Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Classics?
Classics is the study of ancient Greece and Rome and may include the study of other civilizations, for example, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, and the New Testament world. The historical timeframe is roughly 1000 BCE to 600 CE and beyond, for example, looking at the influence of antiquity on the Byzantine Empire, Medieval Europe, and the modern world today. Classics is an interdisciplinary field that includes literature, philosophy, art, architecture, history, women's and gender studies, and cultural studies.
How can I find out what books will be required for a certain course?
Books for our courses are ordered through the Rutgers University Bookstore, located in Ferren Mall in New Brunswick. To find out what books are required, please go to the University Bookstore website. Once you’re there, select textbooks, and then put in the course information. It will then provide a list of the books.
Can I get the syllabus for a course?
Please see our syllabi archive on the course offerings page of this website.
AP Credit
Students who have earned a 4 or a 5 on a Latin AP test will receive 4 credits in Latin (580) at the 100 level. The student should still take the Latin placement exam. Based on the results, she or he will be placed into the appropriate level of Latin.
Seton Hall Project Acceleration
Students who have earned college credit by taking Latin AP courses through the Seton Hall Project Acceleration program can earn up to 8 department credits at the 100 level. However, if the student wishes to continue to take Latin courses in the department, she or he still needs to take the Latin placement exam. Based on the results, she or he will be placed into the appropriate level of Latin.
I want to study Latin or ancient Greek. How do I know the level at which I should start?
To study Latin, you must take a placement exam. Your score on the placement exam will determine at what level you should begin. If you have any questions, please contact our director of undergraduate studies.
There is no placement examination for Ancient Greek. Students typically begin with first-year Elementary Greek.
Do any Classics courses count for the SAS distribution requirements?
Yes, all courses in our department count towards the Humanities requirement. In addition, the following courses count towards the Writing requirement:
190:310 Literature and Culture in Augustan Rome
190:312 The Search for the Historical Socrates
190:315 Latin Poets in English
190:320 Women in Antiquity
190:322 Greek Political Philosophy
190:350 Greek Society
190:353 Aristotle
190:381 Greek Drama in Translation
190:391 Roman Drama in TranslationThe following courses count towards the Diversity requirement:
190:300 Greek and Roman slavery
190:318 Cleopatra
190:320 Women in Antiquity
190:325 Cults, Magic, and Witchcraft
190:326 Greek and Roman Religion
Are there courses in other departments that count towards Classics?
Yes, the following courses in other departments all count as Classical humanities courses:
01:082:301 Ancient Architecture (3)
01:082:306 Roman Art (3)
01:082:342 Early Greek Art (3)
01:082:343 Later Greek Art (3)
01:510:201 Ancient Greece (3)
01:510:202 Ancient Rome (3)
01:510:205 Byzantium: The Imperial Age (3)
01:510:207 Byzantium: The Last Centuries (3)
01:510:301 Early Greece (3)
01:510:302 Classical Greece (3)
01:510:303 Hellenistic World (3)
01:510:304 The Rise of the Roman Republic (3)
01:510:305 The Crisis of the Roman Republic (3)
01:510:306 Roman Empire (3)
01:510:307 The Roman World in Late Antiquity (3)
01:510:308 Ancient Cultural and Intellectual History (3)
01:510:320 Women in Antiquity (3)
01:510:350 Greek Society (3)
01:510:403 Ancient Warfare and Diplomacy (3)
01:730:208 Philosophy of the Greeks (3)
01:730:301 Socrates and Plato (3)
01:730:302 Plato and Aristotle (3)
01:730:352 Plato (3)
01:730:401 Plato (3)
01:730:402 Aristotle (3)
01:730:403 Ancient Philosophy after Aristotle (3)
