How prestigious is the Classics department at Tulane?

<p>Is Tulane's Latin/Classics program nationally ranked? Are the professor adequately knowlegeable in their perspective fields? Does Tulane tend to focus more on the classical literature aspect than latin grammar/vocabulary/articulation?</p>

<p>Do they even rank Latin/Classics programs? LOL. Even if they do, it would be worthless. Don’t pay attention to that stuff. I think at a school like Tulane, you can count on the profs knowing their stuff. As far as the last question, take a look at the course listings.</p>

<p>[Classical</a> Studies Courses - Tulane University](<a href=“http://catalog.tulane.edu/content.php?catoid=37&navoid=768&print]Classical”>http://catalog.tulane.edu/content.php?catoid=37&navoid=768&print)</p>

<p>There seem to be a fair number of courses:</p>

<pre><code>* • CLAS H4000 - Colloquium in Ancient History

  • • CLAS H4010 - Colloquium in Late Antiquity
  • • CLAS H4030 - The Great Captains, Masters of Innovation in Warfare
  • • CLAS H4090 - Colloquium and Field Work in Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean Civilizations
  • • CLAS H4990 - Honors Thesis
  • • CLAS H5000 - Honors Thesis
  • • CLAS 1000 - The Ancient Near East and Greece
  • • CLAS 1010 - The Rise of Rome
  • • CLAS 1040 - Mythology
  • • CLAS 1100 - Introduction to Religious Studies
  • • CLAS 2010 - History of Ancient Philosophy
  • • CLAS 2100 - Introduction to the Hebrew Bible - Old Testament
  • • CLAS 2110 - Classics of Political Philosophy I
  • • CLAS 2220 - New Testament: An Historical Introduction
  • • CLAS 2320 - Greek Temples and Festivals
  • • CLAS 2810 - Special Topics
  • • CLAS 3020 - The High Roman Empire
  • • CLAS 3030 - Early Medieval and Byzantine Civilization from Constantine to the Crusades
  • • CLAS 3050 - Ancient Historiography
  • • CLAS 3060 - Greek Tragedy and Comedy
  • • CLAS 3070 - Plato
  • • CLAS 3090 - Law and Society in Ancient Rome
  • • CLAS 3100 - Select Topics in Greek History
  • • CLAS 3110 - Select Topics in Roman History
  • • CLAS 3120 - Etruscans and Early Rome
  • • CLAS 3140 - Hebrew Bible: Text, Interpretation, and Historical Perspectives
  • • CLAS 3150 - Second Temple Judaisms
  • • CLAS 3160 - The Aegean Bronze Age
  • • CLAS 3170 - Greek Art and Archaeology
  • • CLAS 3180 - Roman Art and Archaeology
  • • CLAS 3190 - Pompeii: Life in a Roman Town
  • • CLAS 3200 - Greek Religion
  • • CLAS 3230 - Ancient Christianity
  • • CLAS 3240 - The Historical Jesus
  • • CLAS 3250 - Paul the Apostle
  • • CLAS 3290 - Gnosticism and Early Egyptian Christianity
  • • CLAS 3310 - Tyrants and Democrats in Ancient Greece
  • • CLAS 3320 - The Greek Way of Death
  • • CLAS 3510 - The Ancient Novel
  • • CLAS 3600 - Women in the Hebrew Bible
  • • CLAS 3610 - Sex and Gender in Antiquity
  • • CLAS 3810 - Special Topics
  • • CLAS 3880 - Writing Practicum
  • • CLAS 4060 - Classical Epic
  • • CLAS 4080 - Seminar in Ancient Society and Economy
  • • CLAS 4110 - Rabbinic Judaism
  • • CLAS 4130 - Egypt Under the Pharaohs
  • • CLAS 4180 - Seminar in Ancient Religion
  • • CLAS 4190 - Seminar in Aegean and Greek Archaeology
  • • CLAS 4200 - Seminar in Roman Art and Archaeology
  • • CLAS 4250 - The Dead Sea Scrolls
  • • CLAS 4300 - The Literature of Early Christianity
  • • CLAS 4320 - War and power in Ancient Greece
  • • CLAS 4810 - Special Topics
  • • CLAS 4880 - Writing Practicum
  • • CLAS 4900 - Senior Capstone Seminar in Greek and Roman Culture
  • • CLAS 4910 - Independent Studies
  • • CLAS 4920 - Independent Studies
  • • CLAS 4930 - Directed Undergraduate Research
  • • CLAS 5010 - Special Readings in Classics
  • • CLAS 6000 - Seminar in Select Topics in Greek History
  • • CLAS 6010 - Seminar in Select Topics in Roman History
  • • CLAS 6080 - Seminar in Ancient Society and Economy
  • • CLAS 6090 - Seminar in Select Topics in Byzantine History
  • • CLAS 6190 - Seminar in Aegean and Greek Archaeology
  • • CLAS 6200 - Seminar in Roman Art and Archaeology
  • • CLAS 6810 - Special Topics
  • • CLAS 6880 - Writing Practicum
  • • GREK H4990 - Honors Thesis
  • • GREK H5000 - Honors Thesis
  • • GREK 1010 - Elementary Greek
  • • GREK 1020 - Intermediate Greek
  • • GREK 2030 - Attic Prose
  • • GREK 3070 - Select Authors
  • • GREK 3910 - Independent Study
  • • GREK 3920 - Independent Study
  • • GREK 4030 - Tragedy
  • • GREK 4040 - Greek Comedy
  • • GREK 4050 - Plato
  • • GREK 4060 - Greek Historians
  • • GREK 4070 - Greek Lyric Poetry
  • • GREK 4080 - Greek Orators
  • • GREK 4090 - Greek Epic Poetry
  • • GREK 4110 - Special Authors
  • • GREK 4150 - The Letters of Paul
  • • GREK 4880 - Writing Practicum
  • • GREK 4910 - Independent Study
  • • GREK 4920 - Independent Study
  • • GREK 6030 - Greek Tragedy
  • • GREK 6030 - Tragedy
  • • GREK 6040 - Greek Comedy
  • • GREK 6050 - Plato
  • • GREK 6050 - Plato Selections
  • • GREK 6060 - Greek Historians
  • • GREK 6070 - Greek Lyric Poetry
  • • GREK 6080 - Greek Orators
  • • GREK 6090 - Greek Epic Poetry
  • • GREK 6100 - Hellenistic Poetry
  • • GREK 6110 - Special Authors
  • • GREK 6150 - The Undisputed Letters of Paul
  • • GREK 6880 - Writing Practicum
  • • GREK 7110 - Selected Readings
  • • LATN H4990 - Honors Thesis
  • • LATN H5000 - Honors Thesis
  • • LATN 1010 - Elementary Latin
  • • LATN 1020 - Intermediate Latin
  • • LATN 2030 - Introduction to Literature
  • • LATN 3030 - Readings in Latin Poetry
  • • LATN 3070 - Readings in Latin Prose
  • • LATN 3910 - Independent Studies
  • • LATN 3920 - Independent Studies
  • • LATN 4010 - Roman Comedy
  • • LATN 4020 - Catullus and the Elegiac Poets
  • • LATN 4030 - Virgil
  • • LATN 4040 - Roman Philosophy
  • • LATN 4070 - Medieval Latin
  • • LATN 4080 - Literature of the Neronian Age
  • • LATN 4110 - Special Authors
  • • LATN 4130 - Roman Historians of the Republic
  • • LATN 4140 - Roman Satire
  • • LATN 4150 - Roman Historians of the Empire
  • • LATN 4170 - Cicero
  • • LATN 4180 - Horace
  • • LATN 4880 - Writing Practicum
  • • LATN 4910 - Independent Studies
  • • LATN 4920 - Independent Studies
  • • LATN 6010 - Roman Comedy
  • • LATN 6020 - Catullus and the Elegiac Poets
  • • LATN 6030 - Virgil
  • • LATN 6040 - Roman Philosophy
  • • LATN 6050 - Latin Prose Composition
  • • LATN 6070 - Survey og the Medieval Latin Literature
  • • LATN 6080 - Latin of the Silver Age
  • • LATN 6080 - Literature of the Neronian Age
  • • LATN 6110 - Special Authors
  • • LATN 6130 - Roman Historians of the Republic
  • • LATN 6140 - Roman Satire: Horace, Persius, or Juvenal
  • • LATN 6150 - Roman Historians of the Empire
  • • LATN 6170 - Cicero
  • • LATN 6180 - Horace, Odes, and Epodes
  • • LATN 6880 - Writing Practicum
  • • LATN 7020 - Special Projects In Medieval Latin
  • • LATN 7040 - Selected Readings
    </code></pre>

<p>I’m no expert, but that looks like a very strong breadth of courses to me. Here are links to the departmental descriptions:</p>

<p>[Program:</a> Classical Studies Major - Tulane University](<a href=“http://catalog.tulane.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=37&poid=616&returnto=746]Program:”>http://catalog.tulane.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=37&poid=616&returnto=746)</p>

<p>[Department/Program:</a> - Classical Studies - Tulane University](<a href=“http://catalog.tulane.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=37&ent_oid=1561&print]Department/Program:”>http://catalog.tulane.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=37&ent_oid=1561&print)</p>

<p>I appears there are lots of options such as a Classics Major with a Latin or Greek Minor, or Latin Major with a Classics minor, or…pretty much all combinations. I think you would be in very good shape at Tulane.</p>

<p>When my son reviews a school, he looks at the resumes of professors, particularly their research interests, in his field of interest. Is there a variety of interests and do yours correspond to the professors in the department? He also usually tries to meet with or email the department head or u.g. advisor, as well as visit an upper level class. The interaction in upper level classes between students and faculty might give you a sense of how engaging class room experiences might be. The status of a department may not be as important as the connections you have with your professors. Our family’s view of the college search has been to look for the best fit…There are many views of status/rank and success; now is when you have the opportunity to define your own. Best of luck.</p>

<p>I’m currently taking Mythology. It’s taught by a grad student, but I can honestly say that I love the class! I don’t know much about the department overall, but I can say that it looks like they have some pretty interesting courses!! :)</p>

<p>Thanks for all your input. It was/is very informative/helpful.
FC: How difficult do you think an avg. course would Be if, per se, I decided to double in Latin/Classics & EE Bio. On the subj. of EE Bio, how challenging the coursework. Is it worth lookin into? Will it stand out to med schools? I heard not alot of ppl take it b/c it is heavily regarded as easy. A friend (Tulane alumnus) told me in his graduating class, he only had EE Bio majors.</p>

<p>miparent: My interests particularly pertain to latin grammar/vocabulary & reading of latin prose and poetry. I know from looking at the different dept. professors, that almost all of tem come from the most prestigious universities in the world. However, that does not precisely assure me that they are able to articulate latin/classics to a degree that is understandable and only fortifies my love of latin. (also, if recommended, ratemyprofessors.com is possibly the most biased, worthless site next to **************)</p>

<p>tulane 14: How difficult on a scale of 1-10 is Mythology? Do you learn enough? How vigorous are your reading assignments? Are your exams fair in their questionning?</p>

<p>FC: ^ 9 EE Bio Majors. Sorry if any unnecessary confusion.</p>

<p>The grad student that teaches our class went to Dartmouth for his undergrad. </p>

<p>The class isn’t too bad. In terms of assignments we have 3 in-class essays and the final is multiple choice. There is a lot of reading (or maybe just a lot for me, as a science major), but it isn’t too difficult and he lectures over everything in class. I’m very happy with the class and feel like I am learning a lot! I’m secretly a big fan of greek/roman history/culture/language…I took up through Latin 5 at my HS and got a 5 on the AP Vergil, so I for sure know my stuff! :)</p>

<p>I don’t think you would go wrong here coming to major in classics.</p>

<p>Is EEBio Ecology and Evolutionary Biology? If so, I’m currently taking Ebio 101 and it’s pretty easy. I think a classics/ebio double major would be on the easier side, really interesting, and look great for med school :D</p>

<p>As an EEBIO major (not pre-med), I think that the reason why many people don’t major in this field of biology is not because it is regarded as easy, but rather that it isn’t the main interest of many students, especially those who are seeking the pre-med track. </p>

<p>Although the major DOES prepare students for med school, there is also a lot of coursework for the major that is completely unrelated to medicine. It’s a very different kind of biology than the standard cell/molec (although EEBIO does require some cell/molec classes). That said, if you are intrigued by ecology, phylogenetics, evolution in general… by all means, look into it. It is a great program, and it is by no means “easy,” although the intro class is absurdly easy by any standards. The upper level courses, starting immediately in the 2000 level, are challenging and informative.</p>

<p>I’m double majoring in Anthropology with no problem. I’m not sure how classics compares to that, but most students that I know find it very manageable to double major in a science and lib art.</p>

<p>tulane14: I am intrigued. Are those in-class essays spontaneous or are you allowed to consult the text?
For EEBio, do you mean “easy” in terms of assigned coursework, tests, labs or all of the above?</p>

<p>wysteri: Would you say that if I chose to double major in EEBio/Latin (Classics), I would have a tough time squeezing in the necessary pre-med requirements? Also, would EEBio adequately prepare for the MCAT?</p>

<p>IZZY -

It is good to be thorough, but one can over-analyze. You won’t know this just by reading anything. You need to talk to current students, come visit if possible and sit in on classes, and talk to a couple of profs 1-1. Believe me, I understand this is a huge decision and there is a lot of money involved also, but some things you cannot know about 100% for any school. Having said that, I will do my best to answer/add to the the answers already given to your questions.</p>

<p>I think EEBio has been answered. Indeed, from all I have read it gets the “easy” reputation because of the intro course, but in fact it seems no easier (or harder) than most other majors as you get into the higher level courses. In general though, you should have no problem double majoring if you are a good and disciplined student. These two in particular means it should be easy for you to complete your distribution requirements while doing your major requirements, since they are in two different schools. I could be wrong and wysteri should correct me if I am, but I imagine that the two majors you anticipate are complimentary. What I mean is the work required for the two (probably a lot of memorization and problem solving for EE Bio and a lot of papers for Classics) will allow you to not “burn out” by having too many papers or too much scientific memorization. Just my intuitive thought on that.</p>

<p>For pre-med though, you should have no problem taking all your pre-med classes and taking all your major courses. Many students take only these pre-med courses and do just fine on the MCATs, but you should even have time to take one more advanced bio class that is pertinent to the MCAT, since you can count Cell Bio and other similar courses towards your EE Bio major. [Tulane</a> University Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology - Undergraduate Program: Majors](<a href=“http://www.eebio.tulane.edu/undergraduate/]Tulane”>http://www.eebio.tulane.edu/undergraduate/) This should easily suffice. As far as standing out to med schools, there really is no such thing. There are only so many majors out there, and they see them all. There are a lot of factors that go into med school admissions, but that isn’t one of them except maybe in a couple of “basket-weaving” cases, but this one in particular (or more precisely, these two) will be just fine.</p>

<p>for mythology, the in class essays are each 20% of our grade and occur after every 10 classes. for our section, we are given the prompts a week ahead of time to prepare and may consult the text during class to look up names & reference quotes, etc. we aren’t allowed to use any outside notes, however. </p>

<p>i think if my class was taught by an actual professor (and not a grad student), we wouldn’t get the essays ahead of time. i think i just lucked out. the grad students tend to be easier :)</p>

<p>i actually met with my advisor today and i think i’m going to pick up a minor in classics. the department is pretty small, but the courses seems so interesting. i think that with my AP credit and my mythology course, i only need two more courses for a minor!! :)</p>

<p>Thanks FC & tulane14 for your help</p>

<p>Is Tulane’s Latin/Classics program nationally ranked? Are the professor adequately knowlegeable in their perspective fields? Does Tulane tend to focus more on the classical literature aspect than latin grammar/vocabulary/articulation?</p>

<p>I know this response is “late” by discussion board standards, but I can’t resist replying.
As a probable Pre-Med Latin/Classics major myself, and having spoken to another (upperclassman), I hope I’ll be able to shed some additional light on Classics here at Tulane - and Classics in combination with sciences.</p>

<p>First off, I agree with fallenchemist - I don’t know about the existence or validity of national rankings. All I can tell you is my personal experience.</p>

<p>I came to Tulane as a freshman with AP credit in Latin, and was placed in a 3000 level class. My professor emphasized not only understanding the Latin, but also understanding the political climate in which the speech was made; to this end, we had a lot of reading to do for homework in addition to translation. So while class time was primarily focused on translation, he also made sure we knew what we were reading about.</p>

<p>Throughout high school, I have always loved Latin (call me a freak, I know!), and needless to say, I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t love it in the college setting. However, my Latin classes have continued to be some of my favorites. After only a few classes, I really felt like I learning so much - about understanding Latin grammar and writing, and Roman culture. I never seriously considered a Classics or Latin major before coming to Tulane, but after my first semester of Latin here, I was hooked!</p>

<p>Although I have had somewhat limited experience (having only taken 3000 and 4000 level classes), I have been thrilled with the Latin faculty at Tulane. Of course they each have different styles and expectations, but they’re all great. I can almost FEEL the intelligence/knowledge rolling off my current professor in waves, but he’s still very approachable and helpful.</p>

<p>I have a friend who is in 1020 (Intermediate Latin), and of course they focus more on the grammar. We are expected to know the grammar, and be able to focus on the text itself.</p>

<p>As far as the degree of difficulty goes, I can easily say that Latin has consistently been one of my hardest classes at Tulane. However, this difficulty is rooted in the high expectations of the professor and the heavy work load of the class, rather than a problem with the actual material (as can be the case in other classes, like sciences, math, etc.). But I really don’t mind - these classes are making up my major, not just fulfilling a requirement.</p>

<p>Sorry if this post is kind of all over the place - I had so much I wanted to say! But basically, LOVE Latin, LOVE Tulane, and LOVE Latin at Tulane.</p>

<p>No, classicgreen your love of Latin is much appreciated. I’m currently taking AP Latin and I absolutely love it myself. There is something about latin grammar/vocabulary that poeticizes the mind and unencumbers the soul. My Latin teacher happens to be the prodigy of Wheelocke, the creator of the standard college latin text. I currently do independent study with him and it is an excellent experience just to be in the same room as him (when he speaks, you are well informed of his mastery of Latin). His love of Latin is awe-inspiring and he is primarily the reason that I would like to double major in Latin.</p>

<p>Very cool izzy4college! I haven’t used it myself, but I know Tulane does use Wheelock in the introductory levels!</p>