The interdepartmental major in ancient and medieval civilizations encourages students to study the interrelations among the contiguous civilizations of Eurasia and North Africa, and to appreciate how this exchange facilitated material and intellectual development from ancient times through the Middle Ages. These civilizations are approached through courses in history, language and literature, archaeology and art, religion and myth, technology, and law and philosophy. The geographic and temporal scope of the program includes (but is not limited to) Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, Ancient Israel and the Levant, Ancient Greece, Rome, Ancient North Africa, Ancient Central and East Asia, and Medieval Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The ancient and medieval civilizations program provides an excellent general education in the humanities, as well as a foundation for careers in teaching, research, law, and business.
The major in ancient and medieval civilizations includes courses in Greek, Ancient 490, Hebraic Studies 500, and Latin 580 (whose courses are described below), as well as Anthropology 070, Arabic 074, Art 082, Chinese 165, History 510, and Philosophy 730 (whose courses are described under their respective departments). Students considering the AMC major are encouraged to visit the program director to discuss their interests.
A grade of C or higher is required for AMC courses credited toward the major. Courses not listed below that seem applicable to an AMC major (e.g., from NJIT or the occasional course offered at Rutgers) may be applied toward the major with the approval of the program director. Each course of study must include 36 credits, 12 each taken from the following three categories: history; art, archaeology, and intellectual and cultural development; and language:
