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Plan II

Plan II
Most students at the University follow the "Plan I" degree program. Each year, however, a small number of students (this year it was 300 from an application pool of 900) are accepted into the "Plan II Honors" program. This is in itself a major, comprising specific courses and sequences of courses in humanities, mathematics and science, social science and interdisciplinary seminars, in addition to a senior thesis. Over a third of these courses are limited to Plan II students, all of which are taught by outstanding professors in the various departments. Several Classics faculty teach regularly in Plan II. The size of these classes allows a great deal of student-faculty interaction and more in-class discussion than the large lecture courses. Because the program is itself so small there is also a strong feeling of collegiality and community among Plan II students.

It is possible to double major in Plan II and several students regularly choose to do so in Classics. The Classics Department accepts four Plan II interdisciplinary seminars (the TC courses) in lieu of a minor, and the student will obtain a major in Latin, Greek or Classics by using electives in the Plan II program to take the required courses. Because we accept Plan II as a minor this still leaves a student double majoring in Plan II and Latin or Greek five electives to pursue other interests. Even in a Classics double major--with the requirements for both Classical languages--there is still room for one elective. A typical course of study in Plan II and Classics would look like this, (courses marked with an asterisk (*) are reserved exclusively for Plan II students):

First Year
Semester 1: *English 603a, Non-US History sequence, *Philosophy 313 Q-Logic, Latin 506, *TC 301
Semester 2: *English 603b, Non-US History sequence, *Math 310, Latin 507, *TC 301

Second Year
Semester 1: *Philosophy 610Qa, Latin 311, Greek 506, *Biology 301C, Social Science 301/Plan I area B
Semester 2: *Philosophy 610Qb, Latin 312, Greek 507, Math/Science or Physics 309K, Social Science 301/Plan I area B

Third Year
Semester 1: *TC 659a: Special Studies, Latin 323, Greek 311, *Physics 341, Government 310L
Semester 2:*TC 659b: Special Studies, Classical Civilization, Greek 312, American History, Government 312L

Fourth Year
Semester 1: Classics Honors Thesis, Latin 365, Greek 323, American History, Elective
Semester 2: Classics Honors Thesis, Greek 365, Classical Civilization, Upper Division Latin/Greek/CC

Further information about the Plan II program can be obtained from Plan II Honors Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (512-471-1442).

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New Testament

The Department of Classics at UT offers an unusually full array of courses in New Testament Greek as well as early Christian Greek authors such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and St. John Chrysostom. There are also courses in early Christian Latin authors. If enough interest is expressed, it is possible that an early Christian concentration can be worked out within a major in Classics. A different New Testament Greek course is offered every semester for a 3-year sequence after the first year in Greek.

The sequence works as follows: in the first two semesters all students, whether they are interested mainly in classical or New Testament Greek, take one of the introductory Greek courses. The second year New Testament Greek sequence is GK 319 (which is offered every semester and may be taken twice), usually a gospel in the first semester and Acts, an epistle, or an early Christian author second semester. The third-and fourth-year sequence is GK 328 and 362 (under which numbers are offered a wide variety of courses).

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Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory

The Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory was begun in 1986 with major and continuing support from the College of Liberal Arts and some institutional funding from the MacArthur Fellows program. The resources of PASP made it possible to run a special undergraduate course, team-taught by Professors Kimball (English) and Palaima (Classics) on Hittite and Mycenaean Society. Undergraduates h ave written senior honors theses making use of PASP's resources and have even participated in the international conferences that PASP has organized. We encourage students who have an interest in prehistoric archaeology, in the way writing systems work, and in the history of the Greek language to make themselves familiar with what PASP has to offer. For further information contact Professor Tom Palaima at the Department of Classics.

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Classical Archaeology

There are two possible courses of study for undergraduates interested in majoring in Classical Archaeology. The course advised for those students interested in pursuing the subject beyond the bachelor's degree is to major in Classics with Archaeology as a minor. (For the major requirements see below.) An alternative for those students interested primarily in Archaeology and who have other career plans beyond the BA is to major in Archaeological Studies with a subfield in Classical Archaeology.

Students majoring in Archaeological Studies must take Archaeology 301 and 302 (or their equivalent cross-listed titles, Anthropology 304 and Classical Civilization 302K) and two courses in archaeological techniques. In addition, majors will concentrate in either Classical Archaeology or Prehistoric (anthropological) Archaeology by taking courses as indicated below. Special areas of interest (for instance, Near Eastern archaeology or the art and archaeology of complex New World cultures) can be accommodated within this framework. The specific courses chosen must have the approval of the Chairman of the Committee on the Archaeological Studies Program.

Classical Archaeology: At least nine semester hours of Classical Archaeology; three semester hours of anthropological archaeology; six semester hours of ancient history. It is strongly advised that students take at least four semesters of either Latin or Greek. These may be used to fulfill the language requirement in the Liberal Arts Degree.

The Institute of Classical Archaeology
The Institute of Classical Archaeology conducts archaeological field research at the Greek colonial sites of Metaponto and Croton in Southern Italy, and Chersonesos in the Crimea (Black Sea). The focus is on early Greek exploration and settlement and on the subsequent Roman occupation of these areas (800 B.C. to 400 A.D.) but the prehistoric and medieval periods are also encompassed. During the summer of 1994 the UT team conducted the first U.S.-Russian/Ukrainian excavation of a major Greek colony on the Black Sea, and continued its pioneering work at Metaponto engaged in field survey and pollen analysis. The research is interdisciplinary with opportunities for students in the areas of Anthropology, Architecture, Geography, Geology and Art History, as well as Classics and Ancient History, to gain valuable "hands-on" experience. The team led by professional archaeologist Prof. J.C. Carter and includes internationally recognized experts in the areas of Physical Anthropology, Paleobotany, and Archaeology.

Two field courses have regularly been offered during the summer session, CC F362 for undergraduates and CC F382 for graduates. Enrollment in courses at the undergraduate level is limited and on volunteer basis. Students need to pay for their own travel to the sites; room and board is provided. Previous courses in Archaeological Field Techniques, Old World Archaeology and Ancient History improve the chances for participation, but there are no strict prerequisites.

Applications for the institute should be made in writing to:

Professor Joseph Coleman Carter
I C A, Department of Classics WAG 123
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin Texas 78712

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Last Updated 01 August 2003 by the Undergraduate Coordinator.
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