Ancient Mediterranean Studies Major Requirements

Ancient Mediterranean Studies Requirements

The Ancient Mediterranean Studies Program in MEAMS offers students the opportunity to study and develop lifelong interest in the languages, literatures, thought, and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world (Greece, Rome, areas affected/influenced by them), as well as the influence of these subjects on the rest of history. By grappling with the familiar and the unfamiliar, with civilizations that are simultaneously part of us and distinctly separate, our majors, whatever their career goals, are uniquely challenged to broaden their perspectives, hone their critical-thinking skills, and improve their speaking and writing skills. 

Students looking for an additional challenge may pursue honors in Ancient Mediterranean Studies. To be eligible to earn honors, a major must have a GPA of 3.60 in the program, not counting courses taken Pass/Fail. These conditions must be met by a student鈥檚 penultimate semester. For further details, please see the

The Ancient Mediterranean Studies majors have changed! If you began your studies at 黑料不打烊 prior to fall 2024, the major requirements are outlined on the bottom half of this page, whereas the new majors will be listed directly below. If you have any questions, please reach out to the AMS undergraduate director, Professor Hilary Becker.

  • Ancient Mediterranean Studies, BA

    This specialization offers a grounding in the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world, Greece and Rome especially, but does not require reading knowledge of the original languages.


    Requirements
     
    Students interested in the major in Ancient Mediterranean Studies must complete the following requirements (10 courses in total):

    • One Foundations in Ancient Mediterranean Studies course (4 credits) in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (for example, 鈥淒aily Life in Greece and Rome鈥 or 鈥淢editerranean Myths, Then & Now鈥)
    • Six courses listed or cross-listed under AMS, GRK, or LAT (24 credits)
    • Three courses in any aspect of ancient Mediterranean culture, history, language, literature, archaeology, philosophy, or art as approved by the Undergraduate Director (12 credits)

    Notes:

    • No more than two introductory-level (100-level) courses shall count toward the major.
    • Any course in which a student receives a grade of P or D shall not count toward the major.
    • At least six courses must be taken at the 300-level or above. Students are advised to work with the Undergraduate Director when selecting courses.
    • Teaching practica (e.g., AMS 391, GRK 391, LAT 391) shall not count toward the major
    • Students wishing to apply for graduate programs in Ancient Mediterranean Studies/Classics (Masters, MAT, PhD) need to work closely with the Undergraduate Director in creating a program of study supportive of postgraduate work.
  • Greek and Latin, BA

    The Bachelor of Arts in Greek and Latin program is designed to provide thorough and rigorous training in ancient Greek and Latin, as well as the principal languages and literature of the ancient Mediterranean world and beyond. Our majors have opened doors for graduates in various fields: teaching, scholarship (including PhD work in Classics/Ancient Mediterranean Studies, archaeology, etc.), and careers of all sorts. Specializing in one of the two languages (ancient Greek or Latin), students enrolled in this major take at least three semesters in one language of their choice plus at least two semesters of study in the other. The program is rounded out with coursework from subfields such as Mediterranean archaeology, ancient history, and ancient philosophy.

    Major Requirements
     
    Depending on prior exposure to the language, LAT 101, LAT 102, GRK 101 and GRK 102 may be required prerequisites for the major. With departmental approval, a special program may be devised that emphasizes both languages equally or in which one language predominates.

    Course Requirements
     
    Students interested in the major in Greek and Latin must complete the following requirements (10 courses in total):

    • 3 Courses beyond 102 in either ancient Greek or Latin (this will be the student鈥檚 primary language) (12 credits)
    • 2 Courses in the other, secondary, language (8 credits)
    • 5 Courses listed under Ancient Greek, Latin, or Ancient Mediterranean studies (GRK, LAT, AMS) or those chosen with the Undergraduate Director鈥檚 approval (20 credits)

    Notes:

    • No more than three introductory (100-level) courses shall count toward the major.
    • Teaching practica (e.g. AMS 391, GRK 391, LAT 391) shall not count towards the major.
    • At least six courses must be taken at the 300-level or above. When selecting courses, students are advised to work with the Undergraduate Director to ensure that this requirement is met.
    • Any course in which a student receives the grade of P or D shall not count toward the major.
    • Students with high-school or other preparation in Latin or ancient Greek are placed at the appropriate level on the basis of individual consultation with faculty members or, in some cases, by placement tests. Incoming students approved for language study beyond the 101 level will need to consult with the Undergraduate Director regarding alternate routes to fulfilling major requirements.
    • Students wishing to apply for graduate programs in Ancient Mediterranean Studies/Classics (Masters, MAT, PhD) need to work closely with the Undergraduate Director in creating a program of study supportive of post-graduate work. In particular, students who are hoping to go on to study for an MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) in Latin should consult with the Undergraduate Director at their earliest convenience in order to ensure they build a roster of courses that will allow them to meet the language credit requirements of NYS and out of state universities, as these requirements can vary from school to school.
  • Latin, BA

    The Latin program is designed to provide thorough and rigorous training in Latin. Majors may leverage the training this major provides toward advancement in a variety of fields, including teaching (Majors of ours have gained admission to Master of Arts in Teaching [MAT] programs in Latin). Alternatively, the enrichment that Latin majors gain can supplement training in other disciplines, including Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Either way, this major holds many possibilities for students. Students majoring in Latin will take at least six courses in Latin and additional courses in any aspect of ancient Mediterranean culture, history, language, literature, archaeology, philosophy, or art, as approved by the Undergraduate Director.

    Major Requirements
     
    Depending on prior exposure to the language, LAT 101 and 102 may be required prerequisites for the major.

    Course Requirements

    Students interested in the major in Latin must complete the following requirements (10 courses in total):

    • At least six Latin-Language (LAT) courses (24 credits)
    • Four additional courses in any aspect of ancient Mediterranean culture, history, language, literature, archaeology, philosophy, or art as approved by the Undergraduate Director (16 credits)

    Notes:

    • No more than three introductory (100-level) courses shall count toward the major.
    • At least six courses must be taken at the 300-level or above. When selecting courses, students are advised to work with the Undergraduate Director to ensure that this requirement is met.
    • Teaching practica (e.g. AMS 391, GRK 391, LAT 391) shall not count towards the major.
    • Any courses in which a student receives the grade of P or D shall not count toward the major.
    • Students with high-school or other preparation in Latin are placed at the appropriate level on the basis of individual consultation with faculty members or, in some cases, by placement tests. Incoming students approved for language study beyond the 101 level will need to consult with the Undergraduate Director regarding alternate routes to fulfilling major requirements.
    • Students who are hoping to go onto study for an MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) in Latin should consult with the Undergraduate Director at their earliest convenience in order to ensure they build a roster of courses that will allow them to meet the language credit requirements of NYS and out of state universities, as these requirements can vary from school to school.

For students who began before fall 2024, your major requirements are as follows. Note that the name of the first major is Classical Civilization and not Ancient Mediterranean Studies.

  • Classical Civilization, BA

    Classical Civilization is a flexible program, putting together studies of Greek, Roman, and Mediterranean history and culture and literature from various departments, including medieval and Near Eastern elements. It does not require Latin or Greek language study, though we always encourage it.

    Requirements - Total of 10 Courses

    1. (7 Courses) listed or cross-listed under Classical Studies (CLAS), Greek (GRK), or Latin (LAT).
    2. (3 Courses) in archaeology, ancient history, ancient philosophy, ancient art, ancient literature or other courses in classical civilization approved by the Classics Studies undergraduate director.

    NOTE: Not more than two introductory-level (100-level) courses may be counted toward the major.

  • Classical Studies, Greek and Latin, BA

    The Classical Studies, Greek and Latin program is designed to provide thorough and rigorous training in ancient Greek and Latin, the principal languages and literatures of the ancient Mediterranean world and beyond. Our majors have found doors opening for them in a variety of fields: teaching, scholarship (including PhD work in Classical Studies, archaeology, etc.), and careers of all sorts. Specializing in one of the two languages, ancient Greek or Latin, students enrolled in this major take at least four semesters in that language plus at least two semesters of study in the other. Their program is rounded out with coursework in ancient civilization, history, culture, and so on.

    Requirements - Total of 10 Courses

    1. (4 Courses) beyond 102 in either ancient Greek or Latin.
    2. (2 Courses) in the other language (ancient Greek or Latin).
    3. (4 Courses) listed under Classical Studies (CLAS) or those chosen with departmental approval from other departmental offerings, or from archaeology, ancient history, ancient philosophy, ancient art or ancient literature.

    NOTE: Depending on prior exposure to the language, LAT 101,102 and GRK 101 and 102 may be required prerequisites for the major. Not more than two introductory-level (100-level) courses may be counted toward the major.

  • Latin, BA

    The Latin program is designed to provide thorough and rigorous training in ancient Latin. Majors may leverage the training this major provides toward advancement in a variety of fields, including teaching. (Majors of ours have gained admission to Master of Arts in Teaching [MAT] programs in Latin.) Alternatively, the enrichment that Latin majors gain can supplement training in other disciplines, including Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Either way, this major holds many possibilities for students.

    Students majoring in Latin will take a minimum of five courses beyond the 102 level, one course in Roman History, and additional courses in culture, civilization, and so on to round out their program. 

    Requirements - Total of 10 Courses

    1. (5 Courses) Latin courses beyond 102.
    2. (5 Courses) listed under Classical Studies (CLAS) or those chosen with departmental approval from other departmental offerings, or from ancient archaeology, ancient history, ancient philosophy, ancient art, or ancient literature.

    NOTE: (Latin major) Depending on prior exposure to the language, LAT 101 and 102 may be required prerequisites for the major. Not more than two introductory-level (100-level) courses may be counted toward the major.

Study Abroad in Ancient Mediterranean Studies

 Students interested in a study abroad program or an archaeological field school need to consult with the departmental Undergraduate Director, as well as with other faculty in Ancient Mediterranean Studies, especially for pre-approval of credit recognition and credit transfer. University sponsored study abroad programs in the Classical world are also available. Check out this page to begin and please check out the Levin enrichment grant, a competitive award available to majors.

headshot of Hilary Becker

Hilary Becker

Associate Professor/Undergraduate Director AMS

Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
LT 503