Program Overview
The Classics program at Lawrence is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of the literature, history, art, culture, and thought of ancient Greece and Rome. Students ground their work in Latin language study and critical reading of Greek and Latin texts as they explore the Greco-Roman world from multiple perspectives, engage with different sources of evidence and modes of inquiry, and cultivate a new appreciation for the ways in which the modern world has been shaped by past and present conceptions of classical antiquity. The minor in Classical Studies helps prepare graduates for careers in law, medicine, creative and performing arts, journalism, business, publishing, and teaching.
Program Highlights
Learn in a Close-Knit Community
Explore topics that interest you through small classes and tutorials that create opportunities to work closely with faculty.
Engage with Ancient Collections
Gain hands-on experience with special collections, including the Buerger Collection of Ancient and Byzantine Coins.
Build Skills for Any Path
Examine enduring questions about imperialism, personal identity, and the role of individuals in society from new perspectives.
Bring the Past into the Present
Examine enduring questions about imperialism, personal identity, and the role of individuals in society from new perspectives.
Spotlight
LAWRENTIAN SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Perspective
“I chose a totally new path that began with a liberal arts education, which doesn’t carve a straight line to any job but makes excelling at every job possible.”
Rebecca Vande Hei Frostenson ’04, Director, Marketing Community & Communications at Microsoft
Classics, English Literature
Redmond, Washington
Types of Degrees
Students can pursue a minor in Classical Studies, with the option to focus on classical literature, ancient history, or issues of reception and translation, depending on which courses are chosen to complete the minor’s requirements.
Advising
At Lawrence, academic advising helps you shape an educational experience that reflects your interests, goals, and aspirations. Your faculty advisor will support you as you plan your path, connect with campus resources and communities, and make informed decisions that prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling future.
Faculty
Engage deeply and collaboratively with professors who are experts in their field and committed to supporting your education.
Chairs
Randall McNeill
Ottilia Buerger Professor of Classical Studies and Associate Professor of Classics
Research Interests: Latin poetry of the late Republic and early Empire; literary depictions of language and social interaction; Greek and Roman history and culture Selected Publications: “We Are the World:…
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Randall McNeill
Ottilia Buerger Professor of Classical Studies and Associate Professor of Classics
Research Interests: Latin poetry of the late Republic and early Empire; literary depictions of language and social interaction; Greek and Roman history and culture Selected Publications: “We Are the World:…
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Mason Wheelock-Johnson (he/they)
Visiting Instructor of Latin
mason.wheelock-johnson@lawrence.edu
Mason received their PhD in Classical & Ancient Near Eastern Studies in August 2021 from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Their research interests focus around Roman philosophy and satire…
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Students have access to the Hiram Jones Latin Library, located in the room in Main Hall that once housed the library for the entire university. In addition to serving as the office of the Classics chair and a classroom for tutorials and upper-level Latin courses, the Jones Library contains a complete set of the Loeb Classical Library and a small collection of terracotta lamps and statuettes, bronze strigils and hand mirrors, Roman glass, Republican Roman coins, and other antiquities.
