including material culture, to better understand the cultures of the ancient world.

Graduates of the Religion Studies concentration will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understandings of the Greek or Roman cultural contexts within which Jewish and Christian texts were produced.
2. Appreciate the contributions of western antiquity to modern religious thought of a wide variety of faiths and doctrines.
3. Distinguish between ancient and modern religious values and biases.
4. Apply critical thinking to matters of difficult interpretation.
5. Employ a variety of methodologies to study religions of the past and present.
6. Use primary source materials – both literary and material – to better understand the complexities of religion, in both the ancient Greco-Roman world and the modern world.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

²

For students declared in the Classical Civilization concentration, foreign language is required. For students declared in the Greek concentration, it is expected that they take or have met the prerequisites of GRE 14201 and GRE 14202 (if those courses are complete, students should take general electives). For students declared in the Latin concentration, it is expected that they take or have met the prerequisites of LAT 16201 and LAT 16202 (if those courses are complete, students should take general electives).

Classical Civilization Concentration Requirements

¹

Maximum 12 credit hours of Greek (GRE) or Latin (LAT) courses may be counted toward the major.

Greek Concentration Requirements

Latin Concentration Requirements

Religion Studies Concentration Requirements

¹

Students must choose courses not already completed from any of the elective lists.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

Graduation Requirements

Program Note

• Some courses in the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies are offered on a rotating basis, and course availability may change at any time. Please see the program coordinator or your academic advisor for course planning.

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.¹
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options²:

1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
2. Elementary I and II of a second language
3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:

• Intermediate I of the same language
• ARAB 21401
• ASL 19401
• CHIN 25421
• MCLS 10001
• MCLS 20001
• MCLS 20091
• MCLS 21417
• MCLS 21420
• MCLS 22217
• MCLS 28403
• MCLS 28404

¹

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

²

Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.

Roadmaps

Classical Civilization Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Greek Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Latin Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Religion Studies Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus