Classical Studies

Classical Studies offers a multidisciplinary approach to the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome and the broader Mediterranean world, studying these both in their original context and as avenues for modern inquiry. Students make use of diverse theoretical approaches, spanning the sciences, social sciences and humanities, and apply them in rigorous coursework and research delving into politics, media, history, identity, religion, literature, material culture and the environment. Classical Studies connects us to a shared past which expands our notions of the present, offering new perspectives with which we can think about and address modern challenges.

There are three areas of concentration within the Major: Literature and Performance; History, Politics and Social Justice; Archaeology and Archaeological  Science. Each track foregrounds different facets of antiquity and analytical tools and connect with areas of faculty research and expertise. Students select a concentration upon declaration of the major, and map out a course of study within it together with their advisor.  Regardless of concentration students acquire proficiency in Latin or Greek; no experience with either language is required upon entry to the major.

Literature and Performance explores the aesthetics and political force of literature and its private and public expression in Classical and modern contexts and investigates their use as social and often subversive media. Students analyze a wide range of genres including epic, drama, poetry, rhetoric, science fiction, and the novel. 

History, Politics, and Social Justice examines the dynamics and strategies of communities and governments in antiquity as they adapted their institutions, legal structures, and media to serve diverse populations and strategies. It places ancient conceptions of democracy, constitutional design, and collective action from a variety of literary genres in conversation with modern notions of the same.

Archaeology and Archaeological Science focuses on material evidence from the ancient Mediterranean. Students learn to apply traditional and scientific tools (experimental archaeology, phytochemistry, geoscience) to interpret archaeological data and to reconstruct phenomena ranging from the smallest experiences of daily life to large scale environmental change.  
 

Prospective majors will have completed one course in the history, literature, or art and archaeology of the Greek or Roman world prior to declaring in order to familiarize themselves with the interdisciplinary nature of the field, and achieved a minimum grade of B-.

Upon declaring the major students are required to complete the major declaration form and to select which area of concentration they intend to pursue. If they intend to apply a course (previously taken or planned) outside of the department towards their elective credit they should identify the course and explain how they will be in conversation with the major course selections to form a meaningful curricular whole. This initial outline will indicate the student's aimed trajectory.

Both Regular Decision applications and Early Decision applications include the following:

First-Year Application & Personal Essay

Completed Common Application or Apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir, including Wesleyan’s member-specific questions.

Secondary School Report Form & Transcript

Your school counselor should submit a secondary school report along with an official transcript (including courses in progress) and school profile.

Homeschool Supplement (if applicable: only available on Common Application site)

Wesleyan encourages applicants to request that school forms be filed electronically via the Common Application website.

Counselor Recommendation

Your school counselor should submit a written evaluation.

Mid-year Grade Report

Your school counselor should submit your midyear grades when available (end of first semester or second trimester).

Teacher Evaluation Forms

Two academic teacher evaluations are required. You are encouraged to submit one from a humanities or social sciences teacher and one from a math or science teacher.

Wesleyan encourages applicants to request that teacher evaluations be filed electronically via the Common Application website.

Early Decision Agreement

The Early Decision Agreement form is available for download, but it is also provided as part of the Common Application.

(Early Decision applicants ONLY)

Application Fee

$65 Application Fee (non-refundable) or Fee Waiver. We will waive the application fee for all applicants who apply for financial aid. Receiving this fee waiver will not disadvantage an applicant in any way.

Track Your Application Materials

After you have submitted your application you will receive an email with a PIN which will enable you to access WesCheck, your applicant portal, to track your application materials.