Students who pursue the Latin major read a wide variety of authors and can expect to achieve a high level of competency in the ancient language of the Romans. Coursework includes such favorites as Vergil, Ovid, Cicero, Julius Caesar, and Catullus, but students can expect to be able to read other authors like the historians (Livy, Sallust, and Tacitus) and genres like lyric, satire, and drama.
To support Latin 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 a major in Latin students should make an appointment 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.
| General Education |
* 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
| Mathematics | Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework. |
| Foreign Language |
|
| L&S Breadth |
|
| 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 |
|
| Quality of Work |
|
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
The Latin major requires 26 total credits from below:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| LATIN 203 & LATIN 204 | Intermediate Latin and Introduction to Latin Literature | 8 |
| LATIN 301 & LATIN 302 | Latin Literature of the Roman Republic and Latin Literature of the Roman Empire | 6 |
| Complete four courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Elementary Prose Composition | ||
| Vergil | ||
| Latin Poetry | ||
| Roman Drama | ||
| Roman Elegy | ||
| Roman Lyric Poetry | ||
| Roman Satire | ||
| Roman Novel | ||
| Latin Historical Writers | ||
| Latin Philosophical Writers | ||
| Latin Oratory | ||
| Mediaeval Latin | ||
| Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Total Credits | 26 | |
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all LATIN and all major courses
- 2.000 GPA in 15 upper-level credits in Residence1
- 15 credits in LATIN, taken on campus
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the CANES undergraduate advisor.
Honors in the Major Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major, 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 in all major courses at the Intermediate or Advanced level
- Complete CLASSICS 591
- Complete a two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in CLASSICS 681 and CLASSICS 682, for a total of 6 credits.
Footnotes
1 Courses at the Intermediate and Advanced levels are considered upper-level in this major.
University Degree Requirements
| 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. |
- Recognize, identify, and explain forms, syntax, and vocabulary of the classical and biblical languages.
- Demonstrate close reading skills that emphasize accuracy and nuance in translation.
- Demonstrate critical reading skills which emphasize textual analysis, interpretation, and evaluation.
- 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 | 4 | LATIN 104 | 4 |
| Communication Part A (complete during first year) | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning Part A (complete during first year) | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Biological Science Breadth | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 2 | ||
| 13 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| LATIN 203 | 4 | LATIN 204 | 4 |
| Communication Part B | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning Part B | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Physical Science Breadth | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| LATIN 3011 | 3 | LATIN 3021 | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | 500-level LATIN course2 | 3 |
| Electives | 9 | Electives | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| 500-level LATIN course2 | 3 | 500-level LATIN course2 | 3 |
| 500-level LATIN course2 | 3 | Electives | 12 |
| Electives | 9 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
- 1
Fulfills L&S Literature Breadth requirement.
- 2
Except for LATIN 505 Elementary Prose Composition, all LATIN 500-level courses fulfill L&S Literature Breadth requirement.
If you like to plan, seeing your major advisor is very important; it can make the difference between fitting in Vergil or Ovid 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
Ready to meet with the CANES advisor? Make an appointment today.
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, since they are such difficult languages to learn. 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.
Scholarships and Prizes
In addition to routinely nominating or recommending exemplary undergraduate majors for national, regional, local and university awards, CANES offers the following competitions to classical humanities, classics, and Latin majors annually:
Ruth M. Kuhlman Undergraduate Scholarship
Established in 1998 with a bequest from Myron George Kuhlman in memory of his wife, Ruth Miller Kuhlman (BS in Education '32), this is a monetary award for undergraduates to benefit and advance their studies within the field of classics. Total amount of award may be up to $2500 and the award may not be granted every academic year depending on quality of entries and availability of funds. This competition is only open to classics, classical humanities, and Latin majors. Students should apply via Scholarships@UW (which can be accessed through their MyUW page). Generally, the online application is open in early November with a deadline for submission in early February.
Gertrude E. Slaughter Summer Study Scholarship
A monetary award in memory of Gertrude E. Slaughter, author and widow of Professor Moses S. Slaughter 1896–1923, for undergraduate students to advance their studies at an accredited center such as the American School in Athens or the American Academy in Rome, or to participate in an active archaeological field project. Awards will be in the amount of up to $800. This competition is open only to classics, classical humanities, and Latin majors. Students should apply via Scholarships@UW (which can be accessed through their MyUW page). Generally, the online application is open in early November with a deadline for submission in early February.
Logan Prize for Greek Translation
A monetary award in memory of Fellow of Classics, John Watson Logan (Ph.D. '23), for the translation of a passage of ancient Greek. The passage will be selected each year by the chair of the Prize Committee and awards may not be granted every academic year depending on quality of entries. This competition is open to all undergraduate students who have completed at least one semester of ancient Greek and is normally publicized in classes and to department majors in early April.
Pillinger Prize for Latin Translation
A monetary award in memory of Assistant Professor Hugh Edward Pillinger (1965-1970) for the translation of a passage in Latin. The passage will be selected each year by the chair of the Prize Committee and awards may not be granted every academic year depending on quality of entries. This competition is open to all undergraduate students who have completed at least one semester of Latin and is normally publicized in classes and to department majors in early April.
Study abroad
CANES offers two options for summer study: UW–Classics in Greece and UW–Classics in Italy.
Each three-week program is offered alternating summers and guided by a department faculty member.
To learn more, visit our website.