MSU program draws from ancient worlds to tackle 21st century

��ɫ��Ƶ’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures now offers a full range of courses in Latin, Greek and classical studies. (Photo by Megan Bean)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—In ��ɫ��Ƶ’s College of Arts and Sciences, something very old is new again.

As the university’s 2016 fall semester gets underway, the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures is introducing a concentration in some timeless scholastic fields—specifically, a full range of courses in Latin, Greek and classical studies. The curricula spotlight their impacts on culture, law and religion, along with how societies over history have responded to various political challenges.

The recently developed 30-hour concentration in classical languages and literatures requires a minimum 12 course-hours each in ancient Greek and Latin.

Most interested students likely anticipate professional and academic careers ranging from law and theology to graduate-level and above degrees in history, philosophy and comparative literature, said Lynn Holt, interim head of the classical and modern languages and literatures department (formerly foreign languages).

Holt said the department “is one of the few in the nation expanding its faculty and offerings,” which he described as “a testament to the dedication of MSU and its leadership to a solid undergraduate education in core subjects.”

Holt said there also is “a strong market for Latin and classics teachers in the South.”

Robert V. Wolverton Sr., the Starkville campus’ longtime classics professor, said students over the centuries have realized many benefits from the study of Greek and Latin.

“American civilization is rooted in the ancient Greeks and Romans, from their languages and literatures to their intellectual, political and social developments,” Wolverton said.

Knowledge of Greek and Latin’s intricate grammar systems also may enable an easier acquisition of English and other modern languages, he added.

Both are the languages of science and mathematics, which likely is why research has shown undergraduate students with classical trainings achieve among the highest scores on the Graduate Record Examination. The same is true for law and medical school applications.

MSU’s largest academic unit, the College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,000 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 24 academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse array of research and scholarly activities, including programs in natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities.

University leaders proudly point out that scholarly output in the humanities have helped place MSU in the National Science Foundation’s Top 50, as well as among Top 25 for research expenditures in the social sciences.

For more on the college, visit ; for the classical and modern languages and literatures department, .

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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