About

The department of Classical Studies is small and congenial, with a faculty that enjoys teaching while also remaining active in research and publication. It has the feel of a small college department in the midst of a major university.聽

Faculty & Courses

The department has five regular faculty members and two part-time lecturers, and benefits from the contributions of as many as nine faculty members in other departments who have teaching and research interests in the ancient world. The department supports a Classics major, minors in Latin聽and Ancient Greek, an interdisciplinary minor in Ancient Civilization, and a small Master of Arts program聽at the graduate level.

The range of courses offered includes:

  • Elementary and intermediate languages (Latin, Greek, and Modern Greek)
  • Upper-level reading courses in ancient authors and genres in their original languages聽
  • Upper-level courses in ancient culture in which the reading is in English (the basis of the Ancient Civilization minor)聽

Some of these latter courses carry credit for the Core Curriculum requirements in Literature, History I, Fine Arts, and Cultural Diversity. Elementary and intermediate language courses satisfy the University's language requirement.

Course sizes vary widely. At one end is Classical Mythology, a lecture and discussion course enrolling 40-60 students, sometimes more, and at the other are advanced reading courses in Greek, which may have as few as five to seven students enrolled. Advanced Latin courses tend to be in the range of 12-15 students, while courses in the area of ancient civilization, whose reading is entirely in English, range from 20-40. On the whole, classes are small enough to allow for a good deal of individual attention.

Facilities & Opportunities

In addition to the facilities of the聽O'Neill聽and聽Bapst聽Libraries, the department possesses its own Classics library and seminar room and provides access to valuable Boston institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts. Students have the opportunity to study abroad in Greece or Italy (through several programs, especially the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome and the聽College Year in Athens聽program) and in recent summers, to take part in archaeological digs.

Over the course of the academic year the department sponsors various lectures and discussion groups, bringing in scholars from other universities and supporting talks by our own faculty and graduate students. Classes sometimes attend dramatic and other cultural events in the Boston area. To learn about upcoming events the Classics Department at Boston College is involved in, please聽visit our Facebook Group.聽

Awards

Each year the Max Wainer Prize is awarded to the graduating senior with the best record in Classics.聽

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