Classics
Learn ancient languages, study ancient objects and sites and gain experience with research. Working with professors who are expert scholars and dedicated teachers, you can design the major to fit your interests in these ancient cultures.
Students in Classics at Holy Cross investigate surviving texts and material remains from several cultures around the ancient Mediterranean in courses on ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel/Palestine, Greece and Rome from the 3rd millennium BCE to the first millennium CE.
The Classics Major
At Holy Cross we are expanding the range of ancient cultures we study. Although “Classics” typically signifies the study of ancient Greece and Rome, our department is embracing a larger ambition in the exploration of ancient civilizations. Faculty who are experts in ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt and ancient Israel/Palestine have recently joined our department, and their courses in these languages and texts, archaeology and material remains and cultural practices are in conversation with the courses on ancient Greece and Rome that have long been a strength of our large and active department. Through a major that can encompass a wider vision of what “Classics” can include, the study of ancient cultures becomes dynamic, multifaceted and extensive.
The close study of ancient languages and the broader perspectives gained from exploring ancient cultures prepare our students for any number of post-graduate pursuits. Our Classics majors have found success in a variety of fields: education, law, medicine, government, technology, business and finance, the nonprofit sector and creative arts.
The close study of ancient languages and the broader perspectives gained from exploring ancient cultures prepare our students for any number of post-graduate pursuits. Our Classics majors have found success in a variety of fields: education, law, medicine, government, technology, business and finance, the nonprofit sector and creative arts.
Unique opportunities for Classics Majors create a rich and rewarding learning experience.
Holy Cross offers two types of scholarships for Classics majors.
One type of scholarship is a full-tuition, four-year scholarship that is awarded to high school graduates who will major in classics at Holy Cross. These are merit-based scholarships for which high school students may apply at the same time as they apply for admission to the College. For more information, see the Full-Tuition Scholarships page.
The other type of scholarship is a need-based grant, for which students may not apply. This need-based grant is awarded by the Office of Financial Aid to two Holy Cross students who are Classics majors and are receiving need-based financial aid packages. For more information, see “Inaugural Billy Collins ‘63 Scholarship Propels Holy Cross Students to Law School, Graduate Opportunities.”
The Classics Department has a strong commitment to Community-Based Learning in our curriculum. Community-Based Learning projects have been integrated into several courses, including the Introduction to Latin courses, the Introduction to Greek courses, Opening Classics (an introductory course required for the major and open to all students who want to explore what Classics is all about) and courses such as Refugees in Ancient Myth & Today. Students have worked with public school students in Worcester and in Marlborough, Mass. and with the Worcester Art Museum. Our curriculum seeks to engage with the local community and our goal is for every Classics major to experience Community-Based Learning in their major.
The department has its own digital humanities research laboratory in Fenwick Hall, the St. Isidore of Seville Computer Lab, outfitted with networked computers, iPads, photography equipment and additional research resources. Students use the lab to pursue research for coursework and for independent research projects. Classics majors frequently pursue research in the summer through the Weiss Summer Research Program.
Meet Your Department Chair
