BA in Classical & Ancient Near Eastern Studies
A Bachelor of Arts in Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies (CANES) is not only intellectually fulfilling, but can lead to many prestigious careers. Classical studies also combines well with many additional majors, such as archaeology, anthropology and history.
Students in the CANES major choose to focus in Greek, Latin, or Biblical Hebrew, with options to select electives from one of these languages. Potential courses in the major include Sports and Society in Ancient Greece, Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Near East, Dead Sea Scrolls and Power and Persuasion in the Ancient World. Many students also transfer credits taken abroad toward the CANES major.
Students should consult the coordinator of the CANES program before attempting to transfer credit or declare a major.
Capstone in Classical Studies
All students in the CANES major must complete CLAS 4111: Capstone Study in the junior or senior year. During the seminar, students complete practical research that may take the form of an internship with relevant groups such as the Smithsonian Institution or the American Schools of Oriental Research. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, students design a culminating project aligned with their interests, previous curricular experience and future goals.
Capstone projects should demonstrate that a student can find and evaluate information about the ancient world in both traditional and digital forms, and demonstrate it clearly. Students submit their results as a written report and present their findings to their fellow CANES majors.
Course Requirements
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Classical language proficiency | ||
| In addition to course requirements, students must complete the language proficiency requirement, which includes Greek (GREK) or Latin (LATN) language study through the 2002 level, or one classical language through the 1002 level and the other through the 2001 level. Alternatively, students may fulfill the language requirement by completing Biblical Hebrew language study, including HEBR 1001 and 1002 (or their equivalent), as well as HEBR 2003 and HEBR 2004. Students who have scored a 4 or 5 on the AP Latin examination are encouraged to contact the program coordinator. | ||
| Core course requirements | ||
| Two of the following courses (6 credits): 1 | ||
| CLAS 2112 | History of Ancient Greece | |
| or HIST 2112 | History of Ancient Greece | |
| CLAS 2113 | The Roman World to 337 A.D. | |
| or HIST 2113 | The Roman World to 337 A.D. | |
| CLAS 2803 | The Ancient Near East and Egypt to 322 B.C. | |
| or HIST 2803 | The Ancient Near East and Egypt to 322 B.C. | |
| One of the following courses (3 credits): | ||
| AH 3101 | Ancient Art of the Bronze Age and Greece | |
| AH 3102 | Ancient Art of the Roman Empire | |
| AH 3103 | Art and Archaeology of Egypt and the Near East | |
| Capstone (3 credits) | ||
| CLAS 4111 | Capstone Study | |
| Additional course requirements | ||
| 21 credits (7 courses) in electives taken as follows: 2 | ||
| 12 credits (four courses) selected from Group A, including at least two courses at the 3000 level or above. 1 | ||
| 9 credits (three courses) selected from Groups A and/or B. All 9 credits may be taken in Group B; however, if a student takes more than 9 credits in courses included in Group B, only 9 of those credits may be counted toward degree requirements. | ||
| Group A: CLAS, GREK, and LATN | ||
| CLAS 2104 | Ancient Medicine and Modern Medical Terms | |
| CLAS 2105 | Special Topics | |
| CLAS 2105W | Special Topics | |
| CLAS 2106 | Mythology of the Classical World | |
| or CLAS 2106W | Mythology of the Classical World | |
| CLAS 2107 | Greek and Roman Drama | |
| CLAS 2112 | History of Ancient Greece | |
| or HIST 2112 | History of Ancient Greece | |
| CLAS 2113 | The Roman World to 337 A.D. | |
| or HIST 2113 | The Roman World to 337 A.D. | |
| CLAS 2802 | Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Near East | |
| CLAS 2803 | The Ancient Near East and Egypt to 322 B.C. | |
| or HIST 2803 | The Ancient Near East and Egypt to 322 B.C. | |
| CLAS 2804 | History of Ancient Israel 3 | |
| or HIST 2804 | History of Ancient Israel | |
| CLAS 3104 | Dead Sea Scrolls | |
| CLAS 3105 | Topics in Classical Studies | |
| CLAS 3107 | Law and Diplomacy in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean | |
| CLAS 3111 | Topics in Ancient History | |
| or HIST 3111 | Topics in Ancient History | |
| CLAS 3112 | Art and Archaeology of Pompeii | |
| CLAS 3113 | Greece and Rome in the Art and Architecture of Washington D.C. | |
| CLAS 3114 | Topics in Ancient Literatures and Cultures | |
| CLAS 3115 | Topics in Ancient Art and Archaeology | |
| CLAS 3116 | Identity in the Greco-Roman World | |
| or HIST 3116 | Identity in the Greco-Roman World | |
| CLAS 3117 | Alexander the Great | |
| CLAS 3119 | The Ancient Economy | |
| or HIST 3119 | The Ancient Economy | |
| CLAS 3901 | Directed Project | |
| or CLAS 3901W | Directed Project | |
| CLAS 4901 | Directed Project | |
| GREK 3001 | Major Greek Authors I | |
| or GREK 3001W | Major Greek Authors II | |
| GREK 3002 | Major Greek Authors II | |
| or GREK 3002W | Major Greek Authors II | |
| LATN 3001 | Major Latin Authors I | |
| or LATN 3001W | Major Latin Authors I | |
| LATN 3002 | Major Latin Authors II | |
| or LATN 3002W | Major Latin Authors II | |
| Group B: Up to 9 credits. All 9 credits may be taken in Group B; however, if a student takes more than 9 credits in courses included in Group B, only 9 of those credits may be counted toward degree requirements. | ||
| AH 3101 | Ancient Art of the Bronze Age and Greece | |
| AH 3102 | Ancient Art of the Roman Empire | |
| AH 3103 | Art and Archaeology of Egypt and the Near East | |
| AH 3104 | Art and Archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age 3 | |
| or ANTH 3806 | Art and Archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age | |
| AH 3106 | Art and Archaeology of Israel and Neighboring Lands | |
| or ANTH 3805 | Archaeology of Israel and Neighboring Lands | |
| AH 3111 | ||
| ANTH 3834 | Field Research: Old World | |
| PHIL 2111 | History of Ancient Philosophy | |
| or PHIL 2111W | History of Ancient Philosophy | |
| PSC 2105 | Major Issues of Western Political Thought I | |
| REL 1009 | The Hebrew Scriptures | |
| REL 1010 | The New Testament | |
| REL 3341 | Christianity in the Ancient World | |
1A course taken as part of the core requirement may not also count as a Group A or Group B course selection.
2Students may also earn credit from directed study or coursework abroad if approved by appropriate faculty in Classical Studies.
3Only one course from the following can be counted toward major requirements: AH 3106, ANTH 3805, CLAS 2804, or HIST 2804.