Curriculum

The Ancient Mediterranean Studies major will give the student as complete a background as possible in the Greco-Roman cultural spheres of the ancient Mediterranean, with a strong emphasis on their modern contextualization. Ancient Mediterranean Studies majors can acquire the linguistic skills necessary to read original Greek and Latin texts as well as competence in topics that range from ancient history, daily life, and art and archaeology, to religion, sexuality, social issues, identities (including race, gender, and social class), and the modern reception of the ancient world. Interested students may also pursue teacher licensure in Latin. The Ancient Mediterranean Studies major is inherently interdisciplinary, provides excellent general intellectual training, and does not limit the student to any one future career.

Major in Ancient Mediterranean Studies

  1. Required courses in the major—36 hours, including AMS 498; 4 hours from 300-400 level Greek or Latin language courses; 4 hours from Topics in Social Inquiries: AMS, GRK, or LAT 301 and 302; 4 hours from Topics in Reception: AMS, GRK, or LAT 401 and 402; 8 hours from the following topics (courses must come from different topics): Topics in Texts and Genres (AMS, GRK, or LAT 315 and 316), Topics in Daily Life and Culture (AMS, GRK, or LAT 325 and 326), Topics in Art and Archaeology (AMS, GRK, or LAT 385 and 386), and Topics in Ancient History (AMS, GRK, or LAT 425 and 426); and 12 additional hours, at least 8 of which must be at the 300-400 level, chosen from AMS 215, 250, 260, LAT 212 (if taken before enrolling in upper level Latin courses), and other 300-400 level AMS, GRK, and LAT language and topical courses not previously used. Courses cannot double-count for specified requirements. If pursuing Latin licensure, student must complete 20 hours of Latin language courses.
  2. Required courses outside the major—None. Courses dealing with the ancient Mediterranean world offered by other departments may be substituted for the Ancient Mediterranean Civilization courses with prior approval of department chair.
  3. Other departmental requirements—Major competency will be demonstrated by successful completion of both a 300- or 400-level Greek or Latin language course and AMS 498, which includes formal presentation of the research conducted in the course.

Latin with Teacher Licensure

Licensure as a teacher of Latin requires the completion of the Ancient Mediterranean Studies major with 20 hours of Latin language courses. See the Education section of the catalog for additional required professional education courses.

 

Minor in Ancient Mediterranean Studies

At least 20 hours: AMS 498 and 16 additional hours, at least 4 of which must be at the 300-400 level, chosen from AMS 215, 250, 260, LAT 212, and AMS, GRK, and LAT courses at the 300-400 level. Note: to receive credit for LAT 212, it must be completed before enrolling in upper-level Latin language courses.

University-wide minimum requirements for a minor: 1) one-half of the hours required for a minor must be completed in residence at UNC Asheville, to include at least 6 hours at the 300-400 level; 2) students must have a cumulative grade-point-average of at least 2.0 on minor courses taken at UNC Asheville.

 

Double Majors

Because Ancient Mediterranean Studies does not require an exorbitant number of hours for its major concentrations, a major in Ancient Mediterranean Studies can be combined with several other departmental majors quite easily, including Philosophy, Language and Literature, History, English, and many others. Some majors, however, require many more hours than Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and if you are interested in a double major in Biology and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, for example, your schedule will allow few if any electives, and you will need to plan very carefully and well in advance. You will also need to consider the possibility of a thesis and a capstone research project, if you choose another major that requires a senior thesis. It is certainly possible to complete a thesis and the capstone project, but it will be wise to choose early and plan well.

Departmental Distinction and Honors

The Ancient Mediterranean Studies Department can recognize its graduates with an award of departmental distinction. Distinction is based on the following criteria:

  • A 3.5 minimum GPA in the major
  • Performance over the student’s entire career will be taken into account when we make our recommendations for awarding departmental distinction, and a student judged worthy of departmental distinction will have consistently have contributed well in oral class work and produced articulate and well-researched written work that reveals a clear and sophisticated understanding of the material under discussion. Some students may be invited to write a Senior Thesis as the culmination of his/her studies here. We may also designate a thesis as a Thesis of Distinction.
  • Evidence of enthusiasm and talent which goes beyond taking the bare minimum of courses for the major (though student circumstances will be taken into account in determining eligibility on this criterion). Such evidence may include:
    1. the successful accomplishment of extra electives in Ancient Mediterranean Studies.
    2. presentation of a project of undergraduate research outside the department (e.g. at NCUR, UNC Asheville’s Symposia or some other conference).
    3. entry to graduate school in Ancient Mediterranean Studies (or potential for such, as determined by the department) or some other academic award, such as a Fulbright scholarship.
    4. Service as an Ancient Mediterranean Studies Peer Tutor, or other service to the department.

Attendance & Plagiarism Policies

Student Absences

Faculty members in the Ancient Mediterranean Studies Department recognize that unexpected occasions may arise when a student must be absent from class. Specific absence policies will be developed by each faculty member and stated in course syllabi, but in general you should expect the following policy:

  • Three absences will be allowed in Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes.
  • Two absences will be allowed in Tuesday-Thursday classes.
  • One absence only will be permitted for classes that meet once a week.

Students remain responsible for all material covered in missed classes, including reading assignments, announcements and changes of schedules. Should any further unexcused absences occur, however, the instructor has the option of lowering the final course grade by some percentage. Failure to attend class in a responsible and committed manner may thus be grounds for failure in the course.

Plagiarism

Students must abide by the Academic Honesty policies found in the Student Handbook.