About Latin and Greek

  • Equip yourself for the information age: develop critical thinking and analytical skills, advanced learning strategies and problem solving skills.
  • Learn how to understand, analyze and think about language in a sophisticated way.
  • Read some of the greatest works of literature in their original languages!
  • Develop your English through vocabulary building and awareness of grammar.
  • Acquire a grip on about 80% of the vocabulary of the modern Romance languages.
  • Examine and study texts from the ancient world, on stone, papyrus and parchment, and learn about the multicultural world of the Mediterranean, traces of which are all around you!
The skills taught in Latin and Greek are useful many ways. The critical thinking and analytical skills are beneficial in every class you at the university. Students interested in subjects in the sciences and engineering will find the development of these skills invaluable. All students can benefit from improved English skills, particularly those students interested in Communications, Journalism, Law, and all the Humanities. Many students find Latin and Greek so helpful and fascinating, that they choose these languages as a major or minor. Learning Latin and Greek is no more difficult than learning Spanish or French. We teach time-saving language learning strategies and skills in a highly structured format. As these are ancient languages, we focus primarily only on reading texts. Our department provides free "drop-in" tutoring available to all students in the Elementary Latin and Greek Courses.

The Department offers three concentrations and two minors in the ancient languages:


The number of students studying classical languages in the Department is larger than ever with 27 concentrators and 15 minors declared in the languages!


Want an easy way to manage your degree requirements? Easy to use Languages and Literatures checklists are available here!

Classical Languages and Literatures
Ancient Greek
Latin
Latin Teaching Certificate

Ancient Greek Minor
Latin Minor

Concentrations

  • Classical Languages and Literatures
  • Ancient Greek Concentration
  • Latin Concentration

Minors

  • Language, Literature and Culture of Ancient Greece
  • Language, Literature and Culture of Ancient Rome

Honors Concentration in Latin and Greek

NEW Honors Concentration (effective as of Jan. 1, 2005. Students declaring after this date must follow these requirements.)

  1. Classical Languages and Literatures - In addition to the concentration requirements stated above, Honors candidates must take one course, at or above the 450-level, in either Greek or Latin. Honors students receive six credits during their senior year for researching and writing an Honors thesis (Greek or Latin 495); this thesis must be based upon texts in the original ancient languages; the thesis should be a minimum of 40 pages in length. Candidates must offer an oral defense of this work, in a form to be agreed upon with their thesis advisor. Interested students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 should contact their concentration advisor no later than the winter term of their junior year at the latest.
  2. Greek - In addition to the concentration requirements stated above, Honors candidates must take one course, at or above the 450-level, in Greek. Honors students receive six credits during their senior year for researching and writing an Honors thesis (Greek 495); this thesis must be based upon texts in the original ancient languages; the thesis should be a minimum of 40 pages in length. Candidates must offer an oral defense of this work, in a form to be agreed upon with their thesis advisor. Interested students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 should contact their concentration advisor no later than the winter term of their junior year at the latest.
  3. Latin - In addition to the concentration requirements stated above, Honors candidates must take one course, at or above the 450-level, in Latin. Honors students receive six credits during their senior year for researching and writing an Honors thesis (Latin 495); this thesis must be based upon texts in the original ancient languages; the thesis should be a minimum of 40 pages in length. Candidates must offer an oral defense of this work, in a form to be agreed upon with their thesis advisor. Interested students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 should contact their concentration advisor no later than the winter term of their junior year at the latest.

OLD Honors Concentration (discontinued as of Dec. 31, 2004. Students who declared before this date may still follow these concentration requirements, or may elect to follow the new requirements instead.)

The Department of Classical Studies invites any concentrator with an overall GPA of 3.0 (3.5 in courses taken for the concentration) who is interested in and capable of carrying out independent work to give serious thought to an honors concentration. Students who wish to be admitted to the Departmental honors program should apply to one of the concentration advisors. This can be done either when declaring the concentration or at any time up to the beginning of the senior year, though it is strongly recommended that students apply by November of their junior year. The Departmental honors program is not restricted to students who have been in the College Honors Program in their freshman and sophomore years.

The student who wishes to declare an Honors concentration should discuss a thesis topic with the undergraduate advisor(s) and relevant faculty early in the senior year, ideally at the end of the junior year. It is then expected that research for the project and a substantial amount of the writing be done before the end of the first semester of the senior year, with an eye especially to using part (or all) of the thesis as a writing sample for graduate school applications (most of these are due in early January). A closing oral discussion of the thesis, in the presence of the thesis advisor and the undergraduate advisor(s), concludes the project in the final semester, and determines the degree of honors conferred. Completion of the reading list required.

Teach Latin

Recent public discussions have turned society’s attention to the importance of teachers for the future of the nation. There is currently a high demand for Latin teachers at the secondary level and these job opportunities will increase in the coming years. Those interested in becoming high school Latin teachers can earn teaching certificates during their undergraduate careers. A Masters degree for teachers of Latin is offered through our graduate program. Our Department of Classical Studies has a long tradition as a major Latin teacher-training institution and we continue to see this as one of our major responsibilities.

Students interested in a secondary school teaching certificate with a major or minor in Latin must have Professor Deborah Ross (2147 Angell Hall; 764-0357; dpross@umich.edu) approve their program of study. The prerequisite for either the major or the minor is Latin 232 or the equivalent. To view the requirements for the Teaching major and minor, click here.

Go to Language Concentrations and Minors

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