Why Study Classics?

With a wealth of possibilities to choose from, you are considering a major in Classics!

Why? In part it is because you are an extremely practical person looking for the best that the University of Colorado has to offer in a liberal arts education. You know, for example, that Classics majors rank among the highest scorers among all undergraduate majors on the GRE and LSAT exams. And you know about the extremely high acceptance rate for Classics majors applying to law schools, graduate schools, and medical schools. But more than that, you know that Classics majors learn marketable skills that are highly prized by employers in today's volatile job market: how to read critically, think analytically, and communicate articulately.

In the Classics department you will find a small academic home in this large university, where you will get to know your fellow students and your professors. The faculty and staff of the department will take an interest in your academic career at CU and will help you to pursue your goals before and after you graduate.

But probably the main reason you are going to choose a Classics major is because you have discovered the fascination of studying ancient civilizations. Classics is the University of Colorado's oldest multicultural, interdisciplinary area studies program, focusing on the cultures of Greece and Rome from the 2nd millennium BC to the Middle Ages. Perhaps you've come to agree with Thomas Jefferson that "to read the Latin and Greek authors in their original is a sublime luxury," so you want to take on Homer or Thucydides, Cicero or Virgil. Or perhaps you've developed an interest in the complex social history of Roman Empire. Or you want to explore the origins of western philosophy in Plato and Aristotle. You might want to get your hands dirty excavating a Roman villa. Or explore the Parthenon and the world of Greek art. The Classics department is the place to begin.

When you graduate from CU you will leave with a solid background not only for your life as wage earner, but as a citizen, family member, and individual. You've settled on Classics as your major: great choice!