Program: Classics - Davidson College

Foreign Language Requirement

Any course in Greek (GRE) or Latin (LAT) numbered above 200 satisfies the foreign language requirement.

Major requirements

CLA 111 (historical survey of the classical world);
one course in Greek (GRE) or Latin (LAT) at the 200 level or above;
one course in the other language (LAT or GRE) at any level;
a survey of Greek or Roman literature (CLA 121, 122, 211, or 222);
a survey of Greek or Roman art (CLA 141, 142, 241, or 242);
CLA 480 (senior capstone seminar);
five additional courses (with any prefix) from among those listed in the College Catalog under Classical Civilization, Greek (201 or higher), and/or Latin (201 or higher), including a minimum of two courses prefixed explicitly as CLA, GRE, or LAT and numbered at the 200 level or above.

Important Notes

Students interested in the classics major should take CLA 111 as soon as possible.
Students interested in post-graduate study in classics should take many more Greek and Latin courses than are required for the major. They should also begin German, French, or Italian.

Greek Minor

A minor in Greek requires 6 courses:

5 courses in Greek numbered above GRE 103
CLA 121 (Greek Literature in Translation)

With departmental approval, students may count courses taken abroad toward the minor. Davidson courses counted toward the minor may not be taken Pass/Fail. No more than one course counted toward the minor in Greek may also be counted toward a major in classics.

Latin Minor

A minor in Latin requires 6 courses:

5 courses in Latin numbered above LAT 201
CLA 122 (Roman Literature in Translation)

With departmental approval, students may count courses taken abroad toward the minor. Davidson courses counted toward the minor may not be taken Pass/Fail. No more than one course counted toward the minor in Latin may also be counted toward a major in classics.

Placement

Greek

To continue your study of ancient Greek, contact the Greek coordinator, Prof. Jeanne Neumann at jeneumann@davidson.edu.

Students who have received a 6 or 7 on the higher-level International Baccalaureate Greek exam receive credit for Greek 199. If you do not wish to continue your study of Greek, you may schedule an interview with Prof. Neumann to see if you can receive credit for Greek 201.

Students may enroll for one advanced Greek course at the 200-level if they have not taken a course above 201 in Greek before.

Latin

Students who have studied Latin previously must take a placement test before enrolling in Latin at Davidson. Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on either or both of the Advanced Placement Latin tests, or 6 or 7 on the higher level International Baccalaureate Latin exam, receive credit for Latin 199. If your placement test score places you above Latin 201, and you do not wish to continue your study of Latin, you may schedule an interview with the Latin coordinator, Prof. Jeanne Neumann, at jeneumann@davidson.edu to see if you can receive credit for Latin 201.

For further information see the Latin Placement section on our website.

Students may enroll for one advanced Latin course at the 200-level if they have not taken a course above 201 in Latin before.

Honors Requirements

Candidates for departmental honors may be admitted to the honors program provided they have attained an overall grade point average of at least 3.2, an average of 3.5 or higher in the major, and the unanimous endorsement of the department’s faculty. In addition to the regular course requirements for the major, candidates for honors must complete and successfully defend a senior thesis. A student who receives an A- or better on the thesis and maintains the above grade point averages throughout the senior year will receive the department’s recommendation for graduation with honors.

Classical Studies Courses

All the courses prefixed CLA are taught in English. Those numbered between 100 and 398 are open to all students; no prior experience or expertise in Classics is required. As a rule, CLA 100-level courses are surveys in history, art, archaeology, or literature, while 200- and 300-level courses focus on particular topics within Classics. The numeration of CLA courses (100 vs. 200 or 300) reflects a difference in focus, not in degree of difficulty. CLA 400-level courses are seminars limited to 12 students, with the permission of the instructor required. Recent examples have included Alexander the Great, Cicero and His World, the Parthenon, and Hellenistic Alexandria.

Greek Courses

We offer at least one course in advanced Greek each semester. In recent years, we have offered courses in Homer, Euripides, Thucydides, Plato, Aristophanes, and the New Testament. Students may enroll in advanced Greek courses at the 200-level for their first semester of Greek beyond GRE 201. Individual instructors determine how the course requirements will differ for 200- and 300-level students.

Latin Courses

We offer at least one course in advanced Latin each semester. In recent years, we have offered courses in the Civil Wars, Philosophical Writing, Ovid, Petronius, Senecan Tragedy, and Tacitus. Students may enroll in advanced Latin courses at the 200-level for their first semester of Latin beyond LAT 201. Individual instructors determine how the course requirements will differ for the 200- and 300-level students.