Classics

Return to: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

The curriculum of the Classics Department is designed to transmit a knowledge and an appreciation of the civilizations of the Greeks and the Romans — their languages and literatures, myths, philosophies and political thought — as well as to develop an understanding of the ways in which the classical heritage has manifested itself in later ages. Approximately one half of the department’s classes are taught in English; these have to do with broad areas of civilization, including classical culture and literature. The remainder are courses in language and literature taught from the original Greek and Latin texts.

The undergraduate classics major gives the student an understanding of the cultures, languages and literatures of ancient Greece, Rome and the Mediterranean world. Students choose one of three tracks in the major.

Classics is a broadly interdisciplinary field. Most courses focus on ancient Greece and Rome, but students in the department also study the impact of classical cultures on later societies and the interactions among various ancient cultures. USC is a member of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies and the College Year in Athens programs, and classics majors are encouraged to spend a semester in Rome or Athens. The classics major is also encouraged to explore courses in allied fields such as ancient philosophy, history, comparative literature, art history and archaeology.

Taper Hall of Humanities 256
(213) 740-3676
FAX: (213) 740-7360
Email: classics@dornsife.usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/clas
Chair: William G. Thalmann, PhD

Faculty

Professors: Anthony J. Boyle, MA; Vincent Farenga, PhD; Thomas N. Habinek, PhD*; Susan Lape, PhD; William G. Thalmann, PhD*

Associate Professors: Christelle Fischer-Bovet, PhD (History); Daniel Richter, PhD; Ann Marie Yasin, PhD

Assistant Professor: Stefano Rebaggiani, PhD

Associate Professor Emerita: Jane Cody, PhD

*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.

Undergraduate Degrees

Honors Program

Candidates for honors must maintain a 3.5 GPA in major courses, including a grade of A or A minus in the capstone course. In addition, candidates for honors in the Classical Languages and Literatures track must pass a sight translation exam in either Greek or Latin; candidates in the Classical Humanities and Ancient Civilizations track must pass a comprehensive exam set by the department.

Students Anticipating Graduate Study in Classics

Students interested in attending graduate school in classics are advised to take as many courses in Greek and/or Latin as possible.

Graduate Degrees

The graduate program in classics at USC aims to train students to become scholars, teachers and interpreters of ancient Mediterranean civilizations, of the Greek and Latin languages and literatures, and of the traditions that have developed from them. In order to prepare students to work in a variety of intellectual contexts, the department seeks to provide both a traditional substantive training in classical philology and the intellectual flexibility that will enable them to make the accomplishments of the past available to audiences of the present.

The department offers the PhD in Classics (Greek and Latin) and the MA in Greek, Latin and Classics. Collateral offerings are available in related departments, such as comparative literature, history, philosophy, art history, English and anthropology.

The graduate program offers mastery of traditional philological and linguistic skills as a basis for the study of ancient cultures, with emphasis on literature, other discursive practices and material culture. Students are encouraged to explore interdisciplinary approaches to classical studies and the relations between classics and other fields. Courses in related departments are recommended and degree requirements permit students to develop individual interests.

Admission Requirements

An applicant for admission will normally have an undergraduate major in classics, but programs may be arranged for promising students who do not. The student should have an undergraduate record satisfactory to the department. At least three letters of recommendation from the student’s undergraduate teachers are required. All applicants are required to take the verbal and quantitative general tests of the Graduate Record Examinations. See the department Website for detailed application instructions.

Degree Requirements

These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation section and The Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.