We’re excited to announce a new and expanded Classics major, now offered in five tracks: Classical Languages and Literatures, Greek, Latin, Classical and Ancient Civilizations, and Classical Reception and the Classical Tradition. Each track is designed to accommodate different interests in the ancient world, its languages, and its reception. These tracks give you more ways to explore the ancient world, whether your passion is reading Greek and Latin in the original, studying the history and culture of a single ancient society or the ancient Mediterranean, or tracing the influence of antiquity through later centuries. The Classical Languages and Literatures track is especially recommended for students considering graduate study in Classics. If you joined Columbia in Fall 2025 or later, you’ll automatically follow the new major. If you started in Fall 2024 or earlier, you can choose to stay with your current major in Classics, Classical Studies, or Ancient Studies, or switch to the new tracks—whichever best fits your interests. The current majors will remain available until May 2028. You can read more about them and see their specific requirements here. The department also offers a newly designed Minor, built on the same track system, for students who may not wish to pursue a major but want to engage deeply with the department’s offerings. You can find more information about the minors here.
Click on the image below to access the 2025-2026 Undergraduate Handbook
