The Catholic University of America

The Hephaisteion, overlooking the Agora in Athens

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 Pomegranate tree in the Kerameikos, Athensinterested 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.

BA Programs

Colosseum, Rome

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.

MA Programs

Cycladic church

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 Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC

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.

Certificate Programs

View of the harbor in Nauplion, Greece

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.Temple of Poseidon, Sounion  A minor can make your degree even more prestigious and valuable.

quick links

classical quote of the month

For both with present and future ages we shall be in admiration.
--Pericles speaking of Athens, Thuc. 2.41.4 (trans. Hobbes)

Website and photo credits and technical notes

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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!
 

Current Announcements

  • UPCOMING LECTURE:
    “The Archimedes Codex”
    Dr. William Noel
    Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, The Walters Art Museum
    Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, 5pm
    Pryzbyla Center, Rooms 320A-B
    Dr. Noel will speak on the discovery of and 12-year effort to use imaging technologies to decipher the Archimedes Palimpsest, the earliest surviving manuscript of the work of Archimedes (287-212 BC), considered the greatest mathematician of antiquity.
  • UPCOMING LECTURE:
    “The Art of Greek Religion”
    Dr. Tyler Jo Smith
    Fellow, Center for Hellenic Studies
    Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Archaeology Program
    McIntire Dept. of Art, Univ. of Virginia
    Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 5:15pm
    Location TBA
  • CUA Rome Program, Fall 2012:  Dr. Sarah Ferrario, our undergraduate adviser, will be teaching on the CUA Rome program in fall 2012, offering multiple classics courses, including Roman history, Roman literature read in English, and a team-taught course on the use of ancient Rome in opera.  Feel free to contact her for more details or to discuss how Rome might fit into your academic plans!
  • The CUA Classics Club and the classics honor society, Eta Sigma Phi, have been refounded this year and are planning their new activities!  Interested in getting involved?  Contact our undergraduate adviser for more information, and watch this website for a dedicated announcement space, coming soon.
  • 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.
  • Congratulations to departmental doctoral candidate Brent Gilbert, who was awarded a U.S. Student Grant to Greece by the Fulbright Program for academic year 2011-12. The fellowship is funding research for his dissertation, entitled "The Image of God, Greek Medicine, and Trinitarian Polemic in Gregory of Nyssa's De Hominis Opificio." He is conducting his research at the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, where he is also a Student Associate Member.