Web address: www.newpaltz.edu/ancientstudies
About the Minor
Ancient Studies is an inter-disciplinary program that lets students
focus on the study of the world before the Middle Ages – everything from
the Paleolithic period to the late Roman Empire, covering the Near East
(Israel, Mesopotamia, Persia and their neighbors), Egypt, Greece and
Rome, China, India, Japan – and all regions in between. It can also
encompass the study of the cultures of the Americas – North American
Indians, as well as the great urban American cultures of the Inca, the
Maya, the Aztecs and others – before the arrival of European
explorer/conquerors in the Fifteenth Century. With courses in history,
languages, philosophy, political science, art history and anthropology,
students in the Ancient Studies Minor can explore and learn about the
Ancient World from almost any angle.
Students who minor in Ancient Studies will be well positioned for
graduate studies in archaeology/anthropology, Classics, Egyptology, or
any other specialized discipline dealing with the Ancient World. Beyond
that, the skills stressed in Ancient Studies courses – languages,
research, analysis, writing – are valuable in almost any field of
endeavor. But possibly the most valuable thing the minor has to offer is
a wider and deeper perspective on what it means to be human, which is
crucial to understanding today’s globalized, multi-cultural world. As
Homer’s / /Odyssey// says of the hero Odysseus: “He saw many cities, and
knew the minds of many men.” A minor in Ancient Studies offers SUNY-New
Paltz students the opportunity to travel widely in both space and time –
to really follow in the footsteps of Odysseus.
Requirements
- 18 credits
- Courses from at least 3 academic departments
- Maximum of 9 credits from any one academic department
- Up to 3 credits may count for this minor and another minor or major
- Courses not on the list of approved courses must be approved by the faculty advisor
» Download the Plan of Study *
For more information about this minor, please contact Steve Vinson (Program Head), Department of History, 845-257-3037 or vinsons@newpaltz.edu.
