Overview
Classics majors at Williams have gone on to graduate school in classics, art, archaeology, history, Medieval studies, English, Italian, chemistry, journalism, and engineering, as well as to schools of medicine, law, and business. We also have a strong tradition of educating secondary-school teachers of Latin, Greek, and other subjects. Other majors have become investment bankers, librarians, business executives, software designers, farmers, economists, diplomats, and book editors. The sheer variety of these activities attests to the rich variety within Classics and to the continuing vitality of the liberal arts.
Graduate Study
Students interested in pursuing graduate study in Classics or related fields should consult, as early as possible, their professors at Williams, their single best resource. We can advise you on your course selection at Williams, graduate programs and fellowship opportunities, and we can put you in contact with Williams graduates currently pursuing advanced degrees in Classics (and related fields) in both the United States and Great Britain. If you’re just beginning to play with the idea of graduate school, you might start by consulting the Classics bulletin board in Hollander Hall, as well as some of the online resources below.
The Office of Fellowships oversees most Williams graduate fellowships and provides information about other fellowship opportunities. The Society for Classical Studies offers the Lionel Pearson Fellowship for graduate study in Classics or a related field at an English or Scottish university. The Classics Department administers the Charles Bridgen Lansing Fellowship, which may be used to support graduate study in Classics or a related field.
Note that a reading knowledge of French, German, and Italian is required in at least two of these modern languages by Ph.D. programs in Classics, Ancient History, Classical Art and Archaeology, and Medieval Studies; it is a good idea to have studied at least one of these languages before entering a Ph.D. program. Note also that most Ph.D. programs in Classics will expect students to have taken significantly more courses in Greek and Latin than are required for the major at Williams. To address the situation of students who need to study more Greek or Latin before entering a Ph.D. program, a number of post-Baccalaureate programs have been created.
Some online resources
Teaching
Students interested in secondary-school teaching should consult the Classics faculty as soon as possible. Some of us know a great deal about teaching Latin (and Greek) in public and private schools, and we can put you in contact with Williams graduates who are secondary school teachers. You should also become involved in Williams’ Program in Teaching.
Here are some helpful online resources for students seeking positions in Classics. Williams’ Career Center can direct you to others.