Department of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics

Note

For the complete list of faculty members, please consult the Department website.

Department Objectives

Classics programs have two related aims: first, to provide a solid background to the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome through written documents, including historical and literary sources, and archaeological evidence; and second, to train students to read and interpret texts in ancient Greek and Latin.

The Modern Language programs provide a stimulating intellectual milieu for learning and strengthening skills in critical thinking, language proficiency, intercultural understanding, literary studies and contemporary approaches to modern languages and cultures, particularly Spanish, Italian, German, Modern Arabic, and Modern Chinese.

Linguistics is the scientific study of the human language faculty. Teaching and research in the Linguistics programs focus on two areas: linguistics as a branch of cognitive science, encompassing fields such as syntax, phonology and language acquisition; and the nature of language change, with particular emphasis on the Indo‑European language family.