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Studies & Degrees in Classics

Classics is the study of the languages and cultures of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Students read Greek and Latin texts, from epic poetry and drama to history, philosophy and law, and study the societies that produced them through ancient history, art and archaeology. The Department of Classics at Dartmouth College sums up the field as ancient history, archaeology, and classical languages and literature.

The centre of the subject is language. Students learn Ancient Greek, Latin or both, usually from beginner level if they need to, and move on to reading authors in the original. Around that core they take courses on history, religion, philosophy, material culture and the later reception of the classical world. The work trains close reading, accurate translation, the handling of fragmentary evidence and clear written argument.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees in the United States and Canada. Classics is a major within a Bachelor of Arts, and departments usually offer several tracks. Stanford University has five: Classical Studies, Ancient History, Greek, Latin, and Greek and Latin. Its Classical Studies track requires a minimum of 60 units, including at least two courses in Latin or Greek at intermediate level or higher. The University of Texas at Austin offers five options, among them Classical Archaeology, and Duke University separates a Classical Civilization major from a Classical Languages major that requires both Greek and Latin through the second year.
  • Tracks without the languages. Many departments teach the ancient world in translation. At the University of Texas at Austin, Classical Civilization courses require no knowledge of Greek or Latin. At the University of Prince Edward Island a minor in Classics consists of 21 semester hours.
  • Spain. The subject is taught as classical philology or classical studies in an official bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits. Examples are the Grado en Filología Clásica of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where Greek and Latin studies date from the university's foundation in the 16th century, and the Grado en Estudios Clásicos y Románicos of the Universidad de Oviedo. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 credits.
  • France. At the École normale supérieure in Paris, the Département des Sciences de l'Antiquité bases its training on regular exercises in Greek and Latin and also teaches rarer ancient languages.
  • Postgraduate study. Master's degrees and doctorates lead to research and university teaching. Some US departments combine levels: Stanford undergraduates can work towards a coterminal master's degree, and the department states that it offers all admitted doctoral students a funding package covering tuition and a stipend.

Where to study it

This directory lists 116 active schools for classics. The United States has 66, the United Kingdom 12, Spain 9, Canada 8 and France 4, and there are schools in Egypt, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, Germany and Nicaragua. Examples in the United States include Stanford University, Duke University, Dartmouth College, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Washington, The Ohio State University and the University of Chicago.

Teaching is in the language of the country, and the texts are read in Greek and Latin everywhere. When comparing programmes, look at how much language work is required, whether beginners can start Greek or Latin at university, the balance between literature, history and archaeology, and the options for fieldwork or study in the Mediterranean.

Careers

Classics does not lead to one profession. The University of Washington reports that its classics alumni go into education, law, journalism, business, health sciences and other fields. The careers closest to the subject each need a further step:

  • School teaching. Latin and classical civilisation are taught in secondary schools. In the United States, public school teachers must have a state-issued certification or licence. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in the employment of high school teachers from 2025 to 2035.
  • Museums, archives and heritage. Archivists, curators and conservators typically need a master's degree in a related field. US employment of archivists, curators and museum workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.
  • University teaching and research. Postsecondary teachers typically need a PhD. Their overall US employment, across all subjects, is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know Latin or Greek before starting a classics degree?

Often not. Many departments teach both languages from beginner level, and some tracks, such as Classical Civilization at the University of Texas at Austin, need no Greek or Latin at all.

What is the difference between classics and classical civilisation?

A classics or classical languages track is built on reading Greek and Latin in the original. Classical civilisation or classical studies tracks cover the same world mainly through translated texts, history and archaeology.

How long does a classics degree take in Spain?

An official bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits, which is four academic years. A master's degree adds 60, 90 or 120 credits.

What can I do with a classics degree?

Graduates work in education, law, journalism, business and other fields. Teaching, museum work and university research are the careers closest to the subject, and each requires a further qualification.