The classics major allows students to achieve proficiency in both Greek and Latin. Majors who choose an emphasis in Greek also complete four semesters of Latin, and likewise, those who choose an emphasis in Latin complete four semesters of Greek as well.  

Such comprehensive training enables classics majors to explore Greek and Roman literature in the original languages. From a practical standpoint, students develop analytical and critical thinking skills, and they may also become thoughtful and gifted writers in their native languages thanks to the intensive grammatical training required by the study of ancient languages.

To support our classics majors as they pursue their educational goals, CANES provides annual scholarship opportunities. We also offer a summer study abroad program led by members of our faculty. Learn more under "Resources and Scholarships."

If you are interested in teaching at the secondary level, the School of Education is currently developing a graduate-level program for teacher certification in Latin. Be sure to check in with the advisor to hear the latest and... watch this space!

Declaring the Major

To declare the Classics major, meet with the CANES advisor using Starfish.

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.

University General Education Requirements

Requirements

Detail

General Education

Breadth—Humanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits Breadth—Natural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits Breadth—Social Studies: 3 credits Communication Part A & Part B * Ethnic Studies * Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B * * The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements.

College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.

Bachelor of Arts degree requirements

University General Education Requirements

Requirements	Detail
Mathematics	Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework.
Foreign Language	Complete the fourth unit of a foreign language; OR Complete the third unit of a foreign language and the second unit of an additional foreign language.
L&S Breadth	12 credits of Humanities, which must include 6 credits of literature; and 12 credits of Social Science; and 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include one 3+ credit Biological Science course and one 3+ credit Physical Science course.
Liberal Arts and Science Coursework	Complete at least 108 credits.
Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work	Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level.
Major	Declare and complete at least one major.
Total Credits	Complete at least 120 credits.
UW-Madison Experience	30 credits in residence, overall; and 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit.
Quality of Work	2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UW–Madison

Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major

Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.

Requirements for the Major

A major in Classics allows students to place primary emphasis on learning Greek or Latin, yet gain some language training in both. Whether the primary language of study is Greek or Latin, the major requires 23 credits and assumes students have taken the first two semesters of both languages prior to entering the major.  

Classics–Latin Emphasis

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
GREEK courses:
GREEK 305	Intermediate Greek	3
GREEK 306	Intermediate Greek	3
LATIN courses:
LATIN 203	Intermediate Latin	4
LATIN 204	Introduction to Latin Literature	4
LATIN 301	Latin Literature of the Roman Republic	3
LATIN 302	Latin Literature of the Roman Empire	3
One LATIN course at the 500 level, select from:		3
LATIN 505	Elementary Prose Composition
LATIN 515	Vergil
LATIN 519	Latin Poetry
LATIN 520	Roman Drama
LATIN 521	Roman Elegy
LATIN 522	Roman Lyric Poetry
LATIN 523	Roman Satire
LATIN 524	Roman Novel
LATIN 539	Latin Historical Writers
LATIN 549	Latin Philosophical Writers
LATIN 559	Latin Oratory
LATIN/​MEDIEVAL  563	Mediaeval Latin
Total Credits		23

Classics–Greek Emphasis

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
LATIN courses:
LATIN 203	Intermediate Latin	4
LATIN 204	Introduction to Latin Literature	4
GREEK courses:
GREEK 305	Intermediate Greek	3
GREEK 306	Intermediate Greek	3
Three GREEK courses at the 500 level, select from:		9
GREEK 505	Elementary Prose Composition
GREEK 510	Homer
GREEK 511	Hesiod
GREEK 512	Greek Lyric Poets
GREEK 520	Greek Comedy
GREEK 521	Greek Tragedy
GREEK 530	Herodotus
GREEK 532	Thucydides
GREEK 551	Attic Orators
GREEK 560	Hellenistic Greek
Total Credits		23

Residence and Quality of Work

• 2.000 GPA in all CLASSICS and major courses
• 2.000 GPA in at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major¹ 
• 15 credits in CLASSICS, taken at UW–Madison

Honors in the Major

Students may declare Honors in the Classics Major in consultation with the Classics undergraduate advisor.

Honors in the Major Requirements

To earn Honors in the Major in Classics, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:

• Earn a 3.300 University GPA
• Earn a 3.500 GPA in upper-level work in the major
• Complete the following coursework, with a grade of B or better:
  • CLASSICS 591 and
  • Senior Honors Thesis (CLASSICS 681 &CLASSICS 682) for a 6 credits

Footnotes

¹ Courses at the Intermediate and Advanced levels are considered upper-level in this major.

University Degree Requirements 

University General Education Requirements

Requirements	Detail
Total Degree	To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements.
Residency	Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs.
Quality of Work	Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation.

1. Recognize, identify, and explain forms, syntax, and vocabulary of the classical and biblical languages.
2. Demonstrate close reading skills that emphasize accuracy and nuance in translation.
3. Demonstrate critical reading skills which emphasize textual analysis, interpretation, and evaluation.
4. Demonstrate competency with texts and authors from the classical and near eastern tradition.

Sample Four-Year Plan

This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
LATIN 103 or GREEK 103	4	LATIN 104 or GREEK 104	4
Communication Part A (complete during first year)	3	Quantitative Reasoning A (complete during first year)	3
Physical Science Breadth	3	Ethnic Studies	3
Social Science Breadth	4	Biological Science Breadth	3
	14		13
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
LATIN 203 or GREEK 3051	3-4	LATIN 204 or GREEK 3062	3-4
GREEK 103 or LATIN 1031	4	GREEK 104 or LATIN 1042	4
Communication Part B	3	Quantitative Reasoning Part B	3
Social Science Breadth	4	Social Science Breadth	3
Science Breadth	3	Science Breadth	3
	17		16
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
LATIN 3013	3	LATIN 3024	3
or GREEK 500-level course		or GREEK 500-level course
GREEK 305 or LATIN 2033	3-4	GREEK 306 or LATIN 2044	3-4
Social Science Breadth	3	Elective	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
	15		15
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
500-level LATIN or GREEK course	3	Elective	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
	15		15
Total Credits 120

¹

 Students following Classics with emphasis in Latin will continue the Latin sequence and begin the GREEK 103 Elementary Ancient Greek sequence; students following Classics with emphasis in Greek will continue the Greek sequence (GREEK 305 Intermediate Greek fulfills L&S Literature Breadth requirement) and begin LATIN 103 Elementary Latin sequence.

²

 Students following Classics with emphasis in Latin will continue the Latin sequence and take GREEK 104 Second Semester Greek; students following Classics with emphasis in Greek will continue Greek sequence (GREEK 306 Intermediate Greek fulfills L&S Literature Breadth requirement) and take LATIN 104 Elementary Latin.

³

 Students following Classics with emphasis in Latin will continue the Latin sequence (LATIN 301 Latin Literature of the Roman Republic fulfills L&S Literature Breadth requirement) and take GREEK 305 Intermediate Greek; students following Classics with emphasis in Greek will continue the Greek sequence (except for GREEK 505 Elementary Prose Composition, all 500-level GREEK courses fulfill L&S Literature Breadth requirement) and take LATIN 203 Intermediate Latin.

⁴

 Students following Classics with emphasis in Latin will continue the Latin sequence (LATIN 302 Latin Literature of the Roman Empire fulfills L&S Literature Breadth requirement) and take GREEK 306 Intermediate Greek; students following Classics with emphasis in Greek will continue the Greek sequence (except for GREEK 505 Elementary Prose Composition, all 500-level GREEK courses fulfill L&S Literature Breadth requirement) and take LATIN 204 Introduction to Latin Literature. 

If you like to plan, seeing your major advisor is very important; it can make the difference between fitting in Vergil or Homer before you graduate. Many students also try to complete more than one major or certificate, and discussing how you might be able to reach this goal is another primary role of your major advisor. Advisors can speak to you about course content, which courses fit best with your interest areas, and what kinds of courses might work best with your learning style—e.g., do you prefer multiple choice or essays? Any and all of these discussions can occur during your advising appointment.

In addition to discussing the major, advisors know a lot about:

• General Education requirements
• Breadth requirements
• Interpreting university policies and deadlines
• Connecting majors to careers
• Getting involved with campus organizations
• Finding volunteer and/or internship opportunities
• Talking about your challenges and difficulties
• Connecting with tutors
• Choosing a study abroad program
• Practicing for interviews
• Talking about graduate school
• Proofreading résumés and cover letters

CAREERS

Humanities majors enable students to consider just about any type of career or educational pursuit. Our coursework builds the critical thinking and communication skills needed to succeed in careers ranging from politics and education to business and law.   

Think about what you learn in a classroom setting as well as what you do each day to be a successful student; the skills you develop are equally important in the workplace:

• critical reading, reflection, and analysis
• proper research design and methodology 
• expanded world view and exposure to new ideas/ways of thinking 
• effective teamwork to advance a common project/purpose
• effective time-management and self-motivation to complete projects independently
• demonstrated writing proficiency in short and long essay format
• discussion and debate strategies 
• broader knowledge of career and graduate-study options

One of the more significant skills CANES majors develop is language acquisition. Study of Greek, Latin, or Biblical Hebrew sets you apart and demonstrates your willingness to explore and expand your understanding of history and culture. In addition, the study of ancient languages shows discipline and perseverance. Overall, you will have a wide variety of skills and talents to start you on the path to a rewarding career. Visit our website for more information.

L&S career resources

Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities.  SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.

In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.

Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.

• SuccessWorks
• Set up a career advising appointment
• Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
  • INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
  • INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
• Learn about internships and internship funding
• Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
• Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives

Please visit the Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies website for a complete list of faculty, instructional, and academic staff.