Established under the department of Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages, Classical Studies at UCR is a broadly based program, with specialization in the ancient languages and civilizations of the Greeks and Romans. Interdisciplinary courses supplement core offerings in Classical Studies, contributed by the departments of Art History, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, and Theatre. By studying Greco-Roman civilizations, Classical Studies students learn something of the foundations of Western languages and cultures and are in a position to recognize similarities with other world cultures, both ancient and modern. By studying ancient Greek and Latin, students also learn how to read, write, think, and communicate effectively and intelligently in English. How and why do civilizations rise, decline, and fall? How do cultures influence private ambitions as well as public duties? Which aspects of human nature endure through time? How does cultural background affect notions of nature, fate, the cosmos, and the divine? Ancient writers grappled with these same questions that so exercise our minds today.

What We Offer

The major in Classical Studies leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The program also offers an approved subject matter preparation program for the Multiple Subject teaching credential. Students who complete such a program are exempt from subject matter examinations when applying for a teaching credential program.