Department of Classics

Western Civilization’s approach to education for 2500 years has been “classical” in the extended sense, in that it has been based on the study of works of the first rank, those reflections of the greatest minds that have had the most effect on the way humans have lived their lives. Until recently it has also been “classical” in the limited sense, in that it has given particular emphasis to the principal works of Greek and Latin authors, those that have been most formative in shaping the reflections of their successors, whether poets or theologians, philosophers or statesmen. “Classical” in the extended sense describes the University’s core curriculum; “classical” in the limited sense describes the curriculum of the Classics Department. We look on Classics as still having its traditional role at the heart of a university education, and in this view we are supported by the core curriculum of the University of Dallas, which puts great emphasis on classical authors, and by many departments in the university which encourage their own students to learn classical languages or who join with us in offering double majors in Classics and, for example, English or Politics or Philosophy.

The University of Dallas offers two undergraduate degrees in Classics, two graduate degrees in Classics, and opportunities for Latin teachers:

• • The Majors in Classical Philology and Classics (with a focus in Greek or Latin)
  • Concentrations in Classics (Latin, Greek, and Biblical Greek).
  • M.A. in Classics, and Master of Classics.
  • Summer Institute in Classical Languages.
  • Teacher Certification in Latin.

Study in Italy and Greece. Undergraduates spend one semester at our campus in Rome. From there they travel to Greece and to various Italian cities studying the monuments of western civilization in situ. For graduates there is a summer course with a similar itinerary and curriculum, Eternal Cities, offered through the Humanities Program. Undergraduates who are unable to spend a semester in Rome are also eligible for this summer program.

Outreach. The Classics faculty works in close cooperation with our counterparts in the schools. We are active in our joint state organization, the Texas Classical Association, in the national honorary society for Classical studies, Eta Sigma Phi, and in the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS). We have acted as advisors and in-service presenters to several school districts over the years. We are continuously involved with the National Junior Classical League, a national and state organization for high school students.