The pairing of Hebrew, Greek, and/or Latin with the study of art history allows you to grapple with both halves of the evidence from the ancient and pre-modern world. Ancient languages and texts provide a glimpse into the world of the ancients and give context for understanding art, both ancient and modern; meanwhile, the study of art provides real, concrete material that connects us directly with the past. In addition, European art draws heavily on the classical cultures of Greece and Rome. If you love studying history, art, and languages, this is the perfect major for you.
Classical Languages Integrated Majors
Classical Languages Integrated Majors
Wheaton College offers several Integrated Majors that pair classical languages with a companion discipline — letting you pursue both interests at once.
How It Works
- 24 hours of required Classical Languages courses (including the 101, 102, 201 sequence)
- 16 hours in a companion discipline such as Biblical & Theological Studies, Philosophy, Art, or English
Flexibility Built In
16 companion discipline hours can count toward a second major, maximizing your degree efficiency.
The integrated major gives you a solid foundation in Hebrew, Greek, or Latin alongside meaningful coursework in a related field — a natural combination given how deeply classical languages are woven into theology, philosophy, literature, and the arts.
If you're interested in public speaking, debate, and rhetoric, this integrated major is for you. Public speaking and debate training, along with study of contemporary critical and theoretical sensibilities, will give you practical insight and a strengthened interpretive “feel” for reading ancient orators and theorists. This “feel” is a vital part of the training you'll need if you want to become a scholar interpreting ancient oratory and theory. Conversely, as a student and practitioner of modern rhetoric, you will learn a great deal from the ancient handbooks and models, which are best accessed in their original languages and contexts.
This major is an excellent choice if you're interested in studying theology and/or the history of the early church. A foundation in Greek and/or Latin is both a natural complement and a catalyst to all serious study of early Christianity, as well as a key component of broader theological and historical studies. Early Christianity formed part of the cultural world within which the classical languages evolved.
With this integrated major, your classical language studies will combine fluidly with the Early Christian Studies Certificate program, and can also be applied toward a major in Biblical and Theological Studies.
If you love languages and have an interest in teaching, this major is for you. The study of linguistics is a natural complement to all language learning, use, and instruction, and many students of the classical languages aspire to a career in primary or secondary education. Even if you don't teach one of the classical languages, the coursework will enhance your resume.
The classical languages will give you unmediated access to the seminal texts of the 2800-year Western literary tradition. They provide a natural complement to the study of English literature, which, especially in its earlier texts, grew up in the tradition of forms, styles, and subjects of literature written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
With this in mind, the English courses in this integrated major are concentrated on texts and authors that are more closely connected to the classical legacy. The integrated major would also be a good fit if you're interested in medieval, Renaissance, or early modern studies.
If you love learning languages, this major is for you. You will learn the history of both ancient and modern languages, as well as their linguistic similarities and differences. If you're planning to attend graduate school, future research interests may require both ancient and modern languages. And whether you plan to pursue a career in business, finance, medicine, law, international relations, politics, or many other fields, study of modern and classical languages will be a significant enhancement to your resume.
This integrated major is ideal if you're also interested in studying philosophy. The discipline of philosophy has its roots in Greek and Roman thought, and those who study philosophy find knowledge of the classical languages extremely useful as they interpret the works of those early Greco-Roman philosophers. This integrated major would also provide a strong complementary foundation if you are pursuing an education in contemporary analytic or continental philosophy.
The Biblical and Theological Studies courses selected for this integrated major bear on the history, culture, and literature of ancient Greek, and the study of Greek facilitates greater depth of work in the field of biblical and theological studies. This major will be an attractive option if you plan to advance to graduate work or directly into ministry, but the original language work is of more a supplement than your primary interest.
This major is designed for students who wish to study the Bible in the original languages. It is ideal if you are planning to advance to graduate studies or directly into vocational ministry and wish to begin original-language study immediately, rather than deferring it to graduate school (as is often required as the de facto result of limited undergraduate offerings in Hebrew and Greek). This major will also prepare you well for careers in editing, publishing, Bible translation, and education.
This integrated major is an option, in exceptional cases only, if you want to integrate your field of study with the classical languages major, but your field of interest is not represented by the other pre-existing integrated programs. This program can provide a special opportunity for new programs of study in which you would collaborate with your advisor and the CL language section coordinator (with department chair oversight) to create a unique and rich path of study.
"My ancient languages major has been one of my biggest professional and ministerial advantages. . . . Today, as a missionary scholar I am constantly grateful for the way my ancient languages degree enriches my theology, preaching, and teaching."
- Dr. Christopher M. Hays '04, Profesor de Nuevo Testamento, Fundacion Universitaria Seminario Biblico de Colombia
Contact Us
Modern and Classical Language Department
Classical Languages Program
McAlister, Second Floor
501 College Avenue
Wheaton, IL 60187