What Is Classics?
Classics is the study of the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. This includes their literature, religion, mythology, history, philosophy and art, and also their physical settings, their interactions with surrounding societies, and their influence on later cultures to the present day. The scope of the discipline is vast both in space (not just the territories of the modern states of Greece and Italy but most of western Europe, the Middle East and north Africa) and time (a period of at least two thousand years, from the start of the Bronze Age in Europe in the second millennium B.C. to the early Middle Ages).
Classics at the University of Toronto is not just ‘looking at the past’ but engaging with issues of compelling and enduring relevance, including: gender and sexuality; the nature of freedom and the basis of political power and legitimacy; how relationships should and do work between parents and children; whether democracy is compatible with imperialism; what it means to be in love; how people cope with the fear of death; and when, if ever, it is right to go to war.
What Can I Do With A Degree In Classics?
A degree in classics will prepare you for life after university at least as well as any subject in the arts and humanities. You will learn how to work efficiently, accurately and in an organized way; to master new skills and areas of knowledge quickly; and, most of all, to express yourself articulately, coherently and persuasively. The wide range of disciplines included in a classics program also promotes an exceptional level of intellectual flexibility and adaptability, which is highly valued by employers. While some classics graduates will continue with specialist studies within the discipline to become teachers and researchers, many more go into a wide variety of other careers. Recent graduates from the University of Toronto are enjoying successful careers in communications, journalism, law, and the civil service.
The Classics Undergraduate Program
At the University of Toronto, undergraduate students who have completed their first year (defined as 4 full courses completed), can then apply to be registered in programs (called “Subject POSts”).
For academic matters and further information on Classics Undergraduate Programs/POSts contact the Undergraduate Coordinator:
undergrad.classics@utoronto.ca
For procedural matters and undergraduate student life matters contact the Classics Students’ Union (CLASSU):
classicsstudentsunion@gmail.com