Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Ancient Greek and Roman Studies (AGRS) is an interdisciplinary "area studies" major. It provides students with the opportunity to explore the rich diversity of Mediterranean antiquity in depth, in company with a relatively small cohort of undergraduates. While language study is an option, the major may be completed entirely in English.  This major serves as excellent preparation for many different careers including law, medicine, teaching, writing, and business, as well as for graduate study in fields such as Anthropology, Archaeology, History, and Art History.

Declaring the Major

To declare the major, meet with the AGRS undergraduate advisor, who can help you create a course plan and complete the declaration. You may also want to review the Letters & Science advising site for a guide to declaring a major. For a detailed list of requirements, please see the Major Requirements tab.

Honors Program

Students who are declared majors in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies and who have a GPA (both general and departmental) of at least 3.6 are eligible for honors in AGRS. The honors program consists of a two-semester course sequence " AGRS H195A and AGRS H195B that is designed to support the writing of a thesis. This thesis, which will be evaluated by an honors committee of three members, may either build on work in a previous upper division course used in fulfillment of the AGRS major or may be a newly conceived project. It is due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which AGRS H195B is taken.

Further details can be found online at AGRS Undergraduate Honors. Please consult with an AGRS undergraduate adviser to begin planning to participate in honors.

Minor Program

The minor in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies consists of five upper division courses in the AGRS Department. Courses or seminars taught by AGRS professors in other departments may also be accepted, in consultation with the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor. One of the five courses may be taken outside of the department on campus or abroad with the approval of an Undergraduate Faculty Adviser.

Other Major and Minor Programs Offered by the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

Greek and Latin (Major only)
Greek (Major and Minor)
Latin (Major and Minor)

Visit Department Website

The learning goals should be understood in the context of the mission statement of the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. The first two components of that statement are especially relevant to undergraduate teaching and are repeated here:

• To give students across the University access to the literature, history, archaeology, mythology and philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman world through an array of undergraduate courses on ancient Mediterranean culture in translation. These courses introduce students to texts, artifacts, and ideas that are worth studying both in their own right and as abidingly influential elements in the imagination and history of later cultures. Such study deepens students' understanding of present-day issues by inculcating a sense of historical perspective that takes account of both the differences and the continuities between contemporary and ancient cultures.
• To enable undergraduates to immerse themselves in the language and culture of ancient Greece and Rome through its majors in Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations, Greek, and Latin. These majors equip students with knowledge and analytical skills that can be applied in many areas (e.g., law, politics, business, biosciences, computer science and media) as well as providing essential preparation for graduate study in classics, comparative literature, philosophy, and other fields.

Learning Goals for the Major

1. Acquire a basic understanding of ancient Greek and Latin texts (in translation) and/or material culture, including major monuments, sites, and works of art. 
2. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of one or more subjects related to Ancient Greece and/or Rome (art and archaeology, history and culture, philosophy or Greek language, or Latin language).
3. Learn to identify and understand key events, institutions, personalities, places, and concepts of ancient Greek and Roman culture.
4. Gain a critical awareness of continuities and differences between and within cultures and of ideologies of gender, group identity, social status, and political organization.
5. Demonstrate the ability to interpret texts and material culture and to understand the implications of interpretive methods.
6. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize a well-organized argument from textual or other evidence and to express it in formal English prose.

• finish secondary school and
• earn a certificate of completion, which allows admission to a university in their home country or country of graduation

In addition:

Students who have completed the IGCSE or O-level exams have not yet met the requirements for admission at UC Berkeley. The university requires further study, either completion of the two-year A-level program with a minimum of three academic exams, the IB diploma program, or another similar academic curriculum.

Students from countries requiring entry into military service upon completion of secondary education should not submit an application until the obligation has been met. UC Berkeley cannot defer admission to a later term.

Students may have to meet additional admission requirements and follow certain guidelines for filling out the undergraduate application, depending on country or educational system.

Apply to Berkeley by filling out the UC application. You can begin working on the application as early as August 1, and must submit the application November 1-30. You can apply to as many UC campuses as you like with one application, and each campus will receive your application and official test scores. If you have difficulties, contact the UC Application Center at [email protected] or (800) 207-1710.