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Five different departments offer courses in classical civilization.
Bachelor of Arts in Classics
Understand the origins of modern Western culture. The classics degree program at the University of St. Thomas will help you develop a well-rounded skill set by studying culture, literature, language, history, archaeology, art history, religion and philosophy.
Why Study Classics at St. Thomas?
The classics program allows you to explore your talents and demonstrate your versatility throughout your undergraduate career. Classics students join a supportive program filled with passionate peers and faculty. In this flexible program, you will interact personally and develop close relationships with faculty throughout your time at St. Thomas. Graduates have gone on to pursue careers in fields such as law, teaching, the clergy and editing.
Know the History
Course Requirements
By studying the languages and cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome through the lenses of philosophy, history, art history, literature, religion and archaeology, you will become a resourceful thinker who can communicate across disciplines. The classics program offers a great deal of flexibility, so we recommend planning your time at St. Thomas with the program director early on in your undergraduate career.
Four-Year Plan
Classics major – 40 credits required
Culture track:
Latin/Greek 212 OR at least 12 credits in sequential courses in one language. Remaining credits/courses in culture or language.
Language track:
A minimum of 28 credits (7 courses) in language (Latin &/or Greek), with at least 8 credits at the 300 level. Remaining credits/courses in either language or culture.
Classics minor
CULTURE: 20 credits, 4-8 in language, 8 at 200 level or above
LANGUAGE: 16 credits, 12 in language, 4 at 300 level or above
Degrees Awarded
- Bachelor of Arts in Classics - Culture track
- Bachelor of Arts in Classics - Language track
- Minor in Classics
Course Requirements
Course Requirements
By studying the languages and cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome through the lenses of philosophy, history, art history, literature, religion and archaeology, you will become a resourceful thinker who can communicate across disciplines. The classics program offers a great deal of flexibility, so we recommend planning your time at St. Thomas with the program director early on in your undergraduate career.
Four-Year Plan
Four-Year Plan
Classics major – 40 credits required
Culture track:
Latin/Greek 212 OR at least 12 credits in sequential courses in one language. Remaining credits/courses in culture or language.
Language track:
A minimum of 28 credits (7 courses) in language (Latin &/or Greek), with at least 8 credits at the 300 level. Remaining credits/courses in either language or culture.
Classics minor
CULTURE: 20 credits, 4-8 in language, 8 at 200 level or above
LANGUAGE: 16 credits, 12 in language, 4 at 300 level or above
Degrees Awarded
Degrees Awarded
- Bachelor of Arts in Classics - Culture track
- Bachelor of Arts in Classics - Language track
- Minor in Classics
Studying the Past to Understand the Present
Our faculty will push you to read between the lines in texts. Your peers will challenge you to look at things from a different angle. And alumni? They are here to provide insight into what comes next.
Laura VandenBoom '15
Laura knew she enjoyed learning new languages, but she quickly discovered how the rigorous curriculum and friendly community within the classical civilization program developed the skills she needed to tackle intimidating languages. She paired a classical civilization major with a double major in English and a minor in Latin, all of which gave her a well-rounded skillset she needed for her career. She now works in marketing for an architecture and engineering firm where she is designing marketing materials, as well as writing proposals, website and public relations content.
Tim Sullivan '10
Tim is a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft. He credits Latin for getting him his first IT job at a Fortune 500 company. Amid the recession, Tim was called in for an interview because the hiring committee had never met a person with a Latin degree. He convinced them Latin and technology are not so different, since both are highly systematic and require seeing the details and big picture simultaneously. He still loves Latin!
Career Paths
We equip you with tools and knowledge that are valuable in a variety of careers after graduation:
- Archaeology
- Museum curation
- Teaching
- Travel planning
A wide range of interests
Dr. Lorina Quartarone
Dr. Quartarone has published articles on Roman poetry and spoken at the Living Latin conference in New York City.
Dr. Ivancica Schrunk
Dr. Shrunk grew up in the former Yugoslavia. She leads Tommies on Roman archaeological digs in her native land, now known as Croatia.
Dr. Mark Stansbury-O'Donnell
Dr. Stansbury-O'Donnell served as the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at St. Thomas and teaches classes focusing on Greek art.
Versatile Skills
The interdisciplinary nature of our program means you will gain a diverse array of beneficial practical skills sought after by employers.
Classical Academies
There are several academies in the Twin Cities featuring classical coursework, some of which have Tommies on the faculty!
Interdisciplinary
Choose from a wide variety of courses and electives during your time at St. Thomas.
A Close-Knit Community of Scholars
Classics students have a huge variety of academic and social opportunities to connect with their peers and professors.
A well-read scholar
Greek professor Tim Beck is an editor for Oxford University Press. He has also served as editor for Harvard, the Loeb Online Library and Bolchazy-Carducci.
Find your path
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of our program, many of our students have gone on to pursue law degrees and other graduate programs.
Faculty Publications
Mark Stansbury O’Donnell has authored several books on Greek art, such as Vase Painting, Gender, and Social Identity in Archaic Athens. Dr. Quartarone’s most recent publications are translations of poems by the Roman love poet Propertius. Her work in the Modern Language Association’s Approaches to Teaching Vergil’s Aeneid (Anderson and Quartarone) and Approaches to Teaching Ovid and the Ovidian Tradition (Boyd and Fox) is used by classics faculty across the country.
A Supportive Community
We are a close-knit community of students and faculty. We enjoy getting together for potluck dinners at Dr. Quartarone’s home every semester.
See the World
As a student in our program, you will have the unique opportunity to expand your horizons and see another side of the world through studying abroad. Past students have had the opportunity to travel to places such as Croatia and participate in an archaeological dig.
Take the Next Step
There is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.