Ancient Studies

Regulations for all Ancient Studies Majors

Grading

Advanced placement credits and courses passed with a grade of D may not be counted toward the major.

Courses

In an interdisciplinary program, courses that are available may on occasion have a substantial overlap in content. Since credit cannot be given twice for the same work, no courses may be counted toward the major that overlap significantly with courses already taken or in progress. It is the student’s responsibility to discuss his or her program with the director of undergraduate studies well in advance and to provide him or her with all the necessary information on the courses concerned, since failure to do so may result in a course not being counted after it has already been taken.

Any course in the Department of Classics may be credited toward the major.

For a Major in Ancient Studies

36 points are required, including the following:

1. At least two but not more than four introductory courses. Following is a sample of courses that fulfill the requirement, but as course offerings vary year to year, please check with the director of undergraduate studies to select appropriate available courses. Among the introductory courses chosen must be the basic history course in the student’s culture of specialization, if available.
   • HSME W1002 Ancient history of Mesopotamia and Anatolia
   • HIST W1010 Survey of ancient Greek history, 800–146 B.C.
   • HIST W1020 The Romans, 754–565 A.D.
   • AHIS V3248 Greek art and architecture
   • AHIS V3250 Roman art and architecture
   • PHIL V2101 History of philosophy, I: pre-Socratics through Augustine
   • RELI V3501 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
   • RELI V3502 Judaism in the time of Jesus
   • CLAH V3132 Classical myth
2. At least two language courses at the 1200 level or above. The minimum language requirement must be completed by the end of the first semester of the student’s senior year, so that the student is equipped to use sources in the original language in their thesis. Students are strongly urged to begin study of an ancient language as soon as possible and to complete more than the minimum requirements, since the best way to gain an understanding of a culture is through the actual words of its people. Those considering graduate work on the ancient world should also be aware that most graduate schools require more than two years of undergraduate language training for admission. The language offered in fulfillment of this requirement should match the student’s area of specialization; special arrangements are available with other universities for students whose specializations require languages not normally taught at Columbia. Students entering with expertise in their chosen languages are placed in advanced courses as appropriate but are still required to complete at least two semesters of language courses at Columbia; exceptions to this policy may be made in the case of languages not normally taught at Columbia. Language courses at the 1100 level may not be counted toward the major. Language courses, including those at the 1100 level, must be taken for a letter grade. At least two advanced courses at the 3000 or 4000 level not appearing on the list of introductory courses.
3. ANCS V3995 Senior seminar in ancient studies (fall term of the senior year)
4. ANCS V3998 Directed research in ancient studies (spring term of the senior year)
5. The breadth requirement is the final set of courses required for the major and must contain courses from at least three different departments (to ensure proper interdisciplinary training and experience), and at least three courses in the student’s area of specialization (in addition to the required language and history courses). In addition, majors are reminded that the focus of this major is the ancient Mediterranean world as a whole and are advised not to study only one culture to the exclusion of the others. Those who miss the opportunity to take courses on a diverse set of ancient cultures may find themselves at a disadvantage in the major seminar.