UB Programs At-A-Glance

Classics

Department of Classics
College of Arts and Sciences
338 Millard Fillmore Academic Core, Ellicott Complex
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14261-0026

Phone: 716.645.2154
Fax: 716.645.2225
Web: www.classics.buffalo.edu

J. Theodore Peña
Chair

John Dugan
Director of Undergraduate Studies

About the Program

Civil engineers build societies, from the landmarks that define who we are to the hidden infrastructure essential for our survival. Civil engineering projects such as the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, Boston’s ‘Big Dig,’ the interstate highway system, and New York City's water supply system illustrate the diversity, scale, grandeur and functionality that is civil engineering. Because they often work in the public arena, civil engineers require broad technical training as well as strong communication skills, and usually must be licensed as professional engineers.

About Our Degrees

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Only courses at the 200-level or above may be used to satisfy requirements.

Acceptance Information

Deadlines: Rolling
Number of applicants/year: 20
Number of accepted majors/year: 18
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 36

There are no prerequisites for admission.

Minors

The department offers minors in Greek, Latin, and in all the same concentrations as its bachelor's degree program. A minimum GPA of 2.0 overall is required, as are 18 credit hours of work in approved classics courses. Course-work in Greek and Latin (4 semesters in either language) is required only for the language-oriented minors. Students should consult with the Chair or Director of Undergraduate Studies to create a balanced program of study for the minor.

Degree Requirements

Please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Courses

Suggested Introductory Courses


The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: 30 - 35
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 20 - 25
Upper level/advanced courses is: 20 - 25

In the Department of Classics, what do teaching assistants (TA's) do?

TA's teach elementary Latin and some intermediate and elementary classical civilization courses.

For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Faculty

Rated nineteenth in the country in a recent survey of classics departments, the UB Department of Classics faculty regularly devotes some or all of their time to undergraduate teaching. Among them is the holder of the Andrew V.V. Raymond Professorship in Classics and past winners of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Members of the faculty have also held the office of President in both the American Philiological Association and the Archaeological Institute of America, the two primary professional organizations for classicists in North America. The department also serves as home to the journal Arethusa, an internationally recognized periodical devoted to the publication of scholarship in classical studies. Other editorial affiliations by members of the faculty have included positions with American Journal of Archaeology and Classical World.

See a list of our undergraduate faculty.

Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience

Study Abroad
The Classics department provides opportunities for majors and minors to participate in archaeological field projects in Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Israel, and facilitates the placing of majors and minors in study abroad programs in Italy, Greece, and Israel.

Opportunities for summer archaeological work exist in the Americas, Europe, North Africa and the Near East.

Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

Honors Program
An honors program is available for outstanding students, involving special faculty supervision of an honors project.

Awards
Annual Classics Prize for Outstanding Graduating Senior




Extracurricular Activities

See the UB Student Association.

Complementary Programs and Courses

Minors that Complement Classics

Career Information and Further Study

The scope of study that classics provides includes historical, political, sociological, literary, philosophical, archaeological, and artistic dimensions. Classics provides a broad foundation for future study and professional experience, and its graduates have learned to appreciate the past and its relationship to the present. This undergraduate degree area is an excellent basis for graduate work and careers in law, medicine, business, public relations/advertising, publishing, social work, communications, and the arts.

Skills gained in this program include:

  • Communication: The classical languages reinforce precision in expression, enlarge the vocabulary, and sensitize students to the rhetorical and persuasive powers of language.
  • Comprehension: Languages such as Latin and Greek foster especially close textual reading through linguistic analysis and formal translation, and provide a broad frame of reference that improves general comprehension skills.
  • Critical Thinking: The ability to read critically, to analyze, to synthesize, to evaluate, to interpret, and to speculate are the mental habits that humanities most seek to foster. The relationship of these skills to reading in the classical authors is clear, because Western logic and critical thinking comes to us from the classical world.


Students also gain skills in evaluating, speculating, creativity, interpreting/translating, critical/original thinking, teaching, analyzing/synthesizing, testing, editing, promoting, selling, the ability to use computers as a research tool, comprehension skills, and historical perspectives on modern problems.

Career Choices

Graduates of the Department of Classics can pursue many career options in many different work settings. Listed below are just a few of the many careers classics majors have pursued:

  • Anthropologist
  • Archeologist
  • Archivist
  • Author
  • Consultant
  • Curator (museum or art gallery)
  • Curriculum developer
  • Editor or editorial assistant
  • Educator
  • Foreign service officer
  • Historical archaeologist
  • Journalist
  • Judge
  • Latin teacher
  • Lawyer
  • Librarian
  • Manuscript reader
  • Museum technician
  • Production manager
  • Professor (of classics, history, archaeology)
  • Publisher/indexer
  • Reporter
  • Research associate
  • Social worker
  • Title examiner
  • Translator


Work settings include:

  • Advertising/public relations firms
  • Colleges/universities
  • Film companies
  • Foreign service
  • Government
  • Health facilities
  • Law firms
  • Libraries
  • Museums
  • National security agencies
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Publishing companies
  • Radio/TV stations
  • Real estate companies
  • Schools


Career Hints

Employers are seeking candidates with experience and those who have developed their skills from that experience. Internships, part-time, summer employment, and/or further education can enhance a graduate's employability in their chosen career area.

Salary Information

Salaries range greatly from one occupation, position, and work setting to another. According to the April 1998 NACE national salary survey for bachelor's degree graduates: Letters graduates' salaries averaged $28,129 with a range from $20,000 to $40,000, and history graduates' salaries averaged $25,896.

What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?

50%

Additional Resources

Classical Search Engines

Electronic Resources for Classical Studies

Links to Further Information About this Program


Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:05 EST