Program: Classics - Davidson College - Modern Campus Catalog™

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Major requirements for students entering 2013 or later

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 131, 243, or any other course in the area of classical archaeology at the 200 level or above.
CLA 480 (senior capstone seminar);
four additional courses (with any prefix) from among those listed below 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

The department strongly encourages students to take CLA 111 as early as possible in their pursuit of the major.
Students interested in post-graduate study in Classics are strongly encouraged to a) study abroad, b) take as many courses as possible in both Latin and Greek, well beyond the number required for the major, and c) begin pursuing German, French, or Italian.

Major requirements for students entering before 2013

Students entering prior to 2013 must choose an emphasis in either classical civilization or classical languages.

Emphasis in classical civilization

three courses in Greek (GRE) and Latin (LAT), including one course in each language and one course at the 200 level or above in either language;
eight other courses from among those listed below under Classical Civilization, Greek (201 or higher), and/or Latin (201 or higher), including:

at least one course in ancient literature (CLA 121, 122, 211, 222, or 254);

at least one course in ancient history (CLA 111, 231, 232, or 253);

at least one course in ancient art or archaeology;

at least one seminar (CLA 400-498).

Emphasis in classical languages

seven language courses, including five at the 200 level or above and at least two in each language;
four other courses from among those listed below under Classical Civilization, Greek (201 or higher), and/or Latin (201 or higher), including:

one course in ancient literature (CLA 121, 122, 211, 222, or 254);

one course in ancient history (CLA 111, 231, 232, or 253);

one course in ancient art or archaeology;

one seminar (CLA 400-498).

Placement

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 to satisfy the foreign language requirement that way.

For further information, see: http://www.davidson.edu/academics/classics/latin-placement

Students may enroll for one advanced Greek and one advanced Latin course at the 200-level if they have not taken a course above 201 in the language 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 Civilization Courses

All the courses prefixed CLA and numbered between 100 and 398 are open to all students. No prior experience or expertise in Classics is required. As a rule, CLA 200-level courses are surveys in art, archaeology, or literature, while CLA 300-level courses focus on particular topics within Classics. The numeration of CLA courses (200 vs. 300) reflects a difference in focus, not in degree of difficulty.

Greek Courses

Advanced Course Information

We offer at least one course in advanced Greek each semester. In recent years, we have offered courses in Euripides, Hellenistic Poetry, the New Testament, Plato, Rhetoric, and Sophocles. Students may enroll in advanced Greek courses at the 200-level for only 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

Advanced Course Information

We offer at least one course in advanced Latin each semester. In recent years, we have offered courses in Catullus, Comedy, Horace, Livy, Pastoral Poetry, Satire, and Seneca. Students may enroll in advanced Latin courses at the 200-level for only their first semester of Latin beyond LAT 201. Individual instructors determine how the course requirements will differ for the 200- and 300-level students.