Greek

University of California, Berkeley

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The major in Greek provides training in ancient Greek from the ground up, enabling students to encounter texts such as Homer's Odyssey, Sophocles' Antigone, and the dialogues of Plato in their original form.  Students majoring in Greek contextualize these readings by taking classes in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies (AGRS), where they explore many different aspects of Greek culture and read a broad array of ancient texts in translation.

Declaring the Major

To declare the major,  meet with the Ancient Greek and Roman Studies undergraduate adviser, who can help you create a course plan and complete the declaration. You may also want to review the Letters & Science advising site for a guide to declaring a major. For a detailed list of requirements, please see the Major Requirements tab.

Honors Program

Students who are declared majors in Greek and who have a GPA (both general and departmental) of at least 3.6 are eligible for honors in Greek. The honors program consists of a two-semester course sequence — GREEK H195A and GREEK H195B- designed to support the writing of a thesis. This thesis, which an honors committee of three members will evaluate, may either build on work in a previous upper-division course used to fulfill the Greek major or be a newly conceived project. It is due the Monday of the 13th week of the semester in which Greek H195B is taken.

Further details can be found online at AGRS Undergraduate Honors. Please consult with an AGRS undergraduate adviser to begin planning to participate in honors.

Minor Program

The Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies offers a minor in Greek Studies. The minor requires five upper-division courses in the Greek language and related courses. At least three courses must be in the Greek language; up to two courses with substantial content relevant to Greek literature, philosophy, culture, or history may be used to meet requirements.  Courses or seminars taught by AGRS professors in other departments may also be accepted in consultation with the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor. One of the five courses may be taken outside of the department on campus or abroad with the approval of the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor.

Other Majors and Minors offered by the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

Ancient Greek and Roman Studies (Major and Minor)
Greek and Latin (Major only)
Latin (Major and Minor)

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit (except for courses taken in Spring 2020), other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Summary of Major Requirements

Prerequisite: Successful completion of one UC Berkeley Greek course.
Lower Division: Two courses8
Elementary Language: One or two courses 10-10
Intermediate Language: One course4
Basic Reading: One Course
Senior Reading: Four courses16
Upper Division Elective: One course4
Total Units32-42
1

Can be replaced by high school or transfer credit upon completion of a placement exam.

Lower Division

AGRS 10AIntroduction to Ancient Greece4
AGRS 10A can be substituted by AGRS 17A or R44
AGRS 10BIntroduction Ancient Rome4
AGRS 10B can be substituted by 17B or R44
Substitutions are subject to advisor approval.
Total Units8
1

Completed, if possible, by the end of the student's sophomore year.

Elementary Language

Select one of the following: 10-10
GREEK 1
& GREEK 2
Elementary Ancient Greek
and Elementary Greek
GREEK 15
The Greek Workshop [10]
Total Units0-10
1

Elementary language requirements can also be met with high school or college transfer credit upon successful completion of an upper-div Greek course.

Intermediate Language

GREEK 100Plato and Attic Prose 14
Total Units4
1

Students who place out of Greek 100 must substitute another upper-division Greek course.

Basic Reading

Select one of the following:4
GREEK 101
Homer [4]
GREEK 102
Drama and Society [4]

Senior Reading

Select four courses from the following:16
GREEK 101
Homer [4] 1
GREEK 102
Drama and Society [4] 1
GREEK 105
The Greek New Testament [4]
GREEK 115
Archaic Poetry [4]
GREEK 116
Greek Drama [4]
GREEK 117
Hellenistic Poets [4]
GREEK 120
Herodotus [4]
GREEK 121
Thucydides [4]
GREEK 122
Attic Oratory [4]
GREEK 123
Plato and Aristotle [4]
GREEK 160
Greek Prose Syntax and Stylistics [4]
Total Units16
1

Excluded if used to meet basic reading requirement.

Upper Division AGRS Course

Choose one of the following:4
AGRS 121Ancient Religion4
AGRS 124Classical Poetics4
AGRS 130Topics in Ancient Greek and Roman Culture4
AGRS 130AEpic and Saga4
AGRS 130BThe Origins of Rome4
AGRS 130CAncient Greek Political Thought4
AGRS 130DThe Roman Economy4
AGRS 130EThe Trojan War: History or Myth?4
AGRS 130FThe History of Hell: Eschatology in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures4
AGRS 130GThe Literature of Everyday Life4
AGRS 130HReligion and Literature in the Greco-Roman World4
AGRS 130IClassical Greek Rhetoric: Evolution or Revolution?4
AGRS 130JGraeco-Roman Egypt: Society and Economy4
AGRS 130KMusic and Difference in Ancient Greece4
AGRS 130LIntroduction to Greco-Roman Magic4
AGRS 130MSlavery and Literature in the Greco-Roman World4
AGRS 130NAncient Portraiture & Biography4
AGRS 130PAncient Times: Myth, History, Measurement4
AGRS 130RThe Art and Monuments of Augustan Rome4
AGRS 130SThe God of the Philosophers in Ancient Greece4
AGRS 161Gender, Sexuality, and Culture in the Ancient World4
AGRS 163Topics in Greek Philosophy4
AGRS 170AClassical Archaeology: Greek Vase Painting4
AGRS 170CClassical Archaeology: Greek Architecture4
AGRS 170DClassical Archaeology: Roman Art and Architecture4
AGRS 172Art and Archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age4
AGRS N172AArchaeological Field School in Nemea, Greece4
AGRS N172BArchaeological Field School in Mycenae, Greece4
AGRS 175ATopography and Monuments: Athens4
AGRS 175DTopography and Monuments: Pompeii and Herculaneum4
AGRS 175FTopography and Monuments: Roman Wall Painting4
AGRS 175GTopography and Monuments: Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt4
AGRS C175FPictorial Representation in the Roman World4
AGRS 180Ancient Athletics4
Total Units140

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements.

General Guidelines

  1. All minors must be declared before the first day of classes in your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). For summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A. 

  2. All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade. 

  3. A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.

  4. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required in the upper-division courses to fulfill the minor requirements.

  5. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.

  6. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.

  7. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. If students cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, they should see a College of Letters & Science adviser.

  8. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

Upper Division
Select five upper division courses in Greek language and related courses
Three courses must be in the Greek language
Two courses may be in Greek or courses may be courses with substantial content relevant to Greek literature, philosophy, culture, or history
Courses or seminars taught by AGRS professors in other departments may also be accepted, in consultation with the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor. One of the five courses may be taken outside of the department on campus or abroad with the approval of the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor.
GREEK 100Plato and Attic Prose4
GREEK 101Homer4
GREEK 102Drama and Society4
GREEK 105The Greek New Testament4
GREEK 115Archaic Poetry4
GREEK 116Greek Drama4
GREEK 117Hellenistic Poets4
GREEK 120Herodotus4
GREEK 121Thucydides4
GREEK 122Attic Oratory4
GREEK 123Plato and Aristotle4
GREEK 125Greek Literature of the Hellenistic and Imperial Periods4
GREEK 160Greek Prose Syntax and Stylistics4
AGRS 130CAncient Greek Political Thought4
AGRS 130EThe Trojan War: History or Myth?4
AGRS 130IClassical Greek Rhetoric: Evolution or Revolution?4
AGRS 130KMusic and Difference in Ancient Greece4
AGRS 130SThe God of the Philosophers in Ancient Greece4
AGRS 163Topics in Greek Philosophy4
AGRS 170CClassical Archaeology: Greek Architecture4
AGRS 172Art and Archaeology of the Aegean Bronze Age4
AGRS N172BArchaeological Field School in Mycenae, Greece4
AGRS 175ATopography and Monuments: Athens4

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For a detailed lists of L&S requirements, please see Overview tab to the right in this guide or visit the L&S Degree Requirements webpage. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley and must be taken for a letter grade. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and American Institutions requirements are based on the principle that all U.S. residents who have graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this campus requirement course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses are plentiful and offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer/data science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course taken for a letter grade.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work taken for a letter grade.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College of Letters and Science requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester for a letter grade.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes at Cal for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you graduate early, go abroad for a semester or year, or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an L&S College adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Mission

The learning goals should be understood in the context of the mission statement of the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. The first two components of that statement are especially relevant to undergraduate teaching and are repeated here:

  1. To give students across the University access to the literature, history, archaeology, mythology and philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman world through an array of undergraduate courses on classical Ancient Greek and Roman culture in translation. These courses introduce students to texts, artifacts, and ideas that are worth studying both in their own right and as abidingly influential elements in the imagination and history of later cultures. Such study deepens students' understanding of present-day issues by inculcating a sense of historical perspective that takes into account both the differences and the continuities between contemporary and ancient cultures.
  2. To enable undergraduates to immerse themselves in the language and culture of ancient Greece and Rome through its majors in Greek, Latin, and Classical Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations. These majors equip students with knowledge and analytical skills that can be applied in many areas (e.g., law, politics, business, biosciences, computer science, and media) as well as providing essential preparation for graduate study in Classics, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, and other fields.

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Acquire a basic grounding in the vocabulary, morphology, and syntax of classical Greek.
  2. Practice the skills needed to use dictionaries, grammars, and other resources to read intermediate texts accurately and to deal comfortably with at least some advanced texts in the original language(s).
  3. Gain a critical awareness of continuities and differences between and within cultures and of ideologies of gender, group identity, social status, and political organization.
  4. Demonstrate the ability to interpret texts and material culture and to understand the implications of interpretive methods.
  5. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize a well-organized argument from textual or other evidence and to express it in formal English prose.

Major Map

Major maps are experience maps that help undergraduates plan their Berkeley journey based on intended major or field of interest. Featuring student opportunities and resources from your college and department as well as across campus, each map includes curated suggestions for planning your studies, engaging outside the classroom, and pursuing your career goals in a timeline format.

Use the major map below to explore potential paths and design your own unique undergraduate experience:

View the Greek and Latin | Greek | Latin Major Map.

Courses

Greek

Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

Contact Information

Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies

7233 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-4218

Fax: 510-643-2959

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Dylan Sailor

https://dagrs.berkeley.edu/people/dylan-sailor

dsailor@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer

Cassandra Dunn

7228 Dwinelle Hall

https://dagrs.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/advising

cassandrajj@berkeley.edu

Faculty Undergraduate Advisors

https://dagrs.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/advising

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