Latin Major - B.A. Program
Program Objectives
Upon graduation, students earning this degree should be able to demonstrate:
1. Advanced competency in foreign language skills in classical Latin:
- Recognize and employ a substantial vocabulary in the language
- Identify and use correct forms of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, & verbs
- Understand and employ correct grammar & syntax
- Comprehend and correctly translate Latin prose & poetry
- Interpret Roman literature effectively in its cultural context
2. Broad familiarity with ancient Roman culture:
- Recognize and discuss major figures and developments in Roman history
- Identify and discuss major characteristics of Roman civilization, including typical values and beliefs
- Know and discuss major contributions of Roman culture to our own
- Understand and discuss the cultural diversity of the Roman world and the rise of Christianity within it
3. Special knowledge of at least three major Roman authors:
- Understand and discuss the context, structure, and function of literary works
- Employ appropriate skills in the critical analysis of literature
4. Appropriate writing and research skills:
- Translate Latin texts accurately into idiomatic English
- Analyze Roman literature and civilization effectively in essays short & long
- Identify and employ classical scholarship appropriately in research
5. Empathy for the ancient Greeks & Romans and discernment in using the classical heritage to serve the modern world:
- Understand the values and beliefs of Roman writers & artists and discuss reasons for those beliefs
- Articulate a Christian perspective toward Roman civilization and its significance for our own
- Consider the transmission, assessment, and renewal of the classical heritage as a task of Christian stewardship and part of our vocation
