Chairperson: Jean Alvares

Classics and General Humanities examine the culture, ideas, and values of earlier Western and related civilizations both in their original time periods and as they have been appropriated and transmuted by later cultures, especially American. The common goals of these programs are to develop a sense of how to conduct critical inquiry into past cultures and modern manifestations of their ideas and values; to impart a feeling for the recurring patterns but also enormous diversity of human culture; and to explore how past cultures form the basis for modern cultures and cultural attitudes.

The major and minor in Classics are broad programs in ancient civilization which study the history, languages, literature, philosophy art, religion, and daily life of the ancient Mediterranean world as seen through texts and artifacts. The major and minor in Latin emphasize the study of literature in the original language; the major requires study of Greek as well. The Latin major with Teacher Certification in Latin leads to certification to teach Latin and Classics in New Jersey public schools. The Greek minor emphasizes mastery of classical Greek and reading literature in the language. Additionally, the department is a cosponsor, together with the departments of Anthropology and Art and Design, of the Archaeology minor. Its archaeologists participate in the work of the Center for Archaeological Studies. (The Archaeology Minor is listed under Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors.)

The programs in Classics and General Humanities are interdisciplinary liberal arts concentrations which provide ideal preparation for careers in business, for professions such as law and medicine, and for graduate work in humanities and social sciences. (Note: Students who intend to do graduate work in classical or ancient Mediterranean studies may need additional preparatory study and should consult with the department as early as possible in their college careers.)