Hons. Bachelor of Arts in Greek & Roman Studies

As a student of Greek & Roman Studies, you will be introduced to the peoples of Ancient Greece and Rome, to their societies and to the historical events of which they were apart. You’ll have the chance to explore the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean world, which flourished from around 2500 BC to 500 AD, whose enormous impact on the development of the Western tradition continues to be felt today.

Students in the Department of Greek & Roman Studies explore three major areas of inquiry – art and archaeology, ancient history and social life, and language and literature (beginner’s courses are offered in both ancient Greek and Latin).

Students interested in archaeology should investigate the interdisciplinary Minor in Archaeology jointly offered by the Department of Greek & Roman Studies, the School of Geography and Geology, and the Department of Anthropology. Students study a broad range of arts and sciences relevant to the practice of archaeology and can gain practical experience at archaeological digs.

To be considered for admission to a program Greek & Roman Studies in Level II, students must include 3 units of Greek & Roman Studies, Greek or Latin in their Level I program.

Students in a Greek & Roman StudiesProgram may choose courses from the following subfields:

• Ancient History and Society.
• Ancient Philosophy.
• Classical Archaeology and Art History.
• Classical Literature in Translation.
• Greek Language and Literature.
• Latin Language and Literature.

With the approval of the Department of Greek & Roman Studies and the Associate Dean of Humanities (Studies), students who have completed 60 units of work in an Honours Program in Greek & Roman Studies may replace all or part of their Level III work by courses of study at a university or equivalent institution abroad. Consult the Department for further details. Students may receive up to six units of credit for archaeological fieldwork at an approved Greek or Roman site. Consult the department for further details.

Students intending to do graduate work in the field of Greek & Roman Studies should note that most universities offering such programs require undergraduate work in Greek and Latin for admission. These students are strongly encouraged to include Greek and Latin courses as early as possible in their program. Students intending to do graduate work in the field of Greek & Roman Studies are strongly encouraged to include a thesis course (GRKRMSTU 4T06) in the final level of their program.

Careers for majors in Greek & Roman Studies

Cultural Heritage administration

Museum curator

Digital communications and Web design for Virtual Reality reconstructions of ancient world

International relations consultant

Researcher for Tech companies

Researcher for NGOs

Winery owner

Publishing

Librarian/Archivist

Political Advisor

Teacher (with combined Honours degree)

University administration

Medical doctor: highest rate of success in US medical and law schools are Greek & Roman Studies grads (Princeton review)

Other information

Students may receive academic credit while studying the department of Greek & Roman Studies for archaeological field work at an approved Greek or Roman site. A McMaster research team is currently studying ancient Greek settlements in Metaponto Italy.