DEPARTMENT OF GREEK AND LATIN
Baccalaureate Studies
Goals and Assessment of Student Outcomes
The instructional and research focus of the Department of Greek and Latin at The Catholic
University of America is much broader than that of most other Classics departments, as it begins
roughly with the poetry of Homer (8th-7th century B.C.) and extends forward past the typical later
chronological limit (approximately A.D. 200) into the Middle Ages. The department’s faculty
study and teach Greek language and literature from Homer through late antiquity, Latin from its
beginnings in the 7th century B.C. through the late medieval period, and the history, archeology,
fine arts, and civilization of both classical and Christian antiquity. Among the Department’s
offerings are three undergraduate programs of study. These humanities-centered curricula
incorporate distinct interdisciplinary approaches designed to engage majors in acquiring a broad
perspective for understanding the formative Greek and Roman era within the context of Western
civilization.
Bachelor of Arts in Classics (Greek and Latin)
Program Description
The aim of CUA’s interdisciplinary program in Classics is to provide majors with a carefully
designed opportunity to study the world of classical antiquity and to understand its role in the
formation of Western civilization. The primary emphasis of this major is to inculcate competence
in both the ancient languages and to study some of the great works of classical literature in the
original languages. Core requirements consist of six or seven courses in Greek, six or seven in
Latin, two in ancient history, and two in art history. In the elementary language sequences
(GREEK 101-102, LATIN 101-102) beginners learn the fundamental morphological,
grammatical, and syntactical principles of Greek and Latin, which they systematically review in
the intermediate sequences (GREEK 103-104, LATIN 103-104), the first language and literature
courses within the major itself. Subsequent courses include introductions to the formal
composition of grammatically correct Greek and Latin prose (GREEK 511, LATIN 511), as well
as the close reading, study, and translation of representative ancient authors. Advanced seminars
in each language (GREEK 465, LATIN 465) provide carefully integrated surveys of the histories
of both literatures. Required courses in ancient history (CLASSICS 205-206) and art history
(CLASSICS 317-318) contribute to a broad understanding of the culture and civilization of the
Greco-Roman world and encourage the exploration of interdisciplinary issues. These two course
sequences make use of the department’s archaeological collections, and the courses in GrecoRoman art and architecture may involve trips to the classical collections of local galleries, such
as the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. Internships in these galleries are also available for those
majors interested in careers as classical art curators or archaeologists. Majors may similarly
arrange to study abroad (one semester or both) in Rome, Athens or elsewhere, or during the
summer to pursue archaeological research in the classical lands of the Mediterranean. In all its
language, literature, history, and art history courses, the Classics curriculum emphasizes the
acquisition of the habits of firm, critical judgment; precise and articulate expression, and
intelligent, responsible reflection that derive from the careful and dedicated study of the sources
of our Western literary, philosophical, and artistic civilization.
revised October 2013
The department considers this emphasis to be an excellent preparation for post-baccalaureate
studies and the world of work in general. Its majors typically proceed to graduate or professional
studies and to careers in academia, high-school teaching, law, business, government, publishing,
librarianship, and other fields that value those who have gained command of a broad and diverse
body of knowledge, have been challenged to engage with great ideas, have read widely, and have
honed their skills in critical thinking, argumentation, research, and writing.
Goals for Student Learning
Students graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Classics (Greek and Latin) will:
1.
demonstrate proficiency, by means of quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, papers, and
other exercises and assignments, in the disciplinary content taught and studied in all core
courses;
2.
read and write both ancient languages competently;
3.
translate Greek and Latin prose and poetic texts accurately and efficiently;
4.
read and evaluate ancient texts and associated scholarly studies, and write intelligent,
clear, and carefully synthesized accounts of their research;
5.
understand ancient Greek and Roman societies within an interdisciplinary framework that
cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries; and
6.
demonstrate a working knowledge of the fundamental tools of classical scholarship, both
traditional and electronic.
Student Assessment Outcome Measures
1.
2.
The department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies closely monitors majors’ academic
performance from their freshman through senior years by (a) being in regular contact
with both the majors and their teachers; (b) offering advice about appropriate course
selection, study abroad, choice of minors, and post-baccalaureate careers and options; and
(c) ensuring that majors meet all the requirements and expectations of the program.
These regular conversations with majors provide opportunities to review grades in
courses and to identify problems and challenges associated with students’ academic
backgrounds, their approaches to studying and learning, and their steady progress through
their coursework. When necessary, discussions with their individual instructors follow
the meetings with majors. These discussions seek to address and remedy weaknesses in a
major’s academic performance, and may suggest reasons why it would be advisable for a
student to change majors within, or to withdraw from, the department.
All majors must complete the Senior Assessment, which consists of completion of
CLASSICS 425 (Senior Tutorial; one credit-hour) in the fall semester of the senior year
and CLASSICS 426 (Senior Project; two credit-hours) in the subsequent spring semester.
In CLASSICS 425, each major works under the close supervision of a faculty
member to identify a viable project topic, become familiar with the resources available
for research in the field, and prepare a bibliography and 10-page draft/outline of the
project.
In CLASSICS 426, again under the close supervision of the Director of
Undergraduate Studies, the major completes the required project, typically a thesis of
about 25-30 pages in length.
These two courses together provide an opportunity for majors to show what they
have learned in their courses and to demonstrate their ability to read critically and to
analyze, synthesize, evaluate, interpret, and assemble the results of their research with
clarity and imagination. Majors must complete the senior project with a grade of “C-“ or
better; those who do not must retake CLASSICS 425-426 the following summer or
academic year. A grade of “A” is awarded for excellent work that clearly and
persuasively advances an argument original to its author or seeks to expand on published
interpretations, reveals familiarity with all the conventions of essay composition and
standard academic prose, and displays a deep knowledge of the material. All projects are
evaluated by the supervising faculty member and the Chair, who together decide upon the
grade to be awarded. All approved projects are bound, become part of the department’s
own library, and are also accessible (to faculty only) on-line at the departmental website.
The department’s annually updated Undergraduate Handbook, a copy of which is given to each
incoming freshman, provides (a) advice about choosing a senior project adviser and topic; (b)
detailed senior project guidelines and expectations; and (c) a sample senior project title page.
This handbook also includes full descriptions of all the department’s undergraduate programs as
well as much other useful information, e.g., about study-abroad opportunities and preparing for
graduate studies, and is available on-line at the department’s website.
Use of Results to Improve Student Learning
1.
2.
All the department’s courses are formally and anonymously evaluated twice each
semester, by means of one instrument required by the School of Arts and Sciences and a
second designed by the department and specific to its programs. Course instructors and
the department chair then review the results to identify any instructional weaknesses. The
supervisor of the department’s teaching assistants also reviews all evaluations of courses
taught by those instructors and meets regularly with them to discuss pedagogical
problems and suggest remedies. In addition to asking students to evaluate their teachers
in 16 areas associated with classroom performance, the department’s evaluation form
invites recommendations for specific changes and improvements.
As part of the department’s ongoing assessment of the quality of its undergraduate
programs and the learning experience of its students, at the end of the spring semester the
Chair conducts senior exit interviews with all graduating majors to identify areas of
concern and ways in which the department may better meet the needs of its students and
the educational goals of its programs. The Chair shares this information with faculty
either privately or in formal group discussions about the design of individual courses, the
content of the department’s programs, the expansion or reduction of course offerings, the
structure of the assessment process, and other related issues.
**********
Bachelor of Arts in Classical Humanities
Program Description
The educational goals of CUA’s humanities-based, interdisciplinary major in Classical
Humanities are comparable to those of the program in Classics (above), except that it allows
students to concentrate in only one ancient language.
For students who choose to focus on Greek, the core requirement begins with the intermediate
level of that language (GR 103-104), followed by an accelerated review of grammar and syntax
within the context of the composition of Greek prose (GR 511) and by courses in representative
Greek authors that engage in detailed interpretation through close reading, linguistic analysis,
and formal translation. The core requirements in Classical Humanities include pairs of courses in
ancient history (CLASSICS 205-206) and art history (CLASSICS 317-318), a fifth course in
mythology (CLASSICS 211) that studies how the myths of the Greeks and Romans convey
important ideas about the divine and the human and the interaction of the two, and a sixth
(CLASSICS 313) that offers in translation a survey of representative Latin writings. An
advanced seminar (GR 465) provides a survey of Greek literature that integrates the study of
individual authors and texts. All of the major’s core courses promote an understanding of Greek
civilization within the ancient Mediterranean world and encourage the contemplation of the
seminal influence of Greco-Roman culture on Western intellectual and artistic traditions.
For students who choose to focus on Latin, the core requirement begins with the intermediate
level of that language (LAT 103-104), followed by an accelerated review of grammar and syntax
within the context of the composition of Latin prose (LAT 511) and by courses in representative
Latin authors that engage in detailed interpretation through close reading, linguistic analysis, and
formal translation. The core requirements in Classical Humanities include pairs of courses in
ancient history (CLASSICS 205-206) and art history (CLASSICS 317-318), a fifth course in
mythology (CLASSICS 211) that studies how the myths of the Greeks and Romans convey
important ideas about the divine and the human and the interaction of the two, and a sixth
(CLASSICS 312) that offers in translation a survey of representative Greek writings that provide
some of the context for Roman literary developments. An advanced seminar (LAT 465) provides
a survey of Latin literature that integrates the study of individual authors and texts. All of the
major’s core courses promote an understanding of Latin civilization within the ancient
Mediterranean world and encourage the contemplation of the seminal influence of Greco-Roman
culture on Western intellectual and artistic traditions.
In both the Greek and Latin versions of this major there is a strong emphasis on the skills and
mental habits typically fostered by the study of the humanities: the ability to read critically and to
analyze, synthesize, evaluate, interpret, speculate, and write with a sensitivity to the rhetorical
powers of language. As in the Classics program, there are opportunities for trips to, and
internships in, local galleries containing important classical collections. The department also
encourages participation in CUA’s or other programs of study abroad in Rome, Athens, or
elsewhere and in archaeological research during the summer in the classical lands of the
Mediterranean.
The department considers this major to be an excellent preparation for post-baccalaureate studies
and the world of work in general. Its majors typically proceed to graduate or professional studies
and to careers in academia, high-school teaching, law, business, government, and other fields
that value those who have gained command of a broad and diverse body of knowledge, have
been challenged to engage with great ideas, have read widely, and have honed their skills in
critical thinking, argumentation, research, and writing.
Goals for Student Learning
Students who graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Classical Humanities will,
depending on the ancient language chosen:
1.
demonstrate proficiency, by means of quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, papers, and
other exercises and assignments, in the disciplinary content taught and studied in all core
courses;
2.
read and write Greek (Latin) competently;
3.
translate Greek (Latin) prose and poetic texts accurately and efficiently;
4.
read and evaluate Greek (Latin) texts and associated scholarly studies, and write
intelligent, clear and carefully synthesized accounts of their research;
5.
understand ancient Greek and Roman society within an interdisciplinary framework that
cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries, and
6.
demonstrate a working knowledge of the fundamental tools of classical scholarship, both
traditional and electronic.
Student Assessment Outcome Measures
1.
2.
The department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies closely monitors majors’ academic
performance from freshman through senior years by (a) being in regular contact with
both the majors and their teachers; (b) offering advice about appropriate course selection,
study abroad, choice of minors, and post-baccalaureate careers and options; and (c)
ensuring that majors meet all the requirements and expectations of the program. These
regular conversations with majors provide opportunities to review grades in courses and
to identify problems and challenges associated with students’ academic backgrounds,
their approaches to studying and learning, and their steady progress through their
coursework. When necessary, discussions with their individual instructors follow the
meetings with majors. These discussions seek to address and remedy weaknesses in a
major’s academic performance, and may suggest reasons why it would be advisable for a
student to change majors within, or to withdraw from, the department.
All majors must complete the Senior Assessment, which consists of completion of
CLASSICS 425 (Senior Tutorial; one credit-hour) in the fall semester of the senior year
and CLASSICS 426 (Senior Project; two credit-hours) in the subsequent spring semester.
In CLASSICS 425, each major works under the close supervision of a faculty
member to identify a viable project topic, become familiar with the resources available
for research in the field, and prepare a bibliography and 10-page draft/outline of the
project.
In CLASSICS 426, again under the close supervision of the faculty adviser, the
major completes the required project, typically a thesis of about 25-30 pages in length.
These two courses together provide an opportunity for majors to show what they
have learned in their courses and to demonstrate their ability to read critically and to
analyze, synthesize, evaluate, interpret, and assemble the results of their research with
clarity and imagination. Majors must complete the senior project with a grade of “C-“ or
better; those who do not must retake CLASSICS 425-426 the following summer or
academic year. A grade of “A” is awarded for excellent work that clearly and
persuasively advances an argument original to its author or seeks to expand on published
interpretations, reveals familiarity with all the conventions of essay composition and
standard academic prose, and displays a deep knowledge of the material. All projects are
evaluated by the supervising faculty member and the Chair, who together decide upon the
grade to be awarded. All approved projects are bound, become part of the department’s
own library, and are also accessible (to faculty only) on-line at the departmental website.
The department’s annually updated Undergraduate Handbook, a copy of which is given to each
incoming freshman, provides (a) advice about choosing a senior project adviser and topic; (b)
detailed senior project guidelines and expectations; and (c) a sample senior project title page.
This handbook also includes full descriptions of all the department’s undergraduate programs as
well as much other useful information, e.g., about study-abroad opportunities and preparing for
graduate studies, and is available on-line at the department’s website.
Use of Results to Improve Student Learning
1.
2.
All the department’s courses are formally and anonymously evaluated twice each
semester, by means of one instrument required by the School of Arts and Sciences and a
second designed by the department and specific to its programs. Course instructors and
the department chair then review the results to identify any instructional weaknesses. The
supervisor of the department’s teaching assistants also reviews all evaluations of courses
taught by these instructors and meets regularly with them to discuss pedagogical
problems and suggest remedies. In addition to asking students to evaluate their teachers
in 16 areas associated with classroom performance, the department’s evaluation form
invites recommendations for specific changes and improvements.
As part of the department’s ongoing assessment of the quality of its undergraduate
programs and the learning experience of its students, at the end of the spring semester the
Chair conducts senior exit interviews with all graduating majors to identify areas of
concern and ways in which the department may better meet the needs of its students and
the educational goals of its programs. The Chair shares this information with faculty
either privately or in formal group discussions about the design of individual courses, the
content of the department’s programs, the expansion or reduction of course offerings, the
structure of the assessment process, and other related issues.
**********
Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilization
Program Description
The goal of this broadly based, humanities-centered major is to make the systematic study of
classical civilization accessible to undergraduates who do not wish to major in Greek and Latin
or in Latin alone. Its interdisciplinary curriculum therefore focuses on the history, thought, and
culture of the ancient Mediterranean world from the Bronze Age to the rise of Islam and
encourages the inclusion, with the department’s approval, of relevant elective courses in other
disciplines, such as Anthropology, History, Art, Architecture, Religion, Philosophy (e.g.,
PHILOSOPHY 353: “History of Ancient Philosophy”), English (e.g., ENGLISH 345: “The Epic
Tradition from Homer to Joyce”). Majors are expected to examine the ancient Mediterranean
from a variety of perspectives (literary, historical, art historical) and thus to learn to place the
civilizations of Greece and Rome in wider geographical, sociological, ethnographic, and cultural
contexts. The program comprises seven core courses in ancient history (CLASSICS 205-206), art
history (CLASSICS 317-318), Greek and Roman Literature in Translation (CLASSICS 312313), and classical mythology (CLASSICS 211), to which the major adds four elective courses
selected from among the CLASSICS, GREEK, and LATIN offerings of the department and, with
approval, from the courses of other CUA departments and schools (see above). As in the
department’s other two undergraduate programs, a further pair of courses (CLASSICS 425-426)
focuses upon the required senior project. All the courses in the Classical Civilization major,
usefully supplemented by the first course (“The Classical Mind”) in the required Philosophy
sequence of the School of Arts and Sciences, provide a broad introduction to ancient societies
and cultures that have left an indelible imprint on the modern world. Majors come into contact
with a unique fund of stimulating and indispensable ideas that are relevant to our times and are
the basis of all the Western humanities and of the American democratic experiment. They
establish links with a past that is clearly part of our present and acquire a background of
information essential to an understanding of our own and other cultures. Their participation in an
interdisciplinary program enables majors to develop an awareness of the interconnections of
much of human knowledge. Throughout the curriculum there is an emphasis, fostered by all the
humanities, on skills of analysis and communication, especially on writing clearly and
effectively. Opportunities for internships, gallery trips, and research and study abroad are the
same as those described above for the majors in Classics and in Latin and Classical Humanities.
Goals for Student Learning
Students who graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilization will:
1.
demonstrate proficiency, by means of quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, papers, and
other exercises and assignments, in the disciplinary content taught and studied in all core
2.
3.
4.
5.
courses;
develop broad competence in the literatures, history, and art history of the classical
world;
read and evaluate classical texts (in English translation) and associated scholarly studies,
and write intelligent, clear, and carefully synthesized accounts of their research;
understand ancient Greek and Roman societies within an interdisciplinary framework that
cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries; and
demonstrate a working knowledge of the fundamental tools of classical scholarship, both
traditional and electronic.
Student Assessment Outcome Measures
1.
2.
The department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies closely monitors majors’ academic
performance from their freshman through senior years by (a) being in regular contact
with both the majors and their teachers; (b) offering advice about appropriate course
selection, study abroad, choice of minors, and post-baccalaureate careers and options; and
(c) ensuring that majors meet all the requirements and expectations of the program. These
regular conversations with majors provide opportunities to review grades in courses and
to identify problems and challenges associated with students’ academic backgrounds,
their approaches to studying and learning, and their steady progress through their
coursework. When necessary, discussions with their individual instructors follow the
meetings with majors. These discussions seek to address and remedy weaknesses in a
major’s academic performance, and may suggest reasons why it would be advisable for a
student to change majors within, or to withdraw from, the department.
All majors must complete the Senior Assessment, which consists of completion of
CLASSICS 425 (Senior Tutorial; one credit-hour) in the fall semester of the senior year
and CLASSICS 426 (Senior Project; two credit-hours) in the subsequent spring semester.
In CLASSICS 425, each major works under the close supervision of a faculty
member to identify a viable project topic, become familiar with the resources available
for research in the field, and prepare a bibliography and 10-page draft/outline of the
project.
In CLASSICS 426, again under the close supervision of the faculty adviser, the
major completes the required project, typically a thesis of about 25-30 pages in length.
These two courses together provide an opportunity for majors to show what they
have learned in their courses and to demonstrate their ability to read critically and to
analyze, synthesize, evaluate, interpret, and assemble the results of their research with
clarity and imagination. Majors must complete the senior project with a grade of “C-“ or
better; those who do not must retake CLASSICS 425-426 the following summer or
academic year. A grade of “A” is awarded for excellent work that clearly and
persuasively advances an argument original to its author or seeks to expand on published
interpretations, reveals familiarity with all the conventions of essay composition and
standard academic prose, and displays a deep knowledge of the material. All projects are
evaluated by the supervising faculty member and the Chair, who together decide upon the
grade to be awarded. All approved projects are bound, become part of the department’s
own library, and are also accessible (to faculty only) on-line at the departmental website.
The department’s annually updated Undergraduate Handbook, a copy of which is given to each
incoming freshman, provides (a) advice about choosing a senior project adviser and topic; (b)
detailed senior project guidelines and expectations; and (c) a sample senior project title page.
This handbook also includes full descriptions of all the department’s undergraduate programs as
well as much other useful information, e.g., about study-abroad opportunities and preparing for
graduate studies, and is available on-line at the department’s website.
Use of Results to Improve Student Learning
1.
2.
All the department’s courses are formally and anonymously evaluated twice each
semester, by means of one instrument required by the School of Arts and Sciences and a
second designed by the department and specific to its programs. Course instructors and
the department chair then review the results to identify any instructional weaknesses. The
supervisor of the department’s teaching assistants also reviews all evaluations of courses
taught by those instructors and meets regularly with them to discuss pedagogical
problems and suggest remedies. In addition to asking students to evaluate their teachers
in 16 areas associated with classroom performance, the department’s evaluation form
invites recommendations for specific changes and improvements.
As part of the department’s ongoing assessment of the quality of its undergraduate
programs and the learning experience of its students, at the end of the spring semester the
Chair conducts senior exit interviews with all graduating majors to identify areas of
concern and ways in which the department may better meet the needs of its student and
the educational goals of its programs. The Chair shares this information with faculty
either privately or in formal group discussions about the design of individual courses, the
content of the department’s programs, the expansion or reduction of course offerings, the
structure of the assessment process, and other related issues.