Welcome to the Department of Greek and Latin!
Our community of students and scholars works together to study over two thousand years of ancient and medieval history, literature, archaeology, and art. We are .jpg)
interested in classics, patristics, and the relationship of the classical era to the Christian tradition, and we teach both language and non-language courses on the Greco-Roman world.
interested in classics, patristics, and the relationship of the classical era to the Christian tradition, and we teach both language and non-language courses on the Greco-Roman world.- Learn more about our faculty.
- Read about career possibilities in the field.
- Check on language placement requirements.
- Make plans to study abroad.
- I might study classics . . . but where do I start?
- Contact the department.
BA Programs
A bachelor's degree in any area of classics will open your mind, polish your skills, and challenge your assumptions. Studying at CUA and perhaps abroad as well, you will join one of the oldest and most prestigious disciplines in academia--and be amazed at how relevant the ancient world is to the modern one.
- BA in Classics: learn both Greek and Latin.
- BA in Classical Humanities: choose from Greek or Latin.
- BA in Classical Civilization: no ancient language required.
- Can I double-major in one of these areas with something else?
- Can I combine one of these degrees with the Honors Program?
- What can I do with one of these degrees after graduation?
MA Programs
An MA opens a world of possibilities: museum work, secondary-level teaching, research and archiving, librarianship, publishing, or the path towards a university career, just to name a few. Immerse yourself in the literature and culture of ancient Greece and Rome--and see where it takes you.
PhD Program
The PhD in Greek and Latin at CUA builds on the classical MA program by focusing on late antiquity, patristics, or the Middle Ages. Courses are offered every semester on the literature of these eras, and an individualized exam process prepares students to write dissertations that break new ground.
- PhD in Greek and Latin
- What qualifications are needed to apply for a PhD program?
- What makes CUA's PhD in Greek and Latin distinctive?
- What other special opportunities are there for me at CUA?
- What funding is available for PhD students in this department?
- How does a new PhD find a position at a university?
Certificate Programs
Anyone who has completed a bachelor's degree in any field can apply for the certificate programs: no prior Greek or Latin is required. Certificates are graduate-level qualifications that show advanced competency in one or both classical languages. Always dreamed about trying classics? Now is your chance!
Minors
Consider adding a minor in Greek, Latin, or Classical Civilization to your bachelor's degree, and take advantage of our exciting courses, outstanding faculty, friendly community, and commitment to advising and mentoring our students.
A minor can make your degree even more prestigious and valuable.
A minor can make your degree even more prestigious and valuable.- Minor in Greek: a great addition to a Philosophy degree.
- Minor in Latin: the language of law and of the Church.
- Minor in Classical Civilization: no languages required.
- What good are minors?
- How can I get started on a minor?
- I am already minoring in something else. Can I add another minor?
quick links
CLASSICAL QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Let us begin our song with the Heliconian Muses who . . . dance with delicate feet round the dark spring and the altar of the most powerful son of Cronos.
--Hesiod, Theogony, trans. Trypanis
Classical Association of the Atlantic States
CUA is a proud member of CAAS, our regional professional organization for the study and teaching of classics from the priimary school through the university and professional levels.
CAAS provides grants and scholarships to students and educators for a variety of projects, including special events and study abroad.
CAAS holds a meeting every fall that takes the form of a productive and friendly conference, an excellent venue for graduate students and professionals to read scholarly papers.
Professor William Klingshirn, our department chair, is a past President of CAAS, and Dr. Sarah Ferrario is the current Director of CAAS from the DC region. Please contact Dr. Ferrario if you are interested in joining CAAS or learning more about its opportunities!
ETA SIGMA PHI
CUA is the home of the Eta Kappa chapter of the national classics honor society, Eta Sigma Phi, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement in the study of Greek and Latin.
Eta Sigma Phi members have access to scholarship opportunities (including some for study abroad), to a national translation contest, and to the chance to apply to present papers at both student and professional conferences.
Eta Kappa's 2013 induction class contained 12 new members (in addition to the 22 current ones), and we look forward to welcoming many more in the years to come. Invitation letters for qualified students are sent out by the Department of Greek and Latin early in the second semester of the year.
Please contact Dr. Ferrario, the faculty moderator, if you have eligibility questions, or are interested in learning more about Eta Sigma Phi!
Current Announcements
- Are you a CUA graduate student? If so, have you considered completing a Certificate in Greek, in Latin, or in Greek and Latin as part of your graduate program? Please contact Prof. Frank Mantello to discuss your options.
- Summer Latin paleography at CUA! In summer 2013, the Center for Medieval and Byzantine Studies and the Department of Greek and Latin will offer LAT 534: Latin Paleography, a 3-credit-hour course open to graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and others with sufficient background in Latin from both inside and outside the university. View details, or print a pdf flyer.
- Congratulations to Sr. Maria Kiely, O.S.B., who recently completed her PhD with the defense of her dissertation, Ambrose the Pastor and the Image of the 'Bride': Exegesis, Philosophy, and the Song of Songs.
- Interested in our certificate programs? Learn about applying, or print a pdf flyer that summarizes the opportunities we offer! Remember, there is a 50% tuition discount for students who are only pursuing certificates.
- New video from the CUA Rome Program! Follow the adventure here.
- During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI established a Pontifical Academy for Latin. Read more about this endeavor, or explore the Church's deep relationship with the languages and literatures of Greece and Rome.
Intra et extra
Many members of the department are presenting their work at conferences and seminars this semester.
Feb. 16, 2013: Dr. William McCarthy, "Dionysus and the Dionysiac Interloper in Cinema," Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Associations 34th Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM
March 2, 2013: Karen Carducci, "Revisiting the Tower and Moon Illusions through Basil’s Homilies on the Hexaemeron," "Ephemeral Relics: Approaches to the Five Senses in the Ancient World," 6th Annual Graduate Conference, Center for Ancient Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
March 8, 2013: Sr. Maria del Fiat Miola, SSVM, "Irenaeus’ Adversus Haereses 3.22.4: Mary as Untier of Knots," 9th Annual Graduate Student Conference in Patristic Studies, Historical Theology, and History of Christianity in Late Antiquity, Pappas Patristic Institute, Brookline, MA
March 14, 2013: Andrew Hagstrom, "Early Christianity and the Cult of Attis: Defining the Relationship," Early Christian Seminar, Center for the Study of Early Christianity, CUA
March 15, 2013: Prof. William Klingshirn, "Caesarius of Arles, 1970-2042: Retrospect and Prospect," Opening Lecture, conference on "The World of Caesarius," University of Edinburgh, Scotland
March 23, 2013: Dr. Sarah Brown Ferrario, "Aeschylus In (and Out of) Western Opera," Keynote Address, symposium on "Ancient Drama in Film and on the Modern Stage," Grenfell Campus, University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada
March 26, 2013: Alex Poulos, "Gregory of Nazianzus and Pentecostal Fire: Pentecost, Punctuation, and Perplexity in Oration 41.15-16," "Preaching after Easter: Late Antique Sermons on the Feasts of Ascension and Pentecost," Faculty for Theology and Religious Studies, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
April 6, 2013: Louise Mundstock, "The Emporor's New Curiales: Local Communities in a Global Empire," "Community/Disunity: Living Together and Living Apart in the Ancient World," Duke-UNC Graduate Classics Colloquium, Durham, NC
April 18, 2013: Stephanie Layton Kim, "Greek and Etruscan Death and the Afterlife," "Between Hypnos and Thanatos: Teaching Greek Death,", CAMWS, Iowa City, Iowa
May 24, 2013: Alex Poulos, "Digital Authorship Attribution, Origen of Alexandria, and CMB Gr. 314," Annual Meeting of the North American Patristics Society, Chicago, IL
May 24-27, 2013: Karen Carducci, "Money in the Homilies of Caesarius of Arles: A Bishop's Support of Christian Profit-Seeking," Symposium on Scholarship & a Free Society, sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Last reviewed: April 24, 2013
