Classical Studies Major
The Classical Studies Program offers a Classical Studies major with an emphasis in either Greek or Latin. All courses used to meet requirements for a major in Classical Studies must be taken for a letter grade and be passed with a grade of C– or better.
UC San Diego Academic Planning Worksheet (PDF)
Classical Studies Major Checklist (PDF)
Graduate courses may be taken by undergraduates with consent of the instructor. The faculty of the program welcome qualified undergraduates in graduate courses. You may view all approved courses by taking a look at our webpage or reviewing the Classical Studies Approved Course List (PDF).
Learning Objectives of the Classical Studies Program
Lower Division Requirements
Lower Division Requirements
All majors must demonstrate a broad introduction to the study of ancient civilizations and elementary reading ability in Greek and Latin.
Synopsis of Greco-Roman Civilizations. A broad introduction to ancient civilizations is satisfied by completing the Literature-World (LTWL) 19A-B-C sequence, or an equivalent set of courses such as HUM 1-2; MMW 11-12; or other combinations of lower-division courses with significant content about ancient civilizations at UC San Diego or at another college. Equivalence of courses is determined by petition through the undergraduate advisor.
- LTWL 19A Introduction to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, or equivalent.
- LTWL 19B Introduction to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, or equivalent.
- LTWL 19C Introduction to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, or equivalent.
Elementary Reading Ability in Greek and Latin. In order to take upper-division Latin and Greek courses, a major must have the equivalent of a year of college-level instruction in Greek and Latin. This can be satisfied by the sequences below, or by equivalent courses elsewhere.
Latin
LTLA 1 Beginning Latin
LTLA 2 Intermediate Latin (I)
LTLA 3 Intermediate Latin (II)
Greek
LTGK 1 Beginning Greek
LTGK 2 Intermediate Greek (I)
LTGK 3 Intermediate Greek (II)
Equivalent
Majors who have taken language courses in high school or at community colleges should speak to the Program Director about how those courses may count toward completing their language competency.
Upper Division Requirements
Upper Division Course Requirements
The Classical Studies major itself consists of 12 upper-division courses (48 units). All courses used to meet requirements for a major in Classical Studies must be taken for a letter grade and be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Specialized Greco-Roman Civilizations Electives. Majors must take 3 upper division elective courses from the approved course list, and from at least 2 different departments (including History, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, and Visual Arts).
- Elective 1 (Department 1)
- Elective 2 (Department 2)
- Elective 3 (Department 2)
Advanced Reading Ability in Greek and Latin. Majors must take 9 upper-division courses in which texts are read in Latin and Greek (from the LTGK and LTLA sequences; note that these courses may be repeated as topics vary; for details see the course descriptions). These should be taken in such a way that 6 courses are taken in 1 language and 3 in another.
Latin Emphasis
4. LTLA Elective
5. LTLA Elective
6. LTLA Elective
7. LTLA Elective
8. LTLA Elective
9. LTLA Elective
10. LTGK Elective
11. LTGK Elective
12. LTGK Elective
Greek Emphasis
4. LTGK Elective
5. LTGK Elective
6. LTGK Elective
7. LTGK Elective
8. LTGK Elective
9. LTGK Elective
10. LTLA Elective
11. LTLA Elective
12. LTLA Elective
Transfer Students
Transfer Students
UC San Diego’s Program in Classical Studies welcomes transfer students. Students planning to transfer from two-year colleges should try to complete as many of the lower-division prerequisites for the major as possible. Specifically,
1. a course equivalent in duration and content to UC San Diego’s Literatures of the World 19A-B-C, and,
2. if possible, elementary Greek and/or Latin, as appropriate for the planned classical studies major.
Community college students planning to transfer to the University of California are often permitted to take one course per semester at a UC campus. Elementary Latin or Greek would be a good choice for this option if the languages are not available on your community college campus. Students with questions about transferring into UC San Diego’s Program in Classical Studies should review the Transfer Students Admission page on the UC San Diego website and feel free to contact the faculty advisor for the program with any questions.