Distinction
1804 University Hall (UH)
(312) 996–3281
http://www.uic.edu/las/clas/
Administration: Head, Nanno Marinatos
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Nanno Marinatos, nannom@uic.edu
Classics is the study of the civilizations of ancient Greece, Rome, and the Ancient Mediterranean. The Department of Classics and Mediterranean Studies provides introductory and advanced treatments of the religion, literature, and art of the Greco-Roman world. It also offers courses on the art and archaeology of Ancient Egypt and the Near East. Latin is taught from the introductory through the advanced levels, while courses in Arabic and Modern Greek are taught from the introductory through the intermediate levels (101–104). Students who major in classics may go on to pursue careers in law and professional scholarship and teach at college or high school level. Recent classics majors have entered law, medical, and divinity schools, while others have taken positions in business. The training in precise expression and critical thinking that a classics major receives is widely respected by employers.
The Department of Classics and Mediterranean Studies offers a program leading to the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Classical Studies. A minor in Classical Studies is also offered.
BA with a Major in Classical Studies
Degree Requirements—Classical Studies
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Classics and Mediterranean Studies degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| BA with a Major in Classical Studies Degree Requirements | Hours |
| Major Requirements | 31 |
| General Education and Electives to reach Minimum Total Hours | 89 |
| Minimum Total Hours—BA with a Major in Classical Studies | 120 |
General Education
See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.
Major Requirements
| Courses | Hours |
LAT 104—Intermediate Latin II (4) OR GKM 104—Intermediate Modern Greek II (4) (or the equivalent to be determined by examination) |
4 |
| CL 102—Introduction to Classical Literatureab | 3 |
| CL 208—Greek Mythologybc | 3 |
| CL 398—Advanced Topics in Classical Civilizationd | 3 |
| One course from the following:e | 3 |
| ARST 209/AH 209—The Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (3)g | |
| ARST 210/AAST 210/AH 210—The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt (3)g | |
| CL 103—Introduction to Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology (3) |
|
| CL 204—Greek Art and Archaeology (3)f | |
| CL 205—Roman Art and Archaeology (3) | |
| Five courses from the following, of which at least one is to be at the 300-level or above:eg |
15 |
| ARST 209/AH 209—The Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (3)g | |
| ARST 210/AAST 210/AH 210—The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt (3)g | |
| CL 211/GWS 211—Gender and Sexual Orientation in Greek and Roman Literature (3) | |
| CL 215—Greek Art in Greece (3)f | |
| CL 216—Sacred Landscapes (3) | |
| CL 250—Greek and Roman Epic Poetry (3) | |
| CL 251—Greek Tragedy (3) | |
| CL 252—Greek and Roman Comedy (3) | |
| CL 253—Roman Satire and Rhetoric (3) | |
| CL 255—Greek Science, Islamic Culture (3) | |
| CL 260—Near Eastern Myths and Epic (3) | |
| CL 291/LAT 291—Topics in Latin Prose Authors (3) | |
| CL 292/GKA 292—Topics in Ancient Greek Prose Authors (3) |
|
| CL 297/ENGL 297—Studies in the Classical Tradition (3) | |
| CL 298—Topics in Classical Civilization (3) | |
| CL 304/AH 304—Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World (3) |
|
| CL 310/ARAB 310—Aristotle and the Arabs (3) | |
| CL 340—The Iliad of Homer (3) | |
| CL 390—Seminar in Mediterranean Literature (3) | |
| CL 391/LAT 391—Topics in Latin Poetry (3) | |
| CL 392/GKA 392—Topics in Ancient Greek Poetry (3) | |
| CL 405/HIST 405—Herodotus and His World (3) | |
| CL 498—Topics in Classical Civilization (3) | |
| HIST 202—The Ancient World: Greece (3) | |
| HIST 203—The Ancient World: Rome (3) | |
| HIST 401—Topics in Greek History (3) | |
| HIST 402—Topics in Roman History (3) | |
| HIST 404—Roman Law and the Civil Law Tradition (3) | |
| PHIL 120—Introduction to Ancient Philosophy (3) | |
| PHIL 220—Ancient Philosophy I: Plato and His Predecessors (3) | |
| PHIL 221—Ancient Philosophy II: Aristotle and His Successors (3) | |
| Total Hours—Major Requirements | 31 |
a Fulfills the Understanding the Creative Arts General Education category.
b Fulfills the Understanding the Past General Education category.
c Fulfills the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education Category.
d CL 398 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
e Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog to determine if any of the courses on this list are approved for General Education.
f Credit is not given for CL 215 if the student has credit in CL 204.
g ARST 209 and ARST 210 appear on both lists, however, they can be used to satisfy the requirements of only one list.
No more than 9 hours of the major may be chosen from the following courses that are cross-listed with Classics: HIST 202, 203, 401, 402, 404; and PHIL 120, 220, 221.
To view a recommended plan of study for the major in Classical Civilization, please visit the LAS Web site http://www.uic.edu/las/college/info/fygp.
Minor in Classical Studies
Students from other disciplines who want to minor in Classical Studies must take a total of 18 hours distributed as follows:
| Required Courses—Classical Studies Minor | Hours |
| One course at the 100-level | 3 |
| One course from the following: | 3 |
| CL/HIST 202—The Ancient World: Greece (3) | |
| CL/HIST 203—The Ancient World: Rome (3) | |
| CL 204—Greek Art and Archaeology (3) | |
| CL 205—Roman Art and Archaeology (3) | |
| Four additional courses in Archaeological Studies or Classics, of which at least two must be at the 200-level above. A maximum of 6 semester hours in Latin at the 200-level or above may be counted toward these 12 hours. | 12 |
| Total Hours—Classical Studies Minor | 18 |
No more than 9 hours may be chosen from the following courses that are cross-listed with Classics: HIST 202, 203, 401, 402, 404; and PHIL 120, 220, 221.
Departmental Distinction
The candidate for departmental distinction must earn
a 3.50/4.00 GPA in courses required for the major
and a 3.00/4.00 overall GPA (UIC and transfer
credit).
High Departmental Distinction
The candidate for
high departmental distinction must earn a 3.75/4.00
GPA in courses required for the major and a
3.00/4.00 overall GPA (UIC and transfer credit).
Highest Departmental Distinction
Students who
qualify for High Distinction and complete CL 399
with a grade of A will qualify for Highest
Distinction.