WHY STUDY CLASSICS?

WHAT IS CLASSICS?
“Classics” (also known as “Classical Philology” or “Classical Studies”) is the study of the languages, literatures, history, and material culture of the ancient Mediterranean basin, in particular, the Greek and Latin languages, Greek and Latin literature, Greek and Roman history, from the Bronze Age through Late Antiquity, and classical art and archaeology.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN CLASSICS?
Being a Classics major may impress your friends, but it may worry your parents (or you)—will you ever find a job?

Let’s start with some obvious answers. You can teach: several Latin majors a year go directly into teaching Latin at the secondary level. Other graduates go on to Ph.D. programs in Classics or related fields with the goal of teaching at the college or university level.

Classics emphasizes the skills of critical inquiry, including reading and interpreting texts and communicating through speaking and writing. These skills prepare you for many fields: as one example, many Classics majors go on to law school. Students who double major in Classics and biological sciences or chemistry do well in medical school.

In addition to teaching, law, and medicine, recent UGA graduates in Classics have gone on to careers in publishing, recording, film, library science, social work, historic preservation and museum studies, business, travel, the armed forces, and professional baseball.

Find out more about our Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs. The Department of Classics also offers the Summer Institute, which is specially geared toward teachers and other professionals interested in earning a degree over the summer.

Forbes asked contemporary leaders what they learned from studying Classics.
Read how Classics helped shaped these American lives.