Classical Civilization

What Is Classical Civilization ?

Classical civilization is the study of the culture, history, language and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Classical civilization majors develop language skills and enrich their lives through an interdisciplinary exploration of the Greek and Roman worlds. They study such things as mythology, philosophy, religion, politics and other areas where the ancient Greeks and Romans made decisive contributions to world civilization.

Success Factors

Classical civilization students possess an eye for detail, curiosity about languages -- including their own -- and love of history. Some well-known students, past and recent, are:

• Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud
• Theodor Mommsen and Toni Morrison (both recipients of the Nobel Prize for literature)
• Oscar Wilde, Erich Segal ("Love Story") and J.K. Rowling ("Harry Potter")
• Garry Wills (Catholic cultural critic) and Archbishop Pilarczyk of Cincinnati
• David Packard (of Hewlett-Packard) and Charles Geschke (founder of Adobe)
• James Baker (former secretary of state)

Career Possibilities

Classical civilization students in the UC McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) receive a strong liberal arts education that enables them to pursue a graduate degree in diverse fields of study including law, medicine and the ministry, and that allows them to move into a great variety of careers in industry, business and public service, as shown by our list under Success Factors. Depending on the actual courses taken, they could also pursue careers in archaeology, historical preservation and museum work. (Those who want to pursue an academic career in Greek or Latin per se should consider our classics major, which focuses more heavily on language and literature.) Classical civilization students develop critical thinking, communication, reading and writing skills to a high level of competence and precision. Such skills are highly valued in the private and public sphere.

Graduates find careers in:

• law
• medicine
• ministry
• industry
• business
  • advertising
  • public relations
  • publishing
• public services
  • administration
  • foreign service
  • journalism
  • libraries
• archaeology
  • consultant
  • researcher
  • teacher
  • tourism
• historical preservation
  • archives
  • historical societies
• museum work

Additional career options are listed on the Career Development Center's Web site. 

Major Details

The major in classical civilization requires 55 credit hours of courses in Latin, Greek and classical civilization. A major must take at least 18 hours at the 300 level or above, nine hours of which must consist of courses in Latin or Greek (the other nine can be in Latin, Greek or classical civilization). Medical Terminology (15-CLAS-238) and does not count toward the major. Majors are required to take the Introduction to Classical Studies (15-CLAS-475; 1 credit hour) in the fall of their senior year and an Independent Study (15-CLAS-471) in their senior year as a capstone experience.

McMicken College's flexible degree requirements allow for and highly encourage students to pursue multiple areas of study. Free electives allow for enough credits for students to pursue a minor, certificate program or even complete a second major. Some of the most common pairings are listed below.

• Anthropology 
• European studies
• French 
• Geography 
• German
• History
• Historic preservation
• Italian
• Judaic studies
• Linguistics
• Philosophy

Minor Details

The minor in classical civilization requires 30 credit hours in Latin, Greek and classical civilization. This must include at least three hours of Latin or Greek at the 300 level or above and at least three hours from EACH of the following sequences:

• CLAS 110-111-112, Classical Civilization
• CLAS 101-102-103, Ancient History
• CLAS 221-222-223, Art and Archaeology of the Ancient World

The Classics Department, along with the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) offers a program that allows students to earn a teaching certificate in Latin and become secondary school teachers of Latin. More information can be found on the department's website.

The department also offers a certificate in Ancient Greek. More information can be found the department's website.

Curriculum

This curriculum information is intended as a general information guide for students considering enrollment in this major. These online tools are designed to assist you, but are not a substitute for planning with an academic or faculty advisor.

If you are currently enrolled at UC, you can audit your degree online. If you are considering transferring to this major from another school use the course applicability system (CAS) to see how credits you have earned will apply to this major at UC. For course descriptions by college, click here.

*Needed to fulfill A&S college requirements.

Placement in language courses will be determined by the Classics Department, based on previous experience.

Students who major or minor in the Department of Classics are asked to keep a portfolio of examinations and papers completed in classics courses. The director of undergraduate studies will discuss the portfolio with each student during the annual review.

Sample Course Listing
A complete list of courses with brief descriptions is available on the departmental Web site.

Special Opportunities

Students in McMicken College of Arts and Sciences enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-intensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban, Tri-state location offers exciting opportunities for global education, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

Special Programs

The Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati offers a unique and dynamic environment, thanks to the generous patronage of the Semple Classics Fund, a bequest of Louise Taft Semple, established "for promoting the study of Classics in an endeavor to make vital and constructive in the civilization of our country the spiritual, intellectual, and esthetic inheritance we have received from Greek and Roman civilizations."

Among other things, the Semple Classics Fund supports:

• The John Miller Burnam Classical Library, the largest such library in the world
• A large number of graduate students
• A world-class faculty
• It also awards Semple Scholarships to outstanding undergraduates in Classics or Classical Civilization at the University of Cincinnati and the Semple Traveling Scholarships for a period of undergraduate study abroad, especially in Athens and Rome.

The Department of Classics has an international reputation as a leader in the field of Greek Bronze Age archaeology. It is particularly known for its excavations at Troy and Pylos under the direction of Carl Blegen. This tradition of excellence in archaeology continues today with current field projects at Pylos, Apollonia (Albania), and Episkopi-Bamboula (Cyprus).

Admission Requirements

Admission criteria for this program vary based on the relative strength of test scores, class rank and GPA. Please see the Freshman Class Profile for this major in the Quick Facts sidebar on this page for the range of academic credentials typically accepted into this program. Test scores in the lower range may be acceptable with higher class rank and/or GPA.

Freshmen applying to this program should also have completed the following state of Ohio articulation requirements with no more than two units missing:

• English (4 units)*
• College-preparatory mathematics (3 units)*
• Science (2 units)
• Social science (2 units)
• Foreign language (2 units)*
• Additional college-prep subjects (3 units)

*McMicken College of Arts and Sciences does not allow units missing from these areas.

Transfer Requirements

Applicants to A&S whose most recent enrollment was not in any of the UC colleges must apply through the Office of Admissions. Applicants in this category must submit transcripts for all secondary school and college-level work. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all college-level work is required for admission consideration. Admission to A&S is generally available for any off-campus applicants who have received an associate degree from an accredited college or university and whose cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.

University transfer scholarships are available to those who meet specific requirements and ANY admitted A&S transfer student might qualify for an A&S transfer scholarship. Deadlines and eligibility criteria are online via the previous links.

Changing Major Requirements

Applicants to A&S whose most recent enrollment was as a degree student in one of UC’s other colleges can apply directly to the A&S college office. Admission to A&S is generally available for any on-campus students who have:

• at least a 2.0 GPA in all college-level courses (both at UC and at other institutions),
• successfully completed two quarters of English Composition or its equivalent, and
• gained credit for a college-level mathematics course.

A&S students must meet the College residency requirement of 45.0 hours which begins immediately upon matriculation in the College and consists of courses taught by McMicken College of Arts and Sciences.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate from McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, students must:

• Earn at least 180 credits. This can include transfer credit, AP credit, and free electives, but does not include preparatory coursework. Students who have met all other degree requirements must continue earning credit until the total number of their earned hours comes to at least 180.
• Attain a 2.0 grade point average for all courses taken at the University of Cincinnati.
• Be in good academic standing, that is, not on either academic probation or disciplinary probation or suspension.
• Complete the residency requirement by earning at least 45 credits after matriculating into the college. These minimum 45 credits must be taught within McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (15), and also must be completed after gaining admission to the college.
• Complete all of the requirements of at least one major (see major requirements above).
• Complete the College Core Requirements.
• Submit an application for graduation to the registrar's office by their posted deadline.

Application Deadlines

UC operates on a quarter system, with 10-week grading periods beginning in late September, early January, late March and mid-June. While midyear admission is possible, fall quarter is generally the best time to enter the college, since many course sequences begin in that quarter. Applicants to McMicken College of Arts and Sciences who are enrolled or who were previously enrolled as degree-seeking students in A&S or in other UC colleges should apply for admission directly to A&S (in French West, 2nd Floor). All other applicants who wish to earn an undergraduate degree from A&S should apply through the Office of Admissions (3rd Floor, University Pavilion).