Cockefair Hall 106
Phone: (816) 235-1305
 

Mailing Address:
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Classical and Ancient Studies Program
Cockefair Hall 106
5121 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499

The field of classics is the original interdisciplinary field of study, including the study of language, literature, religion, philosophy, art, and archaeology. Modern Classics programs continue to focus on the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly Greek and Roman culture, but also encompass the study of non-Western cultures and post-Greco-Roman societies. The broad scope and intellectual rigor of the Classical and Ancient Studies major and minor options help students to understand the contemporary world and to prepare for a wide range of careers.

The Classical and Ancient Studies program provides several options for the study of history, literature, art, culture, and language of the Ancient Mediterranean world. Students can major in English and complete the track in Classical, Medieval, and Early Modern Literature; major in History with a concentration in Antiquity and Medieval History; major in Foreign Languages with an emphasis in Classical Language and Cultures; or pursue a minor in Classical and Ancient Studies in conjunction with any of the degrees above or with any other degree program.

Undergraduate Degrees That Offer a Classics Emphasis:

The Classical and Ancient Studies program provides several options for the study of history, literature, art, culture, and language of the Ancient Mediterranean world. Students can major in English and complete the track in Classical, Medieval, and Early Modern Literature; major in History with a concentration in Antiquity and Medieval history; major in Foreign Languages with an emphasis in Classical Languages and Cultures; or pursue a minor in Classical and Ancient Studies in conjunction with any of the degrees above or with any other degree program.

• English Department: Emphasis in Classical, Medieval, and Early Modern Literature
• Foreign Languages and Literatures Department: Emphasis in Classical Languages and Cultures
• History Department: Antiquity and Medieval History Concentration
• Minor in Classical and Ancient Studies

Jeff Rydberg-Cox, Ph.D., Professor, Department of English; Classical and Ancient Studies Program Director
Cynthia Jones, Ph.D., Instructor, Classical and Ancient Studies Program
James Falls, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of History

Affiliated Faculty:
Virginia Blanton, Ph.D., Chair, Department of English
Robert Cohon, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Department of Art and Art History; Curator of Ancient Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Laurie Ellinghausen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of English
Ben Jasnow, Ph.D., Adjunct Lecturer
Linda Mitchell, Ph.D., Martha Jane Phillips Starr/Missouri Distinguished Professor of Women's and Gender Studies
Tina Niemi, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Ann Raab, Ph.D., Adjunct Lecturer
Massimiliano Vitiello, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of History

Undergraduate Programs:

• English Department: Emphasis in Classical, Medieval, and Early Modern Literature
• Foreign Languages and Literatures Department: Emphasis in Classical Languages and Cultures

If you would like to focus on the study of ancient languages, you can pursue a degree in Foreign Languages with an emphasis in Greek and Latin.  This track involves a core set of language courses that allow you to become a proficient reader of Ancient Greek and Latin texts.  This language core is supplemented with electives offered by the Classics Program, the History Department, the English Department, the Media, Art and Design Department, and the Political Science and Philosophy Department.  These electives are taught using translated texts, and these courses allow you to tailor your program of study to your specific interests in history, art or literature.  In addition to these electives, students must also complete a capstone course.  For more information, see the relevant catalog section for the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department.

• History Department: Antiquity and Medieval History Concentration

Students who are interested in ancient and medieval history can pursue a concentration in Antiquity and Medieval history as part of a history major.  The history major includes two foundation courses that survey world history, four courses in the Classics area of concentration, four courses in areas outside the area of concentration, and a two-semester final research sequence: HISTORY 301WI “Historiography and Method,” and HISTORY 498WI “Senior Capstone Seminar.”  For the Antiquity and Medieval history concentration, students take four courses in Ancient or Medieval History. Two of these courses can be taken in departments other than history including Classics, English, Art History, Philosophy, and Geosciences.  For more information, see the relevant catalog section for the History Department.

Minor

Minor in Classical and Ancient Studies