Classics

Classics is a practical choice for the job market. It is an excellent preparation for careers in law, medicine, publishing, seminary, library sciences and more. The demand for knowledge of Greek and Latin also has created a need for qualified teachers in these areas, especially when their studies are combined with other fields.

Students who wish to pursue graduate study in Classics-related fields may go on to specialize in Classics, classical archaeology, ancient history, New Testament studies, art history, comparative literature or ancient philosophy.

Classics is an excellent choice for a double major. Recent Classics majors have combined their studies with majors in accounting, anthropology, art history, biology/pre-medicine, business, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, computer science, English, French, geology, German, history, mathematics, music, philosophy and religion.

Recent graduates

Allan Daly '18 is working at Tufts Medical Center in Boston as a biostatisitician.

Jordan Brown ’18 is a customer success advocate at Square in St. Louis.

Ethan Doan ’18 is pursuing a masters of divinity at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia.

Victoria Karnes '18 is a graduate teaching assistant in Classics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Chris Saladin '17 is pursuing a Ph.D. in history at the University of Minnesota, focusing on the ancient Greek and Roman world.

Bethany Hayenga ’16 is a graduate teaching assistant in Classics while she pursues a master's in comparative literature at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Rachel Akmakjian '16 is an account executive with M. Geller Ltd. in Chicago.

Kelly M. Haidinyak ’15 is a production chemist at Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis.

Shelby Stuparits '15 is finishing a master's degree in anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee while pursing a career in museums.

Megan Alano Covey ’14 a speech-language pathologist at Turning Point Autism Foundation, Naperville, Ill.

Mason Kienzle ’14 is an associate attorney at Katten & Temple LLP. in Chicago.

The three full-time Classics faculty all hold the Ph.D. and have a wide range of complementary specializations: Greek and Roman history and historiography, Greek and Roman religion and early Christianity, women in classical antiquity, and classics and pop culture. Complementary courses are offered in ancient philosophy; ancient history; art history; New Testament studies; and women, gender and sexuality studies.

Augustana’s many international opportunities range from year-long exchange programs, to academic terms abroad, to special individualized programs based on student interest. Classics majors often participate in international study, recently in archaeological field schools in Greece, Italy and Bulgaria, the College Year in Athens program, and Augustana’s faculty-led programs in Greece and Rome.

Epsilon Sigma is the Augustana chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the national Classics honor society.

Bethany Hayenga ’16, Classics, German and philosophy
Pursuing M.A. in comparative literature with an concentration in Classics at the University of New Mexico

“As a freshman, I had never even heard of the Classics—I thought I was going to major in chemistry. Through a crazy, circuitous, wonderful series of events, I ended up in the humanities. It’s been quite the odyssey, but I’m confident that I’ve found my Nietzsche here; there is so much to learn in Classics, and the discipline is so multifaceted that I simply Kant get bored! I want to thank all the professors at Augustana whom I have had the pleasure of getting to know. Not only do they encourage curiosity and exploration, but they are just genuinely good people.”

Kelly M. Haidinyak ’15, Classics and chemistry
Production chemist at Sigma Aldrich

“Coming to Augustana, I was determined to be a music performance major, but as soon as my foot hit the campus soil I turned to science. In the meantime, I needed to take a foreign language, and being of Italian descent I figured Latin was the next best thing to Italian. After my first year of Latin, I signed up for a second. Next thing I knew, I was handed an add-slip and told I was a Classics major... One of the highlights in my college career was working one-on-one with a professor researching science in ancient Greece. I needed one more course to complete my major, and my professors created this independent study in which I was able to pair my two majors. It was a great way to wrap up my college experience. At the end of four years, I was able to secure a job at Sigma Aldrich, a world leader in chemical production. The analytical skills, critical thinking and time management skills I have gained from being a Classics major will continue to benefit me as I pursue my new career.”

Shelby Stuparits ’15, Classics and anthropology
Pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology and a museum studies certificate at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

“Though I didn’t find my niche in Classics until my sophomore year, once there I wouldn’t trade it for anything. From them, I learned countless things, and not just in the classroom. I learned to ask questions, that it’s OK to make mistakes, and to be a little silly because it makes life more fun. While I am not going on to graduate school in Classics, these lessons and the skills I learned from analyzing the different aspects of this field — languages, literature and history — will be indispensable in my pursuit of a higher degree in archaeology and museum studies. If Augustana was my home, the Classics department was my adoptive family.”