What can I do with a Classics major?

This is a question that many students and parents ask. In fact, there is little that you cannot do with a major in Classics. While some students in Classics go on successfully to pursue post-graduate study in Classical languages and culture, many more go on to pursue a wide variety of careers. The skills developed through the study of Classics, including proficiency in writing, expression, and analytical and critical thought, position students well for career paths ranging from business, law, and medicine to government and the public sector, education and research, communications, technology, and journalism. For example, with a background in Classical Studies you could . . .

A major in Classics also provides an excellent foundation for advancement into law or medical school. The Princeton Review has this to say about the usefulness of a major in Classics:

"We can't overestimate the value of a Classics major. Check this out: according to Association of American Medical Colleges, students who major or double-major in Classics have a better success rate getting into medical school than do students who concentrate solely in biology, microbiology, and other branches of science. Crazy, huh? Furthermore, according to Harvard Magazine, Classics majors (and math majors) have the highest success rates of any majors in law school. Believe it or not: political science, economics, and pre-law majors lag fairly far behind. Furthermore, Classics majors consistently have some of the highest scores on GREs of all undergraduates."

 

Here is what some of our recent graduates have to say:

Cailleach De Weingart-Ryan ('05), Investment Banking Analyst, Merrill Lynch:

"Throughout the interview process, I received a number of questions regarding my major in Classics. The people with whom I interviewed were impressed with my choice of disciplines and I believe that gave me an edge over the competition. It is not necessary to have a traditional finance resume if one wants to pursue a career in banking. My experience has shown me that a classics major who works hard and excels is capable of obtaining a job in a wide variety of careers."

Sean McKelvie ('04):

"The footprints of Latin and Greek remain crystallized in a variety of professions. Mine is no exception. On an average week I underwrite over 100 million dollars of insurance risk. I am responsible for reviewing hundreds of financial and medical statements every day. My job is to determine whether our team bids on a contract and, ultimately, at what price we are willing to own it. On the surface, this couldn’t be farther from my workload as an undergraduate. I would bet that few backgrounds, however, are more practical in my field than the Classics. Aside from giving me a foundation in the languages that our current medical lexicon is derived, it taught me how to cull the most relevant contents from large, complex, and often arcane sets of information. It forced me to assign a priority and, at the end of the day, a meaning to things that at first make little sense. This is how I approached Virgil, Catullus, Ovid, and Cicero. And this is precisely how I approach every dollar that crosses my underwriting desk. My boss loves telling people that he wishes more business schools would teach their students whatever it was my professors taught me at Georgetown."

Michael Day ('05), med student, Cornell University:

"A Classics major afforded me the opportunity to engage with captivating literature via the study of two beautiful languages through college and beyond. However, the utility of my Classics major, the basis of my liberal education, continues unabated at the start of my career in medicine. This usefulness extends far beyond the convenience of having most medical terms readily explain themselves to me on the basis of their Latin or Greek roots. My study of ancient literature invovled hard work, familiarity with foreign language, interpretation of meaning in context, and careful analysis of pertinent details, no matter how small. My study of medicine requires the same methodology. Medicine has its own language, still relatively new to me. Pathology and physiology provide the context now, rather than archaeology, art, architecture, and history. Yet each patient tells a story, and each diagnosis interprets that story. And when making a diagnosis, just as with interpretation of ancient text - you had better know what you are talking about!"

 

To see what the rest of our alumni have been up to, click here.

To find out more about the programs of study in the Classics available at Georgetown, click here.

If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Classics, Ancient History, or Archaeology, see our guide to preparation for grad school here.

Some relevant websites:

Careers for Classics Majors- Loyola University, Chicago
Classics: Occupational Possibilities - University of Kansas Career Center
"Why in Heaven's Name Are You Majoring in Greek?"- Lynn Sherr's 2003 Rouman Lecture at UNH
"Love and Death Make Classics Tantalizing"- Straight.com (Vancouver)