BA in Classical & Ancient Near Eastern Studies

Student Brenna Knippen stands in front of her research poster on Heinrich Schliemann’s Colonialism: The Catalyst for the Development of Ottoman Antiquities Policy

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 following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Course List
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.