The Classical Studies minor contributes to cultural enrichment through the study of Latin and Greek, and of the history, philosophy, literature, and art of the Greek and Roman civilizations; to language sensitivity by close attention to the grammatical and syntactical structure of Latin and/or Greek and by careful analysis of texts; to expansion of a general working vocabulary; and to knowledge of special vocabularies of such fields as medicine, law, theology, and foreign languages derived from Latin and Greek.
"Greek and Latin have played a tremendous role in shaping the English language. Your English vocabulary is bound to improve, and your training in the ancient languages will give you the ability to appreciate the history of English words. Many technical terms in English are derived from Greek and Latin phrases, especially in areas like medicine and law: if you know the original Latin or Greek roots, these fancy terms will be much easier to pick up."
- SIUC
"Latin enhances the English skills of students by offering a grammar that contrasts highly with English. Students acquire a sense of how languages work and a readiness to acquire additional ones, as needed. Latin is the mother tongue of English, contributing about 65% of all English words, and 90% of those over two syllables. Moreover, Latin is the basis of 75-80% of all Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese words. Hence, Latin provides a useful key to building vocabulary in English and other European languages."
- Virginia Barrett - National Committee for Latin & Greek
"What employers appreciate is that Classics provides mental training in a whole range of different disciplines, and produces graduates of exceptional intellectual flexibility. In our world of rapid social and technological change, it is the capacity to react to new and unforeseen developments with flexibility which employers value most, and it is widely recognized that Classics and related subjects produce just the kind of graduate they are looking for, with an unparalleled capacity to adapt to new circumstances and learn new skills."
Possible Careers:
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Business Consultant Administrator HR Representative Development Officer Import/Export Representative Intelligence Specialist International Relations Specialist Lobbyist Business Manager Media Specialist Marketing Research Analyst Program Coordinator |
Translator/Interpreter Educator Biographer International Business Executive Copy Writer Lawyer Foreign Correspondent Doctor Journalist Theologian Literary Agent Public Administrator Script Writer |
Public Relations Representative Public Information Officer Stockbroker Public Policy Analyst Tour Planner/Guide Business Administrator Information Architect Cataloger Archivist Curator Museum Staff Director Secondary Teacher Corporate Trainer |
