Requirements

Classics Major

The classics major consists of ten courses with concentrations in three possible areas: classical studies, classical archaeology, and classical languages and literatures.

Classical Studies Concentration

Select at least one archaeology (ARCH) course at the 1000 level or above1
Select at least four classics (CLAS) courses, at least three of which must be at the 2000 level or above a4
Select at least two additional courses from any departmental designation (ARCH, CLAS, GRK, or LATN) at the 3000 level or above2
Select at least either three Greek (GRK) or three Latin (LATN) courses3

Classical Archaeology Concentration

Select at least five archaeology (ARCH) courses, at least two of which must be at the 2000 level or above, and at least one of which must be at the 3000 level or above5
Select at least either three Greek (GRK) or three Latin (LATN) courses3
Select two additional elective courses from any departmental designation (ARCH, CLAS, GRK, or LATN) at any level, including first-year writing seminars b2

Classical Languages and Literatures Concentration

Select at least six Greek (GRK) and/or Latin (LATN) courses, including two at the 3000 level or above6
Select at least one archaeology (ARCH) course at the 1000 level or above1
Select at least one classics (CLAS) course at the 1000 level or above1
Select at least two classics (CLAS) courses at the 2000 level or above c2

Classics Minor

Greek

Select five courses in the department, including at least four in the Greek language.5

Latin

Select five courses in the department, including at least four in the Latin language.5

Classics

Select at least five courses in the department, including at least four in both Greek and Latin languages; of these four one should be either GRK 2204 or above, or LATN 3000 or above5

Archaeology

Select at least six courses in the department; at least one archaeology (ARCH) 1000-level course, two ARCH 2000-level courses, one ARCH 3000-level course, and two other departmental courses (ARCH, CLAS, GRK, or LATN) at any level d6

Classical Studies

Select at least six courses in the department; at least one archaeology (ARCH) course at the 1000-level or above, one classics (CLAS) course at the 1000-level or above, three CLAS courses at the 2000-level or above, and one CLAS or ARCH course at the 3000-level or above d6
Interdisciplinary Major

The department participates in an interdisciplinary program in archaeology and art history. See the Interdisciplinary Majors.

Additional Information and Department Policies

  • As a capstone to this major, at least one 3000-level course taken in the senior year is required.
  • Courses that count toward the programs offered by the department must be taken for regular letter grades (not Credit/D/Fail), and students must earn grades of C- or better in these courses.
  • One first-year writing seminar may count as an elective toward the major and minor.
  • Normally, independent studies and honors projects only count toward the major or minor with prior approval of the department.
  • Majors may double-count two courses with another department or program and minors may double-count one course with another department or program. 

Classics and Archaeology at Bowdoin and Abroad

Archaeology classes regularly use the outstanding collection of ancient art in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Of special note are the exceptionally fine holdings in Greek painted pottery and the very full and continuous survey of Greek and Roman coins. In addition, there are numerous opportunities for study or work abroad.

Bowdoin is a participating member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, where students majoring in classics and classical archaeology can study in the junior year. It is also possible to receive course credit for field experience on excavations. Interested students should consult members of the department for further information. Students can count up to four courses taken abroad toward the major; up to three in one semester, or four from a full year abroad. Students can count up to two courses taken abroad toward the minor; one per semester spent abroad. Students must consult with departmental faculty prior in order to determine course eligibility.

Students contemplating graduate study in classics or classical archaeology are advised to begin the study of at least one modern language in college, as most graduate programs require competence in French and German as well as in Latin and Greek.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate (AP/IB)

Students who received a minimum score of four on the Latin AP exam are eligible to receive a general credit toward the degree if they take a Latin course at the 3000 level and earn a minimum grade of B-. Regardless of AP scores, students should complete the placement questionnaire. No major or minor credit is given. In order to receive credit for advanced placement work, students must have their scores officially reported to the Office of the Registrar by the end of their sophomore year at Bowdoin. Students who took the Latin IB exam should consult the department for credit.

Information for Incoming Students

Classics is the study of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds within the broader context of the ancient Mediterranean and the ancient Near East. Our discipline combines the study of art history, archaeology, history, literature, philosophy, and the languages of Greek and Latin. Our students use these multiple perspectives in order to better understand and better imagine the diversity of peoples who lived thousands of years before us, to reflect on what this past has meant to later ages, and to learn more about how it continues to shape our own ideas in the present day.

Please note that the department offers many other classes under the archaeology and classics rubrics that are designed for first-year student enrollment, and have spaces set aside especially for first-year students. These classes do not require any knowledge of Latin or Greek, nor do they require any prior study of the Classical World. For fall 2023 these include: a first year writing seminar, CLAS 1012 Ancient Mediterranean in Modern MediaARCH 1102 Roman Archaeology, CLAS 1112 History of Ancient Rome: From Romulus to Justinian, and CLAS 2102 Socrates and the Problem of History.

Students interested in beginning Latin should enroll in LATN 1101 Elementary Latin Iwhich is offered in the fall. Students interested in beginning Greek should enroll in GRK 1101 Elementary Greek I, which is offered in the spring. Because of the sequential nature of language study and the pattern of offerings in the department, students should plan on taking both semesters of Latin over one academic year; students interested in the elementary Greek sequence should plan to take GRK 1101 Elementary Greek I in the spring and GRK 1102 Elementary Greek IIthe following fall.

Students who have studied Latin or Greek in high school, as well as students interested in beginning Latin or Greek here at Bowdoin, should complete the Latin or Greek placement questionnaire in Blackboard in the summer prior to matriculation. In order to make placement recommendations we take into consideration past study, AP and SAT II scores, and a brief conversation with the student about their interests. Most first-year students who are continuing Latin enroll in either LATN 2203 Intermediate Latin for Reading or LATN 2216 Roman Comedy. Students with exceptionally strong backgrounds, however, may enroll in LATN 3316 Roman Comedy  Most first-year students who are continuing Greek enroll in GRK 1102 Elementary Greek II.

Members of the Classics Department faculty are always happy to talk with students individually in order to discuss placement and sequencing of courses.


This is an excerpt from the official Bowdoin College Catalogue and Academic Handbook. View the Catalogue