Comparative Ancient Civilizations

The Comparative Ancient Civilizations B.A. combines the breadth of an interdisciplinary major with the focus of more traditional majors like History or Classical Civilization. By undertaking a comparison of several major cultures of the past that have continued importance in the construction of our present world, the program affords a truly liberal education. Students have a unique opportunity to employ the methods of humanities and social sciences in their major study. They acquire skills of historical and social analysis, multicultural awareness, insight into constructions of gender and sexuality, and mental flexibility.

The major is an excellent choice as a double major taken along with any of the traditional disciplines to add distinction and intellectual breadth to one’s background.

Major Requirements

  1. Lower-division requirements (20 units)
    1. Twelve (12) units from ANTH 003, ANTH 004, CHN 030/AST 030, CLA 010A, CLA 010B, CLA 010C, CPAC 001, CPAC 002, CPLT 017A
    2. Eight (8) units: CPLT 001 or CPLT 001W, CPLT 002
  2. Upper-division requirements (44 units)
    1. At least sixteen (16) units from CPAC 102/CLA 102, CPAC 112/CLA 113/HISE 113, CPAC 121/CLA 121/POSC 121, CPAC 131/AST 131/CHN 131/CLA 131, CPAC 132/AST 132/CHN 132/CLA 132, CPAC 133/HISE 114, CPAC 134/HIST 110, CPAC 141/CHN 141/CLA 141/AST 145/POSC 140
    2. The balance from any of the upper-division courses in related disciplines listed below; students are recommended, in consultation with their advisor, to focus on one or two ancient civilizations in related courses to obtain special depth in those areas. Since related course offerings in these areas are often added, some of the most recent courses acceptable to fulfill this requirement may not be listed and students are advised to consult with the major advisor.
    3. Four (4) units: CPLT 193, Senior Capstone Seminar (CPLT 196 strongly recommended but not required)
Anthropology
  • ANTH 102/AHS 102 (Anthropology of Art)
  • ANTH 110 (Prehistoric Agriculture)
  • ANTH 117A (History of Old World Archaeology)
  • ANTH 117B (History of New World Archaeology)
  • ANTH 162 (Culture and Medicine)
  • ANTH 171 (Field Course in Maya Archaeology)
Art History
  • AHS 102/ANTH 102 (Anthropology of Art)
  • AHS 144/AST 144 (Japanese Painting: Twelfth to Nineteenth Centuries)
  • AHS 146/AST 147 (The Japanese House)
  • AHS 147 (The Art of Greece )
  • AHS 148 (The Art of Rome )
  • AHS 155 (Early Christian Art)
Asian Studies
  • AST 136/CHN 136 (Family and Gender in the Chinese Short Story)
  • AST 142/CHN 142/RLST 142 (Chuang-tzu)
  • AST 144/AHS 144
  • AST 147/AHS 146
  • AST 148/CHN 148 (Chinese Poetry and Poetics in Translation)
Chinese
  • CHN 142/AST 142/RLST 142
  • CHN 148/AST 148
Classics
  • CLA 100/HISE 110 (Ancient Historians)
  • CLA 110 (E-Z)/LATN 110 (E-Z) (Latin Literary Genres)
  • CLA 112/CPLT 112/RLST 117 (Mythology)
  • CLA 113/CPAC 112/HISE 113
  • CLA 114/CPLT 114 (The Classical Tradition)
  • CLA 120 (E-Z) (Themes and Issues of the Classical World)
  • CLA 121/CPAC 121/POSC 121
  • CLA 131/CPAC 131/AST 131/CHN 131
  • CLA 132/CPAC 132/AST 132/CHN 132
  • CLA 141/CPAC 141/AST 145/CHN 141/POSC 140
  • CLA 165 (Greco-Roman Cult and Credence)
Comparative Literature
  • CLA 112/CPLT 112/RLST 117
  • CLA 114/CPLT 114
English
  • ENGL 100 (Scriptures, Myth, and Interpretation)
  • ENGL 149 (Old English Literature)
  • ENGL 151A (Middle English Literature: 1066-1500)
  • ENGL 151B (Middle English Literature: Later Fourteenth Century)
Ethnic Studies
  • ETST 115 (E-Z)/HISA 144 (E-Z) (Topics in American Indian History)
Greek
  • GRK 101 (E-Z) (Advanced Greek Reading and Grammar)
History
  • HISA 144 (E-Z)/ETST 115 (E-Z) (Topics in Native American History)
  • HISE 110/CLA 100 (Ancient Historians)
  • HISE 115 (The Roman Republic)
  • HISE 116 (The Roman Empire)
  • HISE 117 (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire)
  • HISE 130/RLST 135 (History of Christianity)
  • HISE 150 (Ancient and Medieval England)
  • HISE 171 (Early Russia)
  • HIST 103 (History of Science from Antiquity to Copernicus)
  • HIST 110/CPAC 134 (History of Ancient Astronomy)
  • HIST 180 (Early Traditional China)
  • HIST 181 (Late Traditional China)
Japanese
  • PN 151/AST 151 (Early Japanese Literature)
Latin
  • LATN 101 (E-Z) (Advanced Latin Reading and Grammar)
  • LATN 110 (E-Z)/CLA 110 (E-Z)
  • LATN 135 (The Roman Novel)
Philosophy
  • PHIL 120 (E-Z) (Ancient Philosophy)
  • PHIL 122E (Topics in the History of Philosophy: Ancient Philosophy)
Political Science
  • POSC 110 (The Origins of Our Political Ideas)
Religious Studies
  • RLST 101 (Religions of India)
  • RLST 103 (Confucianism)
  • RLST 105 (Religions of Japan)
  • RLST 106 (Buddhism)
  • RLST 107 (Taoist Traditions)
  • RLST 111 (Islam)
  • RLST 117/CLA 112/CPLT 112 (Mythology)
  • RLST 121 (The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament)
  • RLST 124 (E-Z) (Studies in Judaism from 70 C.E. to the Modern Period)
  • RLST 128E (Contemporary Views of Jesus)
  • RLST 130 (Bible: New Testament)
  • RLST 131 (Jesus)
  • RLST 135 (History of Christianity)
  • RLST 136 (Augustine and Aquinas)
  • RLST 142/AST 142/CHN 142 (Chuang-tzu)
Sociology
  • SOC 123 (Human Societies)

Language Placement:

For information about placement exams contact Suzy Sharweed.

Committee in Charge

  • Lisa Raphals, Ph.D., Director
  • Wendy Ashmore, Ph.D. Anthropology
  • Christopher Chase-Dunn, Ph.D. Sociology
  • David Glidden, Ph.D. Philosophy
  • John Laursen, Ph.D. Political Science
  • Hendrick Maier, Ph.D. Comparative Literature and Languages
  • Jozef Mueller, PhD. Philosophy
  • Michele Salzman, Ph.D. History
  • Karl Taube, Ph.D. Anthropology
  • Sabine Thuerwaechter, Ph.D., Comparative Literature
  • Juliet McMullin, Ph.D., Interim Dean, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, ex officio